Once the due day passes with nothing recorded, the lease is flagged overdue on your dashboard with a running count of days late. After a grace period you control (three days by default) ProperLease emails the tenant and copies you, and keeps doing so on the cadence you set until the balance is cleared.
Your email carries a one-tap link that logs the payment, so clearing a false alarm takes a second.
The reminder schedule
| Message | Default timing | Goes to |
|---|---|---|
| Rent reminder | 3 days before the due day | Tenant and you |
| Overdue notice | 3 days after the due day, repeating daily | Tenant, copied to you |
All of it is configurable under Notifications: whether each message is on, how many days before or after, how often it repeats, and whether it goes to the tenant, to you, or to both. A payment recorded inside the period reduces the amount owing and silences the nudge once the balance is covered.
Why a grace period helps
Most late rent is not a problem tenant, it is a forgotten transfer. A reminder a few days before the due date prevents most of it, and a short grace period afterwards avoids firing a formal-sounding email at someone whose transfer is already in flight. The escalation exists for the smaller number who need it.
When reminders are not enough
Escalate to a written notice, then to the statutory form your jurisdiction requires. The days-overdue count matters here, because many jurisdictions tie notice timing to how long rent has been outstanding. See how do I serve a late-rent notice.
What to do in ProperLease
- Open Notifications and set the lead days and cadence for rent reminders and overdue notices.
- Make sure every tenant record has a current email, or nothing sends.
- Check the dashboard for the overdue count and how many days it has run.
- Tap Mark paid as soon as payment arrives, from the app or from the overdue email.
- If it keeps running, open Notices and send a Late Rent Notice.
ProperLease has a late fee field on each payment, but it never adds one automatically. Whether you can charge one, and how much, depends on your lease and your jurisdiction.
Run your rentals with absolute clarity
ProperLease helps self-managing landlords in Canada and the US track rent, generate provincial and state leases, serve notices, and stay tax ready.