Our lease agreement states that rent is due on the “last day of the month.” Unfortunately, my husband does not get paid until the first of the month, at which time we do pay our rent immediately on the 1st. The landlord is claiming that he “must” have it on the last day due to a mortgage due on the 1st, which if not paid exactly on the 1st, charges him a $56 late fee, a sum he is asking us to pay. Our lease details nothing about late fees or grace periods on our rent. Is there any law that provides that the landlord must give us a minimum grace period on rent before a late fee can be charged? Are we obligated to pay the late fee on his loan?

While tenants are responsible for damage caused for use that is beyond ordinary wear and tear, you must be able to prove the tenants — or their pets — caused the damage. In this case, there was significant damage that you apparently assume was done by rats. As part of that assumption, you may be relying on speculation that there was a 30-member gang of rats running loose at the house. You are also relying on the assessment by a neighbor as to the tenants having had male and female pet rats. If they were pets, one may also speculate that they were protected from running loose and that they were taken away when the tenants moved out. As to the tenant’s pet rats having 30 baby rats who grew up real quick with an appetite for foundation posts and insulation, you may have a tough time proving that one. In any event, if you feel your evidence is strong enough, you may deduct the damages from the deposit to cover the repairs and seek additional money from the tenants if the deposit will not be sufficient to pay for all the repairs.

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