Rent tracking & chasing
Set Up Rent Chaser — Chasing on Autopilot
Chasing late rent is the part of being a landlord nobody enjoys. Rent Chaser does it for you: set a tier per tenancy and RentFig sends escalating reminders every morning — friendly to final — stopping once the rent is paid. Here’s how to switch it on.
Last updated: October 2026
The escalation ladder
On the Chaser and Critical tiers, reminders get firmer on a fixed schedule — you set the tone once with the tier:
- Friendly Reminder — a gentle nudge once rent is overdue.
- Payment Reminder — a clear follow-up if it’s still unpaid.
- Urgent: Payment Required — firmer, asking for payment immediately.
- Final Notice — says further action may follow if payment isn’t received within 7 days.
The steps
1. Choose a tier for each tenancy
Open Rent Chaser → Chaser Settings and set the tenancy's tier: None (off), Regular (an upcoming-payment notice 2 days before rent is due, plus one reminder 14 days after if still unpaid), Chaser (all four reminder levels on days 1, 7, 14 and 28 overdue), or Critical (the same four levels, a reminder every 72 hours from day 1 overdue). The tier controls how firmly RentFig chases — you decide the tone.
Note: Regular needs the Starter plan or above. Chaser and Critical need the Standard plan or above.
2. Decide whether to add SMS
Reminders go by email; you can also text the tenant (needs their SMS opt-in, a mobile number and message credits). Tick “Also send rent reminders by SMS” for that tenancy — SMS reminders are part of the Business plan.
3. Optionally turn on auto-escalation
Switch on auto-escalation and set how many months of rent owed move a tenancy up to Chaser and Critical (defaults: 1 and 2 months). The longer rent stays unpaid, the firmer the chasing becomes — automatically. Auto-escalation needs the Standard plan or above.
Note: The four escalation messages are Friendly Reminder → Payment Reminder → Urgent: Payment Required → Final Notice. Chaser and Critical use all four; Regular sends an upcoming-payment notice and a single reminder.
4. Pause when you need to
If you agree a payment plan or the tenant promises a date, set a pause-until date for that tenancy. Automated messages stop and resume on their own after the date — nothing to remember. Pause is per-tenancy, so your other tenancies keep chasing.
5. Let it run — and watch the log
The chaser runs every morning and sends whatever is due. Reminders stop once the balance is cleared, and by default the tier resets once the balance is cleared (Chaser or Critical back to Regular). Every message is recorded in the chasing log showing who was chased, with what, and when.
Note: RentFig also flags an assured tenancy once its rent arrears appear to reach three months' rent — the Ground 8 threshold for a Section 8 Notice (raised from two months by the Renters' Rights Act 2025). When you're ready to act, the built-in Section 8 wizard, in the Document Creator, helps you prepare the Form 3A notice; check the grounds and notice period, and take advice. Serving it is your decision.
Frequently asked questions
How do I chase late rent automatically?
Set the tenancy's chasing tier in Rent Chaser → Chaser Settings (Regular, Chaser or Critical). RentFig then checks rent every morning and sends reminders on a fixed cadence — Friendly Reminder, Payment Reminder, Urgent: Payment Required and Final Notice on the Chaser and Critical tiers — by email (with optional SMS) until the rent is paid.
What are the chasing tiers?
None disables chasing. Regular sends an upcoming-payment notice 2 days before rent is due and one reminder 14 days after the due date if it's still unpaid. Chaser sends all four reminder levels on days 1, 7, 14 and 28 overdue. Critical sends the same four levels with a reminder every 72 hours from day 1 overdue. Regular is on the Starter plan and above; Chaser and Critical are on Standard and above. You set the tier per tenancy, so you stay in control of the tone.
What should a rent arrears reminder say?
RentFig's reminders escalate in tone: the Friendly Reminder is a gentle nudge, the Payment Reminder is a clear follow-up, Urgent: Payment Required asks for payment immediately, and the Final Notice says further action may follow if payment isn't received within 7 days. You don't have to write them — the templates are built in and personalised to the tenancy.
Can I chase by SMS as well as email?
Reminders go by email; you can also text the tenant (needs their SMS opt-in, a mobile number and message credits). Turn SMS on per tenancy in Chaser Settings — SMS reminders are part of the Business plan.
Does chasing stop when the tenant pays?
Yes. Reminders only go out while rent is unpaid, so once the balance is cleared no further reminders are sent. By default the tier resets once the balance is cleared (Chaser or Critical drops back to Regular); you can switch this auto-reset off in Chaser Settings.
What triggers the Section 8 warning, and can RentFig produce the notice?
RentFig flags a tenancy once its rent arrears appear to reach the Ground 8 threshold for a Section 8 Notice — three months' rent in England, raised from two months by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Only rent invoices count toward it; other charges such as insurance, utilities or damages are left out. Section 8 is for assured tenancies, so the flag only appears on tenancies whose occupancy type is assured (or not set and treated as assured) — not on licences, company lets, commercial leases or lets recorded as “Other”. For rent paid quarterly or yearly, the law now treats the rent periods as monthly (from 1 May 2026), so RentFig compares the arrears with three months' rent at the monthly equivalent. The flag is advisory and may not match what a court decides. When you're ready to act, RentFig's Section 8 wizard, in the Document Creator, helps you prepare the Form 3A notice; check the grounds and notice period, and take advice before serving it. Whether and when to serve it is your decision.
Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal advice. The Section 8 / Ground 8 arrears threshold and notice requirements change — always check current gov.uk guidance before serving any notice.