Writing an Apology Letter to Landlord for Late Rent Payment (with Sample)
Use this sample apology letter to landlord for late rent payment as a template for your formal apology letter.
Last updated on January 17th, 2022
Desperate times call for desperate measures and when it comes to the rent, graveling a bit is not out of the question. Most people live paycheck to paycheck and when some emergency expenses arise, it can leave a family strapped for money.
If a major breakdown takes every dime you have, including rent money, you may need to write an apology letter to landlord and ask for an extension on the rent.
If a major breakdown takes every dime you have, including rent money, you may need to write an apology letter to landlord and ask for an extension on the rent.
Ask for an Extension
Asking for an extension may be cheaper than a cash advance loan and easier than borrowing from relatives. After all it is just an extension, you are not asking them to forgive the month in question. Most landlords would rather give an extension to a good tenant than to have to look for new renters.
This letter doesn’t have to be really formal, especially if you have some sort of relationship with the landlord. What the letter does need to be is open and honest. If you had to repair a major part on your car, be sure to tell them.
Tell them why you are having a hard time. This letter is reserved for those who have a pretty good standing with the landlord, and not someone who is constantly on the verge of being evicted.
An apology letter for late payment is just that, a once in awhile kind of thing. It shouldn’t be overused or it can be seen as an excuse and poor bill management.
Start the Letter
To start the letter, put the landlord's name and address and a date. Address them personally, rather than using their full legal name.
This will force them to see you as having more of a personal relationship rather than just being a tenant. You want to compel to their generous side with this type of letter, so write with a grateful tone.
Start right in on the first paragraph with what issues you are having that is enabling you from coming up with the rent. Honesty is always the best policy and making up things that are not true can come back to bite later. Try to explain the situation to the best of your abilities.
Include some Specifics
Make sure to include some specifics in the letter. This information can be the rental address, amount of rent, who the lease is written under and anything else that is pertinent. Make sure to tell them when you will be able to pay the rent.
Don’t just leave the conversation open ended. Before a landlord will grant this type of generosity, they are going to want to know when the rent can be paid.
While most people like to feel like they are the only tenants, some landlords have a vast amount of renters and it can be confusing to keep track of all of them.
If you have been a good tenant, it doesn’t hurt to mention it in the letter. If you have been there for five years and never missed a payment, by all means bring it up. Remind them of how much they don’t want to lose you as a tenant by how little trouble you cause.
After all, most landlords are not going to kick a person out after one month of rent that is late, but they may not be happy. Legally, most people can start the eviction proceedings when a tenant is 30 days late on the rent.
Asking for an extension may be cheaper than a cash advance loan and easier than borrowing from relatives. After all it is just an extension, you are not asking them to forgive the month in question. Most landlords would rather give an extension to a good tenant than to have to look for new renters.
This letter doesn’t have to be really formal, especially if you have some sort of relationship with the landlord. What the letter does need to be is open and honest. If you had to repair a major part on your car, be sure to tell them.
Tell them why you are having a hard time. This letter is reserved for those who have a pretty good standing with the landlord, and not someone who is constantly on the verge of being evicted.
An apology letter for late payment is just that, a once in awhile kind of thing. It shouldn’t be overused or it can be seen as an excuse and poor bill management.
Start the Letter
To start the letter, put the landlord's name and address and a date. Address them personally, rather than using their full legal name.
This will force them to see you as having more of a personal relationship rather than just being a tenant. You want to compel to their generous side with this type of letter, so write with a grateful tone.
Start right in on the first paragraph with what issues you are having that is enabling you from coming up with the rent. Honesty is always the best policy and making up things that are not true can come back to bite later. Try to explain the situation to the best of your abilities.
Include some Specifics
Make sure to include some specifics in the letter. This information can be the rental address, amount of rent, who the lease is written under and anything else that is pertinent. Make sure to tell them when you will be able to pay the rent.
Don’t just leave the conversation open ended. Before a landlord will grant this type of generosity, they are going to want to know when the rent can be paid.
While most people like to feel like they are the only tenants, some landlords have a vast amount of renters and it can be confusing to keep track of all of them.
If you have been a good tenant, it doesn’t hurt to mention it in the letter. If you have been there for five years and never missed a payment, by all means bring it up. Remind them of how much they don’t want to lose you as a tenant by how little trouble you cause.
After all, most landlords are not going to kick a person out after one month of rent that is late, but they may not be happy. Legally, most people can start the eviction proceedings when a tenant is 30 days late on the rent.
Sample Apology Letter to Landlord for Late Rent Payment
[Renter’s Name]
[Renter’s Address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
[DATE]
[Landlord’s Name]
[Landlord’s Address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
Re: Apology for late rent payment
Dear [Landlord’s Name],
We want to sincerely apologize for being late on our rent. Recently, my wife [Wife's Name] and I had to put a new fuel pump in our van. The fuel pump was quite expensive, over [Amount].
We normally would have waited to do such an expensive repair, but the van broke down on the freeway and we had no choice. We are a little short on the rent for the month of [Month] and wanted to know if an extension was possible?
Because of our good rental history with you and that fact that we take such impeccable care of the home, we hope that you will allow this one time extension to us.
We will be able to pay by the [Date] the full amount of [Amount] plus any late fees associated with this payment not being timely. This is for the property located at [Address].
We appreciate your prompt response. We can be reached at 555-870-8756.
Thank You,
[Renter’s Signature]
[Printed Renter’s Name]
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