Memphis renters beware: Landlords accusing tenants of missed payments
by: Zaneta Lowe
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — If you rent a house or an apartment in the Memphis area, be careful how you pay your rent, because according to local housing attorneys, landlords are accusing residents of missing payments, which could ultimately lead to an eviction.
Vanessa Bullock is the Director of Special Projects for West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc. She reached out to the WREG Investigators to sound the alarm about what could be a costly problem.
“We are starting to get a lot of calls from tenants who are being told that your rent’s not paid,” explained Bullock.
However, Bullock says once they investigate, they learn the tenants have in fact made their rent payments, despite the landlord’s claim.
“We’ve seen everything from making payments on Venmo or PayPal but not noting what the payment was for. We’ve seen them giving blank money orders, blank checks that aren’t made out to anyone, and when it comes down to actually proving that you made your rental payment, they’re having trouble establishing that yes, that’s what that check was for,” Bullock explained.
Bullock says some of the landlords doing this are referencing payments supposedly missed months ago.
WREG asked Bullock if renters were being scammed or if the problems resulted from poor financial management and bookkeeping on the part of the landlord.
“It’s a mixture of both to be honest, some people are scamming you and some people it is poor management, and there’s a lot of turnover in property management,’ said Bullock.
Regardless of the reason behind it, Bullock says risk for renters is the same.
WREG asked Bullock, “What’s your biggest concern about what you all are seeing?”
She replied, “My biggest concern is that we’ll get nearly to the end of the lease, the tenant will do something that will make the landlord mad, or the landlords will switch and a landlord will come in, a new property manager will come in and then all of a sudden they’ve received an eviction notice saying they owe two months rent.”
Steps to Avoid Being Accused of Missing Rent Payments
- Document all payments, get receipts
- When paying by check or money order, make it out to the apartment complex or landlord
- Avoid paying in cash if possible
- Don’t hand over blank checks or money orders
- Notate reason for payment in memo line
- When making electronic payments through tenant portals, download your receipts and all other important documents
- If using a rental drop box, record yourself placing payment in box
- Keep receipts as long as you live in property and after
For elderly tenants, Bullock suggests they request assistance from their bank or financial institution with preparing money orders, etc.
Renters with questions or those who need assistance can contact West Tennessee Legal Services at 901-471-8006, ext. 1250 or visit their website and complete an intake form.