Rent Receipt

For landlords, rent receipts can be helpful for many reasons:

• They help the landlord keep a record of all of the rent payments a tenant has paid in addition to when they made their payments and how much was paid.
• They act as a sales receipt, providing proof that a transaction took place.
• For vacation properties, they record dates, amounts, and renter information.
• They fulfill a state requirement (for some).

For tenants, rent receipts are important because:

• They provide a “proof of purchase” or payment which protects them in case the landlord claims the rent payment was not made (especially when dealing with cash).
• They record when the tenant paid rent which protects them in case the landlord wants to charge a fee for late payment.

When to use a Rent Receipt?

A rent receipt should be used by the landlord of a residential property occupied by tenants who make rent payments. A common example would be if you are the landlord of an apartment building where the tenants pay rent on a monthly basis. These receipts are a way for the landlord to keep track of all rent payments. They are especially important when a renter pays cash, to provide proof of receipt for tracking purposes.

A landlord who writes a rent receipt for a tenant can either photocopy or scan the receipt for their own records, or enter the receipt details in whatever rent payment tracking system they use. They can also be emailed, however, it would be better to have a written signature on them.

Rent receipts can also be used to document a one-time rental fee, like when someone who is on holiday rents a vacation property owned by a private citizen.

Information to Include in Rent Receipts

Rent receipts can help a landlord keep track of which tenant(s) have fully paid rent, when each payment was made, and if needed when late payments or other fees are paid. The more you include on a rent receipt, the easier it is for you to keep track of everything.

You can keep printed or digital copies of the receipts for as long as needed for your financial or personal records. These receipts typically contain the following information:

• Tenant name and telephone number
• Landlord or property manager name and property address
• Amount of the rent payment
• How the payment was made (personal check, cash, etc.)
• Rental period covered by the payment

State Requirements for Providing Rent Receipts

As mentioned above, some states require landlords to provide their tenants with a rent receipt each time a payment is made towards their rent. Contact your state’s housing bureau to see if your state has such a law. If it does, and your landlord is not following it, ask for a copy of the statute and forward it to your landlord. If your state doesn’t mandate rent receipts, create a receipt yourself and ask your landlord to sign it when you submit payment.

Here’s our easy to use rent receipt template.

Some cities require rent receipts even if the state doesn’t, so check with your city’s local housing board. If you’re the tenant, it’s better to pay by check, money order or electronically than by cash so you have an additional record of payment.