Late fees are calculated from the lease terms and applicable location rules after any grace period has elapsed. Aptoria applies the configured logic consistently, while any waiver or exception remains subject to the limits and approval rules you set.
Two layers: your policy and the law
Grace and caps, in the tenant's favor
When the agent posts a fee vs. asks you
Two layers: your policy and the law
A late fee in Aptoria is calculated in two steps. First, your late-fee policy sets the fee you would charge — a flat amount, a percentage of rent, or a combination, with a grace period. Second, before anything is posted, that fee is clamped to your state's law: the state's grace period and its cap on how large a late fee may be.
You never have to look up the statute yourself. The state rules are built into the engine and applied per property, using the state you set on the property, so a fee that your own policy would make too large or too soon is reduced or held to what the law allows.
Grace and caps, in the tenant's favor
On timing, Aptoria uses whichever grace period is longer — yours or your state's minimum — so a fee is never assessed sooner than the law permits, even if your own policy is shorter. On amount, if your state caps the fee at a percentage of rent or a flat dollar figure, the fee is reduced to that ceiling.
Some states add their own conditions. A state may allow a late fee only when the lease itself specifies one, in which case Aptoria will not auto-apply a fee to a lease that does not have that clause. Because rules change over time, the engine also applies the rule that was in effect for the period being charged, and records the reason with a citation so the fee is defensible after the fact.
When the agent posts a fee vs. asks you
The agent only auto-posts a late fee where the state's late-fee rule has been legally reviewed and confirmed. In every other state, rather than risk posting an unlawful fee on its own, it surfaces the fee for you to approve so a person makes the call. You can always approve a late fee manually anywhere — this gate governs only the unattended, automatic path.
Your autonomy settings sit on top of this. A "waive small late fees" allowance and per-task spend limits can let the agent handle or forgive small fees on its own, while anything above your limits comes to your approval queue. Whatever posts, the amount and its reasoning are written to the audit trail. Late-fee rules vary by state, so treat this as how the product applies your policy, not as legal advice.