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Proration of Rent

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bach2009

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? FL

How is the first month's rent handled when a new tenant signs the lease and moves in, for example, in the middle of the month? Does the tenant pay a prorated amount for that month plus the full amount of rent for the following month?
 


b.momma

Member
prorated for what? usually at the lease signing i would take the security and first months rent, and the second months rent (as with all the following months) due the first day of the next month, weather that be the first or 12th.
 

dmsdexter

Junior Member
Instead of prorating I would just make the beginning of the lease on another day instead of the first. Ex: If they don't want to start renting until the 15th then just make the rent due on the 15th every month.
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
It is not uncommon for a landlord to require the prorated rent plus the next month when someone moves in the middle of the month. If a tenant can't pay at least a full rent payment when they move in, how will they be able to pay for the next 11 months?
 

Alaska landlord

Senior Member
Forget collecting for extra months of rent. It will only confuse your tenant.

Collect the 1st months rent, security deposit, and prorate the second months rent. If state has no stipulations on how much SD you can collect, then collect SDX2 Do not start your lease in the middle of the month.

P.S. If tenant whines about not having the SD or enough money to cover moving expenses, you probably have a marginal deadbeat and should pass on him or her.
 

CA LL

Senior Member
Standard procedure by experienced LL's is to collect FULL first month's rent and then if necessary pro-rate MONTH TWO to get due date where you want it to be.
 

bach2009

Junior Member
So, do you mean that if the tenant signs on June 12th, I would only collect FMR to cover June 12th-July 12th, and then prorate July 13th-July 31st? If so, when would s/he pay the prorated amount--on July 13th?
 

Alaska landlord

Senior Member
Tenant signs on June 12th.

You charge for June 1st through June 30th.
In July, you charge for July 12th through July 31.

Don't forget the SD and proper tenant screening.
 

CA LL

Senior Member
You can't charge rent for time before lease is effective. AL was incorrect, bach you are correct. Personally I DO NOT make them pay the prorated amount until the date after first month runs out but many LL's still make them pay it on the 1st of that second month. Up to you. I think after getting together all move in funds and since technically they ARE paid up until that date..it's not fair to collect it on the first..just my own personal way of doing things for 30+ years.
 

Alaska landlord

Senior Member
OSPIRG's Renters Handbook:
Chapter 5

Not wrong. This is standard practice just about everywhere. I have tenant sign the lease and give the tenant the keys. The clock then starts ticking.


Prorating

In a monthly agreement where the tenant moves in on the 10th of the month, the next rent would be on the 10th of the next month, and so forth. However, most landlords will prorate the rent. For example, a tenant who moves in on the 10th of a month when rent is payable on the 1st should pay rent only from the 10th to the end of that month. The landlord may choose to get the first month's rent in full, and then prorate the next month. The daily rate can be calculated by multiplying the monthly rate by 12, then dividing by 365.
 
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CA LL

Senior Member
Tenant signs on June 12th.

You charge for June 1st through June 30th.In July, you charge for July 12th through July 31.
AL as you can see above the portion I referred to as WRONG was charge for June 1 to June 30th...you cannot charge for JUNE 1st to JUNE 11th because the tenancy did not start until JUNE 12th. Other than that of course the second month pro-ration is correct..perhaps you did not mean to type what you did since even what you quoted did not infer that!?
 
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Alaska landlord

Senior Member
CA LL;

I still don't see your point. My post states charge from July 12th - July 31.

OP should try to keep all his tenants paying on the same day.
which in most cases is the 1st. Unless I too am reading his post incorrectly, he will be asking for rent on the 12th of each month. That's OK if he only has 1 tenant, but will not work with multiple tenants.
 

Cvillecpm

Senior Member
Collect FULL month and DEPOSIT on the 15th and then they pay 1/2 mo rent on the 1st of the next month.

You don't loose half a month's rent because you don't want to pro-rate properly
 

bach2009

Junior Member
OK--It seems that the standard practice is to collect a full month's rent and prorate the second month. Is the following timeline correct if LL wants rent due on the 1st of the month? Tenant moves in on June 12th. LL collects FMR (and deposit), which covers June 12th-July 12th. On July 13th Tenant pays a prorated amount which covers July 13th-July 31st. On August 1st, Tenant pays monthly rent and so on.
 

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