From the weird and wacky to the heartfelt and genuine, landlords have heard it all before…
This list isn’t to mock those who are facing financial difficulty in their lives and are unable to make rent, but instead as a collection of excuses or white lies that tenants sometimes tell their landlords to delay their rent payment. Landlords are not evil, and do understand that sometimes people do go through a period of financial uncertainty – you lose your job, or fall ill, or whatever. If you have a reasonable excuse for not being able to pay rent, your landlord will most likely sympathise with you and work out some way of giving you as much time as they can afford, or even work out some kind of reasonable payment plan. The catch is: you have to be honest. Everyone has “one of those months”. Maybe, if you’re a particularly good tenant otherwise, your landlord might allow late payment once or twice (maybe even three times) within the year – and within good reason!.
But landlords have heard every excuse in the book. And they too have bills and a mortgage to pay, so when they say the 1st of each month, it might be because they need that money by the 1st of each month.
So, landlords! Let’s play a game!
Count off how many of these excuses you’ve heard before and see what you get out of 100!
1) I lost my job….
2) My housing benefit hasn’t been paid yet for some reason.
3) I had to pay off my other bills and there was nothing left for rent.
4) I’m starting a new job next month. Can I pay 2 months’ rent then?
5) The bank must have made a mistake. I’ll sort it out.
6) This is all I have at the moment. Can I pay the rest in a few days?
7) My friend was in trouble and needed the money, so I loaned it to him/her.
8) I was robbed, and they stole all my money.
9) I just bought a new (insert some unnecessary luxury here).
10) I spent too much on Christmas for the family this month.
11) Someone in my family had a baby.
12) I haven’t even been home this month, so I shouldn’t have to pay rent.
13) We spent too much on our family holiday.
14) I must have accidentally sent the rent elsewhere. I’ll take a look later.
15) We’ve already paid you this month! Stop trying to exploit us, you fascist!
16) My (illegal) lodgers haven’t paid me their rent money yet.
17) I’ve got my share, but my roommates haven’t got their share of the rent together yet.
18) I’m still having trouble finding work.
19) I lost my bankcard/wallet so I can’t pay you until I find it.
20) I was a victim of identity theft.
21) It’s been an odd month… We can try again next month.
22) I’m on a zero hour contract, and haven’t been given many hours this month.
23) My best friend’s been put in a mental hospital, so I haven’t been able to save rent this month.
24) My kid had an expensive school trip this month to go skiing in Switzerland.
25) I’m saving up for something at the moment.
26) My mum said she was paying my rent for me this month. Haven’t you received it?
27) Has rent always been that much? I could’ve sworn it was lower before…
28) We’ve only just got back from holiday. That’s why we haven’t paid rent yet, and why you haven’t been able to contact us.
29) My home was broken into, and they stole all my money!
30) I thought you could just take it out of my deposit if I don’t have it.
31) I didn’t think you needed it straight away.
32) I got kicked off Jobseekers again.
33) I had to pay my TV licence fee this month. Those things are ridiculous, aren’t they!
34) My utilities bill was higher than I thought it would be for this quarter.
35) I’m going through a divorce…
36) My partner left me, so now I have less money.
37) My child has moved out and they were helping me with rent before.
38) I’m freelancing and haven’t been able to get much work this month.
39) I could only afford rent to pay for one home this month; my holiday home.
40) I advertised for a lodger to help pay the rent, but nobody wanted to live here.
41) My girlfriend’s pregnant and eating for two, so we spent a lot on food this month.
42) I went to a music festival this month, and everything was so expensive.
43) My dog ate my wallet and all the money inside.
44) My boss said he’s paying me late this month for some reason.
45) I was on a business trip this month so wasn’t around to pay on time.
46) The ATM swallowed my card, so I can’t take out any money to pay in cash this month.
47) All my money is in a foreign currency and I haven’t had it exchanged yet.
48) Too many takeaways this month.
49) I needed to buy food this month! (Unlike any other month…)
50) I’m not paying this month because I’m moving out next month.
