Automatic rent reminders: when to send them and what to say
Send one reminder a few days before rent is due (three is a common choice) with the amount and how to pay, and one after the grace period ends if rent is still unpaid. Keep each message short, factual and polite, never threaten, and skip anyone who has already paid. Automating this removes the awkward monthly chore without changing your lease terms.
A simple schedule
| When | Message | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days before due | Rent of the amount is due on the date. How to pay. | A friendly heads-up. |
| After the grace period | Rent for the month is past due. The amount owed. How to pay. | A factual follow-up, once a month. |
| Before a lease starts or ends | A short checklist: utilities and insurance, or keys, cleaning and forwarding address. | Fewer surprises. |
Many landlords use a due date on the 1st and a grace period through the 5th, but your lease and your state decide what is allowed. Some states require longer grace periods before a late fee. Check yours, and do not send a late notice before the lease and the law allow it.
What each message should hold
- The amount, as a number.
- The due date, or the date it became past due.
- One way to pay, such as the tenant's pay page.
- A line saying who to contact with a question.
- For texts, a way to opt out.
Leave out: threats, references to fees you have not charged, bank details in a text, and anything that sounds like a legal notice. A reminder is not a notice, and mixing them confuses a tenant and can create problems later. See serving notice by email for notices.
Example a made-up reminder reads, "Hi Sam, rent of $1,450 for unit 3B is due on the 1st. You can pay from your tenant page. Questions? Reply to this email. Reply STOP to opt out of texts." It has the amount, date, how to pay and a contact, and nothing else.
Avoid reminding someone who already paid
A reminder that arrives after payment teaches tenants to ignore your messages, and the next one, the one that matters, gets ignored too. Accuracy is what keeps reminders useful.
Nothing annoys a tenant more than a reminder after they paid. Bank transfers take a day or two to show. The fix is to send the late reminder only after your grace period, only for balances still unpaid, and to match deposits daily so a payment in transit does not look missing. See reconciling rent deposits.
Texts and email: consent matters
Email is the safer default. For text messages, get consent before you start and honor opt-outs right away. The FTC's CAN-SPAM guide covers commercial email, and rules on automated texts are stricter again. A plain rent reminder is closer to account information than to marketing, but ask your own advisor if you are unsure.
How DoorKeeping handles it
DoorKeeping's rent reminders go out a set number of days before rent is due (1 to 7, with 3 as the default) with the amount and the pay link. Late rent reminders go to tenants still owing rent after your chosen days (1 to 10) and never before the late-fee grace ends, once a month. Texts go only to tenants who gave consent, otherwise email, and anyone who opted out gets nothing. The message holds fixed words, the date and the amount, with no bank details. Each is an automation with one switch, and DoorKeeping sends no payment for you: tenants pay your own bank. Details on the connect page.
Sources
- FTC: CAN-SPAM Act, A Compliance Guide for Business, read Oct 30, 2026
- DoorKeeping: Connect Claude or ChatGPT (steps and tools list), read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- How many days before rent is due should I remind tenants?
- Three days is a common choice. It gives time to pay without feeling like pressure.
- Can I send a late reminder the day after rent is due?
- Only if your lease and state allow it. Many landlords wait until the grace period ends. Check your state's rules on late rent.
- Should I put bank details in a reminder text?
- No. Send a link to a secure pay page instead.
- Is a rent reminder a legal notice?
- No. A reminder is a courtesy. A legal notice has its own required form and timing.