Taking care of your rent should be easy and stress-free, but many renters feel uneasy about leaving their rent payment in a drop box. After all, what's keeping someone from cracking open the box and stealing a few checks? How can you know that your rent is safe each time you slip it into the drop box? Put simply, you can't.
Drop box theft is a lot more common than you may think, and it hurts both you and the apartment community. Apartments may take special precautions to protect themselves and renters from theft, but you should make sure you're doing the most you can to look out for your best interests. Luckily, there are a few ways for renters to do just that. Here are a few tips to pay your rent safely and securely.
Pay Online
Many apartments give renters the ability to manage and pay their rent online through the community's website. Online payment is a lot more convenient than having to rush to the office to drop off your rent during office hours. There is a small transaction fee involved if you use your credit or debit card, but it's a small price to pay to take care of your rent securely. You'll still be responsible for paying your rent on time, but you'll be able to pay your rent from anywhere, provided you have internet access.
Each community is different, and not all apartments are onboard with online rent payments. While more and more apartments are adopting online payments, you may be stuck with having to pay your rent the old fashion way.
Hand-Delivering Rent
If you aren't able to pay your rent online, the next best thing you can do is to hand-deliver your rent to the leasing staff. This method is secure, easy, and a preferred way to make sure that your rent doesn't get lost or stolen before it reaches the community's team.
Most leasing offices will lock their drop box during office hours, making this method the default if you drop of your rent while the apartment community's office is open.
Rent Tip: If you pay your rent using a drop box, make sure that the amount on the check is correct. If the amount is wrong, it could take a business day for the leasing office to notice the mistake and call you to let you know you need to write a new check for the correct amount. At this point, however, your rent payment will already be late.