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In general one should never agree to use an app to pay rent, since these apps are often wrapped in terms and conditions. You should always just pay your rent by

In general one should never agree to use an app to pay rent, since these apps are often wrapped in terms and conditions. You should always just pay your rent by check, cash, or money order. Every jurisdiction in America requires lessors to accept these.

cormorant 2y ago
Not quite. According to a quick search [1]: "Under California law, it's illegal for a landlord to require cash and/or electronic deposits as the sole methods to pay rent.1 Landlords must allow a tenant to pay rent using at least one of these other options as well: check, cashier's check, or money order." When I lived in CA I had a landlord that demanded cashier's check. Do you know how annoying those are to get? I could have also paid cash but then I'd take the risk that the cash, dropped in a mailbox, would "go missing". [1] https://caretaker.com/learn/rent/rent-payment-laws-in-california https://caretaker.com/learn/rent/rent-payment-laws-in-califo...
- jeffbee 2y ago
  Doesn't seem like that much of a problem? My bank has a form in their app to have a cashier's check mailed to whomever.
  - xp84 2y ago
    Most banks charge at least $5-10 for the privilege. Not all, but all the ones with the most market share. And also I think for most of them you have to go in person during business hours and wait in line to get one.
- tomjakubowski 2y ago
  My former giant corporate landlord (Onni) began refusing to accept checks as a matter of policy, even when I pointed this out exact law, and the language in my lease saying the landlord would accept them. They claimed that because the mandatory $5 "convenience fee" on their payment portal was paid to a third party processor, and not to them, that they were in the clear. I didn't want to go so far as to challenge them to either continue accepting check payments or, if they still refused, try and evict me, but maybe I should have.

cormorant 2y ago

Not quite. According to a quick search [1]: "Under California law, it's illegal for a landlord to require cash and/or electronic deposits as the sole methods to pay rent.1 Landlords must allow a tenant to pay rent using at least one of these other options as well: check, cashier's check, or money order." When I lived in CA I had a landlord that demanded cashier's check. Do you know how annoying those are to get? I could have also paid cash but then I'd take the risk that the cash, dropped in a mailbox, would "go missing". [1] https://caretaker.com/learn/rent/rent-payment-laws-in-california https://caretaker.com/learn/rent/rent-payment-laws-in-califo...

jeffbee 2y ago
Doesn't seem like that much of a problem? My bank has a form in their app to have a cashier's check mailed to whomever.
- xp84 2y ago
  Most banks charge at least $5-10 for the privilege. Not all, but all the ones with the most market share. And also I think for most of them you have to go in person during business hours and wait in line to get one.
tomjakubowski 2y ago
My former giant corporate landlord (Onni) began refusing to accept checks as a matter of policy, even when I pointed this out exact law, and the language in my lease saying the landlord would accept them. They claimed that because the mandatory $5 "convenience fee" on their payment portal was paid to a third party processor, and not to them, that they were in the clear. I didn't want to go so far as to challenge them to either continue accepting check payments or, if they still refused, try and evict me, but maybe I should have.