Hi all, I’m still pretty new to renting in the city and hoping someone can help. My management company sent a letter saying starting next month rent must be paid through their online portal only, and there’s a platform fee each month. My lease, signed in the spring, says rent is payable by check to an address in Long Island City. I’ve been mailing checks with no problem. Can they really stop taking checks in the middle of a lease? Do I have to pay the portal fee on top of rent? That seems wild. I’m in an older Astoria walk-up, maybe 15 units. Anyone else gotten one of these letters?

I’m new to this too, but I always thought if the lease says checks, that’s what both sides agreed to. Our building hasn’t done the portal thing, but a friend in Sunset Park got a similar letter and management backed down after she sent a certified letter quoting her lease. Are you rent stabilized? That might add extra rules. Also, is the fee going to a third-party platform or is the landlord collecting it? I’d ask for everything in writing and keep mailing the check with return receipt. Following this because I bet my landlord tries it next.

Yeah no. Unless your lease gives them the right to switch payment methods, they can’t just declare checks dead mid-term. The lease is a contract. A platform convenience fee isn’t rent unless the lease says you owe it. If they stop accepting your check, they’re the ones breaching, not you. Keep proof: send the check certified/return receipt, keep the letter. If they bounce it back or don’t cash it, don’t spend the money. In NYC, a landlord can be required to accept check if that’s what the lease says. I’d send a short email or letter saying, “I’ll continue paying by check per paragraph X.” Don’t be dramatic. Then if they threaten late fees or nonpayment, contact HPD or a tenant attorney.

Thanks both. I need to dig out my lease and look at the rent paragraph. I don’t remember seeing anything about portal or electronic payment when I signed. The letter says “for efficiency, all residents must use the portal starting next month” and then mentions the platform fee at the bottom. It doesn’t say what happens if I keep mailing a check. I’m not rent stabilized, I think? My lease is market rate, if that matters. DykerNewbie, what did your friend’s letter actually say? Did she just ignore it or did management send a correction? I’ll do return receipt this week.

Her letter was similar: “all payments must be made online” and it had a fee. She kept sending checks with delivery confirmation and also emailed them saying she’d continue according to the lease. She didn’t just ignore it, she put it in writing. After a week, the office called and said “oh, we’ll still take checks for now.” A lot of times it’s a management company trying to offload paperwork, not a legal position. If you’re market rate, the lease still controls. Just because it’s not stabilized doesn’t mean they can do whatever they want mid-lease. Let us know what the rent paragraph says.

smalltown_steph, market rate just means they can negotiate different terms at renewal—it doesn’t turn your lease into a suggestion. If the rent paragraph says check or money order to a specific address, that’s your payment method. The fee part matters because even if you did use the portal, you’d be paying more than rent. They’d have to credit the fee? No, that’s exactly why they love it. Also check if the portal lets you pay by ACH for free. Sometimes there’s a paid debit/credit option and a no-fee ACH behind a tiny link. Could be easier than certified mail every month. But don’t let them change the default payment method without your consent.

Okay, I found it: “Rent shall be paid by check or money order to Owner or as Owner may direct in writing.” The last part is what management is pointing to. Does “as Owner may direct in writing” let them switch to a portal with a fee? I’m worried that undermines my whole argument. They didn’t include a new payment schedule or fee sheet with the lease. I’ll still send the check this week, but maybe by regular mail with tracking. Yorkville_Y, I’ll check for a hidden ACH option—though the letter only mentions card and e-check with a fee. The portal doesn’t show anything until you create an account. Ugh, I hate this stuff.

That phrase is annoying, but “as Owner may direct” usually means they can tell you a new address or payee, not fundamentally change the method to something that adds a fee—unless the lease says you pay all portal charges. If they wanted that, they needed to write something like “tenant shall pay any processing fee.” The right to direct payment doesn’t mean they can require a third-party service with extra costs after the fact. Did your lease have a rider about online payments? Mine has a paragraph about “electronic payment at tenant’s option,” but it’s not required. I’d write back and ask them to show where in the lease you agreed to pay a platform fee. Keep it friendly.

Agree with DykerNewbie. “Owner may direct” gives them the address or name to make the check out to, maybe an ACH option if you agree. It doesn’t mean they get to add a surcharge. If they try to refuse your check, call their bluff: email them that you’ll be paying per the lease and ask them to confirm in writing that they’re refusing. That usually ends it, because nobody wants a nonpayment case over a convenience fee. And if they deposit the check, case closed. Next renewal is where they’ll try to insert language. Read every rider before signing. Keep us updated.