Updated February 20, 2023
A rent receipt template is a form that allows a tenant to mark their monthly rent as paid. Most commonly for the use of cash payment by the tenant to their landlord. The receipt should only be filled in after the funds are transferred to the landlord. The form may be issued ‘on the spot’ with the landlord completing the amount and how the payment was made.
Security Deposit Receipt – Use when a tenant makes an initial deposit to the landlord at the start of a lease.
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What is a Rent Receipt?
A rent receipt acknowledges a rent payment made by a tenant. This is usually in the form of cash but can be for credit cards and physical checks as well to show the tenant paid on time. The receipt consists of the amount paid, property address, payment source, and most importantly the landlord’s signature.
Video
How it Works (3 steps)
Step 1 – Collect / Pay Rent
The tenant pays the rent, in accordance with their rental agreement, to the landlord. If a receipt is needed then the payment is usually done in cash. The landlord will then write the amount paid and for the rental period.
Step 2 – Landlord’s Signature
It is imperative that the landlord sign the receipt as it is the only proof the tenant will have that rent was paid.
Step 3 – Keeping the Receipt
The tenant will be handed the receipt and should be stored safely in the chance the landlord tries to bring a claim for non-payment.
How to Accept Rent Online
Paying rent online is now popular more than ever. Especially with most sites offering it as a free service to try and obtain the landlord as a customer for performing tenant screening (background and credit reports).
As a landlord, this is very easy to set up and only requires signup and uploading their bank documents. Afterward, the rent collection company will contact the tenant and inform them of their ways to pay online.
Step 1 – Signup with a Website
Use the table below to find the best option that works for you. After signup, include your property details and get verified to accept credit cards and bank deposits by submitting your personal or business entity information.
As you can see below, Apartments.com is the best online resource to collect rent online with free ACH payments and 2.75% credit card fees.
| Websites | ACH Fee | Credit Card Fee | Monthly Subscription |
| Apartments.com | $0 | 2.75% | $0 |
| Avail.co | $2.50 | 3.5% | $0 |
| ClickPay.com | $0 | 2.95% | $0 |
| eRentPayment.com | $3 | N/A | $0 |
| PayYourRent.com | $2.50 | 2.95% | Based on number of units |
| RentPayment.com | $4.95 | 2.95% | $0 |
| Zillow | $0 | 2.95% | $0 |
Step 2 – Alert Your Tenants
Alert your tenants that now they can pay rent online, often with no fee, for making ACH payments online. This is also a convenient way to pay as the rent will be processed directly from the tenant’s bank account on the 1st of every month.
How to Write
Download: Adobe PDF, MS Word, OpenDocument
I. Reference Information
(1) Date Of Payment. The calendar date when the Rent Payer submits the concerned payment should be established. Furnish the exact date that the discussed payment is received to the space provided at the top right corner of this receipt.
(2) Receipt Number. Most would strongly suggest that Landlords maintain a reliable filing system to keep track of received payments. A key component in keeping track of receipts is to assign each receipt a unique identification number. Present this receipt’s identification or filing number on the space after the abbreviation “No.”
II. Payment Information
(3) Payer Name. The full name of the Party who has submitted payment to the Receiver (i.e. Landlord or Property Manager) must be documented. Continue the term “Received From” with a production of the Payer’s full name to the space provided. Generally, this will be the name of the Tenant who is renting the premises or property this receipt concerns.
(4) Payment Sum. To aid reviewers in identifying this receipt at a glance, supply the dollar amount of the received payment by entering it numerically following the term “The Sum Of.”
(5) Written Payment Confirmation. Reproduce the dollar amount submitted by the Tenant or Rent Payer by writing out the dollar amount that was received.
(6) Address Of Premises. The geographical location of the property or premises that required the submitted rent payment must be presented by recording the building number, the name or number of the street, and (if needed) the apartment number or unit number where the premises (or property) is physically accessible and can be visited.
(7) Rent Period. The time frame that required payment from the Tenant or Rent Payer and to which the submitted dollar amount shall pay for must be documented with the first date of the rental period and the last date of the rental period using the formatted spaces attached to the words “For The Period.”
(8) Paid By Check. The type of payment that was submitted will need to be defined or categorized. If the payment submitted was done so using a check then some additional information will be needed. Begin by marking the checkbox labeled “Check No.” then, in the space that follows dispense the check number that identifies the check within the Payer’s register or checkbook. This can often be found in the upper corner of the submitted check
(9) Paid In Cash Or Money Order. If the Rent Payer has paid in cash or money order then only a record of the type of payment submitted will be expected. This can be done by marking the “Cash” checkbox or by selecting the “Money Order” checkbox to indicate the method the Rent Payer used to pay the amount documented above.
III. Payment Verification
(10) Received By. Naturally, in order for this receipt to be taken seriously, the name of the Party who has physically received the rent payment must be presented to the next area. In most cases, this will be the Landlord or an authorized Representative of the Landlord (i.e Property Manager).
(11) Receiver Contact. Produce the entire address and the telephone number of the Rent Payment Receiver.
(12) Landlord’s Signature. The Landlord will be expected to acknowledge this receipt through his or her signature. Once he or she signs the signature line, a copy of the signed receipt should be dispensed to the Payer and one should be retained for the Landlord’s records. The Landlord should only sign this receipt when the rent payment noted above has been physically received and accounted for.
