Payment plans and legal cases for arrears
Agree a plan of instalments for old arrears and chasing stops while it runs. When it comes to court, keep the case on the lease: grounds, court, case number, hearings, lawyer, amount claimed and the outcome.
PLANSEvery plan
The problem it solves
- A tenant agrees to clear arrears over four months, but the reminders keep going out.
- Nobody notices that the second instalment was missed.
- The lawyer has the case number and the next hearing date; the office does not.
How it works
- Lease > Billing > Rent > Payment Plans > New: the lease and one line per instalment with its due date and amount.
- Start the plan. Chasing for that lease stops while the plan runs.
- Tick Paid on each instalment as it comes in. When all are paid the plan is Paid.
- An instalment still unpaid 7 days after its date makes the plan Broken, and chasing starts again.
- For a case: Lease > Billing > Collection > Legal Cases > New, or from the lease's Collection tab. Record the grounds, court, case number, dates, lawyer and amount claimed.
- Update the next hearing and, at the end, the outcome and status.
Everything it does
Payment plan
- Number, lease, tenant, Entity
- Instalments: due date, amount, paid, note
- Total and paid so far
- States: Draft, Running, Paid, Broken
- Start needs at least one instalment
- Back to Draft only while nothing is paid
- Filters: Running, Broken
Legal case
- Grounds: Rent Arrears (the default), Breach of the Lease, Possession, Damage, Other
- Court / Tribunal (for example a rental disputes centre or rent controller), case number
- Filed on, next hearing, amount claimed, lawyer
- Status: Open, Won, Lost, Settled, Withdrawn
- Outcome text, chatter and activities for hearings
- A lease with a case cannot be deleted
On the lease
- Collection tab lists payment plans and legal cases
- Chasing log shows what was sent before the plan
Who uses it
Lease ManagerAgrees payment plans and opens legal cases.
Lease userTicks instalments as they are paid.
LawyerGives the case details; not a user of the system.
Where you use it
- Web: Lease > Billing > Rent > Payment Plans and Legal Cases; the lease's Collection tab
- Not on tenant pages: the tenant does not see the plan or the case online
What you control
Settings
- Plan broken after: 7 days past an unpaid instalment (fixed in the code)
Notifications
- No message to the tenant when a plan starts or breaks; chasing messages resume when it breaks
Questions
Does the tenant still get reminders during a plan?
No. While a payment plan is Running, chasing for that lease waits. If it breaks, chasing starts again from the next step.Are instalments matched to payments by themselves?
No. Tick Paid on each instalment when the money comes in. Payments are registered on the bills as usual.Can we keep court dates on the lease?
Yes. The legal case keeps the next hearing, and you can plan activities on it. Its status runs from Open to Won, Lost, Settled or Withdrawn.Related features
LEASES AND RENTLate fees, chasing steps and promises to payLate rent is charged a fee by your rule, with caps, and chased step by step: a reminder, a final demand, a legal notice. Chasing waits while a promise to pay or a payment plan runs.REPORTS AND AILease expiries, arrears ageing and collectionSee which leases end when and how much rent ends with them. See every unpaid lease bill by how late it is, and billed against collected each month.LEASES AND RENTRenewals, breaks, holdover and notices to vacateRenew a lease with a new term and rent, and offer it to the tenant on their page. Let the new lease take over on its first day. Break options, holdover rent and notices to vacate each have their dates.CHECKS, DEPOSITS AND REPAIRSDeposits, deductions and settlementThe deposit is held on a liability account, taken in one go or in parts. At move-out, deductions are proposed from the check. The tenant agrees or disputes each line online. Settle Deposit keeps what is agreed and refunds the rest.
See your buildings on it.
Tell us how many properties and units you have, whether you let your own or manage for owners, and how rent is paid today. We will set up your portfolio with you on SmartMy Lease.