WHAT HAPPENS IF THE RENT IS LATE

Remember, it is your responsibility to have your rent in by the rental due date stated in your Rental Agreement. And, remember, doing so, you are able to save money by receiving the "on-time" discount of $15 - $25!

If you ever think you might not have the rent paid to Real Estate Options on the day it is due, call or email us as soon as you know. Our biggest thing is COMMUNICATION! If we do not hear from you, we can only assume you are avoiding paying the rent intentionally. We understand that at times it may be difficult to pay the rent in a timely manner. Partial payments show good faith effort on your part. We will still, however, have to follow the rules. Late charges must be collected in full even if partial payments are made.

Here is what to expect (step-by-step) if your rent is ever late:

If your rent is due by the first day of the month, it must be received by the first day of the month to be considered "on time" and qualify for the "on time" discount described in your Rental Agreement.

If your rent is even one day late, you do not qualify for the discount and must pay the "full rent" described in your Rental Agreement.

If rent is not received by the day after it is due, you will immediately be served a 5-Day Notice. A 5-Day Notice allows you 5 days, by law, to get the rent paid or move. Please be aware that even if you do move, you will still owe rent for the month because you did not give a proper 30-day written notice to move. Even if you called and communicated that you would be a day or two late with the rent, you will still receive a 5-Day Notice. This is a policy we are required to follow strictly.

If the full rent is paid within the allotted 5 days, no further steps are taken and you may continue to live in your apartment or house.

If rent is still not paid after the 5 allotted days, we have the right to begin legal action to regain possession of the apartment/house due to failure to pay the rent.

Once a lawsuit is filed (called a Forcible Entry and Detainer Action or F.E.D.) we will have the option to accept rent from you and allow you to stay, or accept rent and still require you to move or deny any payment from you and require you to move. At this stage of the process, you are now also legally responsible for any costs involved in filing the eviction (currently this is $113.00 plus the cost of service which can vary in price).

When the rent is still not paid by the 10th day of the rental period, late fees begin accruing in the amount of $5.00 per day each day after the 10th day until the full rent and any other accrued charges are paid.

If an eviction suit is filed, you will receive a summons which will state the date and time that you will have to appear in court for a hearing (usually the following Wednesday at 9:00 AM)

At the court hearing, the Judge will ask you if you owe the rent. The Judge will then decide whether you must vacate the premises. If the Judge decides in our favor, he/she can order you to be out of the apartment or house that same day. UNDER ILLINOIS LAW, IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, IF YOU HAVE NO PLACE TO GO, THE JUDGE CAN ORDER YOU TO MOVE THE SAME DAY YOU GO TO COURT!

At the same time, the Judge signs the Order for Possession (which says when you have to be out and how much money you now legally owe us) and hands it to you, we will hand you a No Trespass Notice. A No Trespass Notice states that if you are found on or in the property after that point in time determined by the Judge, you can be arrested immediately for criminal trespass.

We would hope that matters never get this far, but want you to be fully aware of what happens if you do not pay the rent.

Remember COMMUNICATION is the key! Talk to us and let's see what solutions we can come up with together.

Also, check out our page on Rental Assistance Programs