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A TENANT is reportedly fighting back against her landlord after she was told she’d be evicted for paying her rent 15 minutes late.
The landlord dramatically approached renter Vontese Wines after she had failed to pay her rent at precisely 12 pm on March 1.
Wines has been living in her rental townhouse in Aurora, Colorado, since November 2024, local CBS affiliate KCNC reported.
Her lease stated that rent was due on the 1st of every month at 12 pm, and if she paid it late, she’d owe $110 in late fees.
Wines claimed that she has not only typically paid her rent on time but also paid it early at her landlord’s request.
The tenant shared screenshots of conversations between her and her landlord, in which the landlord allegedly asked for rent two to three days early.
“Every single month, she would text a couple of days early to try and get me to pay early,” Wines said.
In one of the reported text exchanges, the landlord allegedly requested that Wines pay her rent on Thanksgiving, three days ahead of the December 1 deadline.
The tenant mentioned that she typically could comply with her landlord’s request since she had the necessary funds. However, when she was delayed in March, her landlord went to drastic measures.
Wines claimed the landlord had threatened to come by and change the locks to her apartment if rent wasn’t paid on time.
Believing it was only an idle threat, the tenant was taken aback when, on March 1, the landlord unexpectedly arrived with an eviction notice.
“It wasn’t even 12:15 yet, and she showed up with the notice,” Wines said.
“I kind of thought she was trying to intimidate me because she had been texting me a lot prior.”
Wines was “completely shocked” when her landlord showed up and scolded her for not sending the rent on time.
According to landlord-tenant attorney Steven Flaxman, Wines had a good reason to be shocked by her landlord’s sudden appearance.
Flaxman told KCNC that a late fee can legally be charged seven days after the rent is due.
“A late fee cannot be charged until the 7th calendar day of the month,” Flaxman said.
“If a landlord is charging you a late fee on the second of the month, that’s an improper charge.”
Wines claimed she wasn’t even offered the option to pay a late fee before her landlord issued her an eviction notice.
Tenant’s rights
According to InCharge Debt Solutions, tenants have several rights in the United States:
As a tenant, you have certain rights, and while they vary from state to state, there is a list of standard requirements virtually every landlord in the U.S. must provide:
- Heat (but not air conditioning)
- Running hot and cold water
- Locks and keys
- Smoke detector
- Clean and safe common areas
Landlords can keep security deposits for several reasons. These include:
- Unpaid Rent
- Damage to the Property
- Cleaning Costs
- Unpaid Utilities or Bills
- Breach of Lease Terms
- Abandoned Property
- Repairs Due to Tenant Negligence
If landlords don’t make any necessary repairs, tenants should:
- Review Your Lease or Rental Agreement
- Document the Problem
- Notify Your Landlord in Writing
- Contact Local Housing Authorities
- Repair and Deduct
- Mediation or Legal Action
- Protect Your Rent
“If you don’t have this door open, I’m gonna have the locksmith open it, and you’ll pay for it,” the landlord could be heard saying to Wines on a video captured by the tenant’s Ring doorbell camera.
When KCNC messaged the landlord, she denied an interview and argued that Wines “violated the lease agreement.”
Wines said that other tenants have experienced similar issues and that “a lot of people are being hurt” by her.
Days after the argument, Wines moved to a different complex with her family.
“I feel a lot more safe over here,” she said.
