Your tenant has stopped paying rent. What should you do first?
Keep the property through difficult periods.
Best for: Owners facing rent arrears right now
Rent arrears are stressful, and the temptation is either to wait and hope, or to act rashly. Neither helps. The process that protects you is boring and procedural — and it starts with three phone calls.
Why this matters
Arrears procedures, notice periods and insurance claim requirements all run on timelines set by your state and your policy. Acting early — and through the proper channels — keeps every option open, including an insurance claim if it comes to that.
What to check
- Exactly how many days the rent is in arrears, in writing from your property manager
- What your landlord insurance covers for rent default, and what the policy requires of youMany policies have notification and process requirements — miss them and the claim suffers.
- The correct arrears process and notice requirements in your stateYour property manager and state tenancy authority can confirm the current process.
Who can help
Property manager
Confirmation of arrears in writing, and that the state's formal process has started.
Landlord insurer
What your policy covers for rent default and what it requires you to do now.
State tenancy authority
The current arrears process and timelines for your state.
TAKE ACTION · EMAIL TEMPLATE
Three phone calls or emails today
Copy email
Copy this message and send it to your property manager today.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Your landlord insurance policy
- The lease
- Arrears confirmation from your property manager
USE AI TO HELP
Use AI to organise the situation and prepare your communications — the formal process still runs through your PM, insurer and state authority.
Best prompt for this issue
My tenant has stopped paying rent. Using the details I provide, help me prepare: a concise email to my property manager requesting written arrears confirmation and process status, a notification summary for my landlord insurer, and a list of facts I should confirm with my state tenancy authority. Do not give legal advice — flag anything that needs professional or authority confirmation.
Quick modes
WHAT TO PROVIDE
- days in arrears
- lease and bond details
- your landlord insurance policy
- your state
- communication history so far
ASK AI TO GIVE YOU
- a short summary of the situation
- the main issue
- missing information
- risks to investigate
- questions to ask
- the next three actions
Privacy: do not paste passwords, tax file numbers, bank account details or other sensitive personal information into an AI tool. If a document contains personal details it doesn't need, redact them before uploading.
What happens next
Follow the formal process your state sets — don't improvise. Keep everything in writing. If the arrears continue, your insurer and property manager will each have next steps, and the paper trail you started on day one is what makes them work.
Important considerations
- Arrears processes, notice periods and deadlines differ by state — confirm the current requirements with your property manager and state tenancy authority rather than relying on general information.
- This is general information, not personal financial or legal advice. Confirm specifics with your own adviser before acting.
THE HOLD QUESTION
If this goes to a claim or a tribunal, does your paper trail start today or three weeks from now?
NOT SURE WHAT TO ASK AI?
Ask a Better Property Question
Most people don't need more AI — they need to ask AI better questions. Type your question (or skip it) and copy a prompt that makes any AI tool ask you the right things first.
I am trying to understand this property issue. Before answering, identify any important information that is missing. Ask me only the questions that materially affect the answer. Once I respond, explain the issue in plain English, separate facts from assumptions, identify the main risks and give me the next three actions. Flag anything that should be confirmed with a qualified professional.
Privacy: do not paste passwords, tax file numbers, bank account details or other sensitive personal information into an AI tool. If a document contains personal details it doesn't need, redact them before uploading. This is a way to prepare — not financial, tax or legal advice.
Not sure what else to review?
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