I’ve never understood why landlords go to their tenants’ residences to collect rent. The responses I get vary from “I won’t be the first to get paid if I don’t go” to “My tenants always claim their checks get lost in the mail.” But here’s the bottom line—unless you particularly love going to see your tenant each month and play the pick-up-the-rent game, you should stop doing it. You need to put it in your rental agreement and make it clear that tenants are to pay rent to you at your address, and if it’s not there by the due date in the contract, your tenant will be in violation of the rental agreement. Think about it. Do you get to tell the IRS that “your check got lost in the mail”? No. If the IRS doesn’t receive your money, they assess penalties and interest on you for being late. If you have to drive to your tenant’s residence every month to get the rent, you probably should rethink your relationship with your tenants.