Verified rules
A late-fee statute can limit the amount, the timing, or both. The chart shows the largest fee the statute allows on $1,500 of monthly rent, for the states that fix a number; the table adds the waiting period and the states whose rule sets timing only.
| State | Limit | Wait | On $1,500 | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 5% of the monthly rent | 5 days | $75 | 25 Del. C. § 5501(d) |
| Hawaii | 8% of the rent due | none stated | $120 | HRS § 521-21(f) |
| Iowa | $12 a day up to $60 a month (rent $700 or less); $20 a day up to $100 a month (rent over $700) | none stated | $100 | Iowa Code § 562A.9(4) |
| Maine | 4% of one month's rent | 15 days | $60 | 14 M.R.S. § 6028 |
| Maryland | 5% of the rent due for the period | none stated | $75 | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208(d)(3) |
| Massachusetts | no amount set in the section read | 30 days | – | M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(c) |
| Minnesota | 8% of the overdue rent payment | none stated | $120 | Minn. Stat. § 504B.177(a) |
| Nevada | 5% of the periodic rent | 3 days | $75 | NRS 118A.210(4) |
| New York | $50 or 5% of the monthly rent, whichever is less | 5 days | $50 | N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a(2) |
| North Carolina | $15 or 5% of the monthly rent, whichever is greater | 5 days | $75 | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-46(a) |
| Oregon | a reasonable flat fee, or the daily or 5-day alternatives in the statute | 4 days | – | ORS 90.260 |
| Virginia | 10% of the periodic rent or 10% of the balance owed, whichever is less | none stated | $150 | Va. Code § 55.1-1204(E) |
| Washington | no amount set in the section read | 5 days | – | RCW 59.18.170(2) |
No statute found, or not verified
2 states were read and have no late-fee section in the landlord-tenant chapter checked, so a page there would have nothing to quote. The rest were not verified in this pass: some codes could not be read, and the others were not researched yet. Where no statute applies, the lease and general contract law govern a late fee.
| State | Status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Alabama | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Arkansas | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Arizona | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| California | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Colorado | not verified | The Colorado statutes are on the LexisNexis host, which could not be read on 21 Oct 2026. |
| Connecticut | not verified | C.G.S. § 47a-15a sets a late-charge rule, but cga.ct.gov refused automated reading on 21 Oct 2026. |
| District of Columbia | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Florida | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Georgia | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Idaho | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Illinois | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Indiana | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Kansas | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Kentucky | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Louisiana | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Michigan | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Missouri | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Mississippi | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Montana | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| North Dakota | no section found | N.D.C.C. chapter 47-16 (read 21 Oct 2026) has no late-fee provision; § 47-16-20.1 only bars fees for accepting cash, checks or money orders. |
| Nebraska | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| New Hampshire | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| New Jersey | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| New Mexico | not verified | NMSA § 47-8-15 could not be read: nmonesource.com returned an error on 21 Oct 2026. |
| Ohio | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Oklahoma | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Pennsylvania | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Rhode Island | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| South Carolina | no section found | The South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (S.C. Code ch. 27-40, read 21 Oct 2026) has no late-fee section; "late charges" appear only inside the definition of rent (§ 27-40-210(11)). |
| South Dakota | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Tennessee | not verified | The Tennessee Code is on the LexisNexis host, which required a CAPTCHA on 21 Oct 2026. |
| Texas | not verified | Property Code § 92.019 could not be read: the statutes site returned only its home page on 21 Oct 2026. |
| Utah | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Vermont | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Wisconsin | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| West Virginia | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
| Wyoming | not verified | Not researched in this pass; no statute was read for this state. |
Late rent also matters at the end of a tenancy: unpaid fees can be deducted from a security deposit where the deposit statute allows it, and disputes over them are usually small claims cases (limits by state).