Falling short with your monthly bills is a terrible feeling. You fear that eventually you will get kicked out of the place. You cannot allow this to happen. As soon as you know that you will be unable to pay the rent this month, these are things you need to do.
Talk to your landlord and negotiate
If the landlord lives within the same building, you can knock on the door and have a conversation; otherwise, you can put your request in writing. The goal is for you to inform the landlord that you cannot pay the rent soon and apologise.
Tell your landlord about your situation but in a professional way. Some landlords became tough over the years after listening to several sad stories. Tell your landlord that you will pay an initial amount by a given date and the remaining amount by another time. You need to make sure though that you can see through this promise; otherwise, you will not receive the same level of trust again if you experience financial difficulty in the future.
Be confident when making your promise as a way of showing your landlord that you will stay true to your word. If you need to sign a document to prove that you will pay within the indicated time, you need to do it.
Be willing to pay a fee
Your landlord might also allow you to pay the rent a few days later provided that you pay a fine. If the amount is reasonable enough, you have to accept the offer. Besides, you already know your obligation to pay on time. Check if the amount depends on the number of days that you delayed the payment. If so, you need to settle as soon as you can before the figure piles up.
Do not ignore the problem
You might pretend that you did not see the bill and hope the problem will soon go away; do not do this. You need to inform your landlord and face reality. Do not wait until your landlord comes to your place and knocks on the door. If you receive phone calls and emails, you need to respond. Stop making lame excuses. Yes, you are in a tight spot right now, but hiding does not help.
Never send a cheque that will bounce
In your effort to shut your landlord up, you might decide to send a cheque that you know will bounce. Your goal is to buy some more time. As tempting as it is, you need to avoid doing it. You are only increasing the ire of your landlord and reducing trust. It is also a sign that you lacked good faith when you entered the agreement and could lead to the automatic termination of the contract.
Times are tough, but you cannot hide from your responsibilities. You might have to consider other areas if where you are staying now is way too expensive for you. Consider flats to rent in Brentwood since you could find quality options there.
To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.
