Late fees are one of the most common sources of landlord-tenant disputes. Charge too much and a court can throw out the fee entirely. Fail to include a grace period where one is required and the whole fee becomes unenforceable. The rules change dramatically depending on which state your property is in.
We pulled late fee data from our 459-statute landlord-tenant law database and compared every state side by side.
Key Findings
Late Fee Laws: All 50 States + DC
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| State | Late Fee Rules | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No statutory limit on late fee amount, but fees must be reasonable. | Ala. Code § 35-9A-161 |
| Alaska | No statutory limit on late fees, but must be stated in the lease and be reasonable in proportion to the actual damages caused by late payment. | Alaska Stat. § 34.03.020 |
| Arizona | Late fee cannot exceed $5/day for single-family, $12/day for mobile homes. | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1368 |
| Arkansas | No statutory cap on late fees. | Ark. Code § 18-17-401 |
| California | Late fees must be reasonable and closely approximate actual damages from late payment. | Cal. Civ. Code § 1671 |
| Colorado | Late fee cannot exceed $50 or 5% of monthly rent, whichever is greater (effective 2023). | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-105 |
| Connecticut | Late fee allowed only after 9-day grace period. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a |
| Delaware | Late fee cannot exceed 5% of monthly rent. | Del. Code tit. 25, § 5501 |
| District of Columbia | Late fee cannot exceed 5% of monthly rent. | D.C. Code § 42-3505.31 |
| Florida | No statutory cap on late fees, but fees must be reasonable. | Fla. Stat. § 83.46 |
| Georgia | No statutory cap on late fees. | Ga. Code § 44-7-2 |
| Hawaii | No statutory cap on late fees. | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-21 |
| Idaho | No statutory cap on late fees. | Idaho Code § 55-201 |
| Illinois | No statewide cap on late fees. | 765 ILCS 710/1 |
| Indiana | No statutory cap on late fees. | Ind. Code § 32-31-3-1 |
| Iowa | No statutory cap on late fees. | Iowa Code § 562A.9 |
| Kansas | No statutory cap on late fees. | Kan. Stat. § 58-2543 |
| Kentucky | No statutory cap on late fees. | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.565 |
| Louisiana | No statutory cap on late fees. | La. Civ. Code Art. 2013 |
| Maine | Late fee cannot exceed 4% of monthly rent. | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6028 |
| Maryland | Late fee cannot exceed 5% of monthly rent. | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208 |
| Massachusetts | Late fee cannot be charged until rent is 30 days late. | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B |
| Michigan | No statutory cap on late fees. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.601 |
| Minnesota | Late fee cannot exceed 8% of overdue rent. | Minn. Stat. § 504B.177 |
| Mississippi | No statutory cap on late fees. | Miss. Code § 89-8-1 |
| Missouri | No statutory cap on late fees. | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 |
| Montana | No statutory cap on late fees. | Mont. Code § 70-24-201 |
| Nebraska | No statutory cap on late fees. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1414 |
| Nevada | Late fee cannot exceed 5% of the amount of the periodic rent. | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 118A.200 |
| New Hampshire | No statutory cap on late fees. | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:3 |
| New Jersey | Late fee allowed only after 5-day grace period. | N.J. Stat. § 2A:42-6.1 |
| New Mexico | Late fee cannot exceed 10% of monthly rent. | N.M. Stat. § 47-8-15 |
| New York | No statewide statutory cap, but HSTPA limits late fees to $50 or 5% of monthly rent, whichever is less, for rent-regulated units. | N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a |
| North Carolina | Late fee cannot exceed $15 or 5% of monthly rent, whichever is greater. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-46 |
| North Dakota | No statutory cap on late fees. | N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-01 |
| Ohio | No statutory cap on late fees. | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.01 |
| Oklahoma | No statutory cap on late fees. | Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 109 |
| Oregon | Late fee cannot exceed reasonable amount for actual damages. | Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.260 |
| Pennsylvania | No statutory cap on late fees. | 68 Pa. Stat. § 250.501 |
| Rhode Island | No statutory cap on late fees. | R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-15 |
| South Carolina | No statutory cap on late fees. | S.C. Code § 27-40-310 |
| South Dakota | No statutory cap on late fees. | S.D. Codified Laws § 43-32-1 |
| Tennessee | No statutory cap on late fees. | Tenn. Code § 66-28-201 |
| Texas | No statutory cap on late fee amount. | Tex. Prop. Code § 92.019 |
| Utah | No statutory cap on late fees. | Utah Code § 57-17-1 |
| Vermont | No statutory cap on late fees. | Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4455 |
| Virginia | No statutory cap on late fee amount. | Va. Code § 55.1-1204 |
| Washington | No statutory cap on late fee amount. | Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.170 |
| West Virginia | No statutory cap on late fees. | W. Va. Code § 37-6-1 |
| Wisconsin | No statutory cap on late fees. | Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06 |
| Wyoming | No statutory cap on late fees. | Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1201 |
States With the Strictest Late Fee Rules
Connecticut leads with the tightest restriction: fees cannot exceed 5% of rent or $50, whichever is less, and only after a 9-day grace period. Maine caps fees at 4% with a 15-day grace period. Massachusetts does not allow any late fee until rent is 30 days past due, making it effectively a 30-day grace period.
States With No Restrictions
States like Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, and Wyoming have no statutory cap on late fees and no required grace period. In these states, the lease agreement is the only governing document. However, courts in every state can still strike down fees they deem unconscionable or punitive, even without a specific statute.
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