Late fee calculator
Flat or percentage, with the grace-period logic spelled out.
Late fee due
$75.00
Paid day 9, grace ends day 5
Total due with rent
$1,575.00
A flat fee applies once when the grace day passes — paying on day 14 instead of day 9 wouldn't change it. Switch to "$ per day late" for a fee that grows with lateness.
Many states cap late fees or require them to be "reasonable" — and a fee is only collectible if your lease authorizes it. Check both.
Late-fee laws by state
Caps, grace periods, and statutes differ wildly — pick your state for the exact rule and a calculator that checks your fee against it.
| State | Maximum late fee | Grace period | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Alaska | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Arizona | No statutory cap — reasonable, and in a written lease | None — the lease sets it | Ariz. Rev. Stat. §33-1368(B) |
| Arkansas | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| California | No fixed cap — valid only as reasonable liquidated damages | None — the lease sets it | Cal. Civ. Code §1671 |
| Colorado | Greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due rent | 7 calendar days | Colo. Rev. Stat. §38-12-105 |
| Connecticut | Lesser of $5/day (max $50) or 5% of the delinquent rent | 9 days (4 for week-to-week) | Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-15a |
| Delaware | 5% of the monthly rent | 5 days | 25 Del. C. §5501(d) |
| District of Columbia | 5% of the rent due | 5 days | D.C. Code §42-3505.31 |
| Florida | No statutory cap — must be reasonable and in the lease | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Georgia | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Hawaii | 8% of the amount due | None — the lease sets it | Haw. Rev. Stat. §521-21(f) |
| Idaho | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Illinois | No statewide cap — Chicago, Cook County & Evanston cap it locally | None statewide — local rules differ | No late-fee statute |
| Indiana | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Iowa | Rent ≤ $700: $12/day, $60/month max · rent > $700: $20/day, $100/month max | None — the lease sets it | Iowa Code §562A.9(4) |
| Kansas | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Kentucky | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Louisiana | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Maine | 4% of the amount due for a 30-day period | 15 days | 14 M.R.S. §6028 |
| Maryland | 5% of the rent due (weekly leases: $3/week, $12/month max) | None statewide — county rules differ | Md. Real Prop. §8-208(d)(3) |
| Massachusetts | No cap amount — but no fee until rent is 30 days late | 30 days | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, §15B(1)(c) |
| Michigan | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Minnesota | 8% of the overdue rent | None — the lease sets it | Minn. Stat. §504B.177 |
| Mississippi | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Missouri | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Montana | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Nebraska | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Nevada | 5% of the periodic rent | 3 days | Nev. Rev. Stat. §118A.210(4) |
| New Hampshire | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| New Jersey | No statutory cap — 5-business-day grace for protected tenants | 5 business days (seniors & benefit recipients) | N.J. Stat. §2A:42-6.1 |
| New Mexico | 5% of the rent for the period (lowered from 10% in 2025) | None — the lease sets it | N.M. Stat. §47-8-15(D) |
| New York | Lesser of $50 or 5% of the monthly rent | 5 days | N.Y. Real Prop. Law §238-a |
| North Carolina | Greater of $15 or 5% of the monthly rent (weekly: $4 or 5%) | 5 days | N.C. Gen. Stat. §42-46 |
| North Dakota | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Ohio | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Oklahoma | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Oregon | One of three statutory structures, after a 4-day grace | 4 days | Or. Rev. Stat. §90.260 |
| Pennsylvania | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Rhode Island | No statutory cap — enforcement can't start until day 15 | None for the fee — but no rent demand until day 15 | R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-35 |
| South Carolina | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| South Dakota | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Tennessee | 10% of the amount past due | 5 days | Tenn. Code §66-28-201(d) |
| Texas | Safe harbor: 12% of monthly rent (≤4 units) or 10% (larger) | 2 full days | Tex. Prop. Code §92.019 |
| Utah | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Vermont | No statutory cap — must reflect actual costs | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Virginia | Lesser of 10% of the periodic rent or 10% of the balance due | None — the lease sets it | Va. Code §55.1-1204(E) |
| Washington | No dollar cap — but no fee for rent paid within 5 days of due | 5 days | Rev. Code Wash. §59.18.170 |
| West Virginia | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
| Wisconsin | No statutory cap — but strict disclosure rules | None — the lease sets it | Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134 |
| Wyoming | No statutory cap — must be reasonable | None — the lease sets it | No late-fee statute |
Rules as of August 2026. Statutes change and cities can be stricter — verify before relying on a number. General information, not legal advice.
The three parts of an enforceable late fee
A late fee that survives a dispute has three parts, all written in the lease: the trigger (rent unpaid after day N), the amount (flat dollars or a percentage), and the authority (the lease clause itself). Miss any one and you're negotiating instead of collecting.
The grace period is where most confusion lives. "Rent due on the 1st, late after the 5th" means the fee applies on the 6th — the grace day itself is still a clean payment day. Set it, write it, and apply it the same way every month for every tenant; selective enforcement is how fees die in court.
Then there's the bookkeeping: the fee is its own charge, not a bump to rent. It needs its own line so partial payments allocate correctly and the running balance stays truthful — that's the difference between a defensible ledger and an argument.
Frequently asked questions
What's a reasonable late fee?
Common practice is 5% of monthly rent or a flat $50–$100, after a 3–5 day grace period. Several states cap fees by statute or require 'reasonableness' — pick your state above for the exact rule and statute.
Which states cap late fees by law?
About a third of states set hard caps — for example New York (lesser of $50 or 5%), Colorado (greater of $50 or 5%), Texas (12%/10% safe harbor), Delaware, Maryland, Nevada and New Mexico (5%), Hawaii and Minnesota (8%), Tennessee and Virginia (10%), and Maine (4%). Others mandate grace periods instead — Massachusetts bars any fee until rent is 30 days late. The rest leave it to the lease under a reasonableness standard. Pick your state above for the statute.
Is a late fee enforceable if it's not in the lease?
Generally no. The lease has to authorize the fee, its amount, and when it applies. If your current lease is silent, add it at renewal — not mid-term by surprise.
Does a partial payment stop a late fee?
Usually not — if the grace day passes with any rent unpaid, the fee typically applies (subject to your lease and state law). This is exactly where spreadsheet bookkeeping breaks: charge, partial payment, fee, payment need to stay in order.
Should I waive fees for good tenants?
A one-time written waiver preserves goodwill AND the enforceability of future fees. Silent non-enforcement, repeated, can undermine the fee entirely. Waive deliberately, in writing, or not at all.
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Late fees that apply themselves
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