51) I didn’t feel like it.
52) I just forgot.
53) I had to replace the flat screen TV.
54) My husband is out-of-town on business and he’s the one that usually pays.
55) Something personal came up, but I can’t tell you what it is.
56) We’re getting married soon, and all our money has been going toward the wedding.
57) My boss miscalculated my wages this month, so he has to take another look at the timesheet.
58) I already emailed you to let you know it was going to be late this month. (No, you didn’t.)
59) It was raining so the boot sale was really empty, so I couldn’t make enough money this month from my stall.
60) I had to pay off my old landlord for what I still owed them.
61) My mate owes me money – so when I get it, you’ll get it.
62) I had to pay off all my debts this month, or the bailiffs will nick all my stuff.
63) My old landlord didn’t mind if I was a couple of weeks late every now and again.
64) I just don’t have it. What now?
65) I won’t get paid until I’ve finished the job I’m on, and I don’t know how long it will take to finish.
66) My girlfriend ran off with all my money. I don’t know where she is now.
67) I’m sorry, but I need it more than you this month.
68) Accidentally sent my rent payment to someone else. Waiting for them to send it back.
69) We thought you were on holiday, so we were waiting to send it until you got back.
70) The online banking website was down.
71) I haven’t had any electricity for the past couple of weeks, so I haven’t been able to get online to send it.
72) But I only just paid you last month’s a couple weeks ago. It’s not my fault last month’s was late!
73) I set up a standing order. I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t automatically come out of my account!
74) We’re expecting in a couple of months, so naturally we splurged a little this month on decorating the nursery and lots and lots of new baby toys and clothes.
75) I’m not paying you any more money until you agree to lower my rent!
76) My benefits get paid in arrears so I’m always a month behind!
77) I’m young, I’m still a student…. I’m still trying to figure out how to deal with all this adult stuff.
78) I used this month’s rent to put deposit down on another place. By the way, I’m moving out.
79) I work two different jobs, and I still don’t know where the money goes! It’s not like I’m a scrounger, I just don’t have it right now.
80) I went out on Friday night and spent way more than I had intended.
81) Still trying to sell the old car, but no one’s put down any reasonable offers yet. You’ll get the rent when someone buys the car.
82) I really do want to pay but I just screwed up this time.
83) I crashed my car this month so I had to pay a huge amount of money to get it fixed up.
84) My girlfriend left me and she was the one who paid the rent as I’m currently unemployed.
85) I quit my job again. I just can’t seem to find a job that I actually enjoy.
86) My late granddad probably built this house. It’s not fair that I should have to pay to live in it.
87) I couldn’t afford it last month. What made you think I could afford it this month?
88) I’ve been having to get the train into London every day for job interviews. Do you know how expensive that is? I’ll pay you the rent when I find work.
89) The more you ask, the more depressed I get, the more I give up and don’t even want to look for a new job anymore, the more you have to wait for my rent.
90) I won’t be unemployed for long, so didn’t think I should sign on to Jobseekers or start claiming any housing benefits. Won’t be long now….
91) I wanted to contact you earlier to discuss rent this month, but I realised that I don’t actually have any contact details for you.
92) I thought my housing benefits were being paid directly into your account? I haven’t received anything from them. You should take it up with them, not me!
93) I had to pay for some business expenses out of my own pocket this month or I was going to lose my business. You understand, right?
94) I broke something at work so my boss deducted the replacement cost from my paycheck.
95) I just can’t afford this rent anymore, you’re going to have to lower it.
96) Not having a very good month at the moment…. Going through some things….
97) My money was seized last week as “evidence”. I can’t really talk about it right now.
98) I didn’t realise that you actually really needed it on the day. Didn’t think a few days would hurt. If I had known, I would have worked something out. Sorry.
99) I know I’m always late with rent but it does all get paid eventually, doesn’t it? And I do keep the place tidy.
100) But I’m family! You can go a little easy on me, can’t you… ?
…. Do you need Rent Guarantee Insurance???
Leave how many you scored out of 100 in the comments!