What is Stessa Rent Collection?
Stessa Rent Collection makes it easy to collect rent online from your residents. Payments are reliable, tracked automatically, and eliminate the need for checks, Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal. There are no landlord fees for using Stessa rent collection. Fees (detailed below) may apply to residents.
First, you’ll want to decide where rent payments should be deposited:
Option 1: Stessa Cash Management account
Option 2: Your own external bank account
Step 1: Choose How You Want to Receive Rent
Option 1: Stessa Cash Management Account
Open a free Stessa deposit account (or open multiple accounts if you like).
Rent payments are deposited into this account.
Landlords never pay fees.
Residents can pay by ACH, credit card or debit card
ACH into Cash Management = no convenience fees!
You can then transfer funds to your external bank account if you wish.
Option 2: Your own external bank account
Rent payments go directly into your existing U.S. bank account.
Residents can pay by ACH, Credit Card or Debit Card (convenience fees apply)
Landlords never pay fees.
External bank account requirements for rent collection:
U.S.-based checking account (personal or business).
SSN or EIN.
Mailing address (no PO boxes), phone number, and email.
Mobile phone for verification.
Business info if using LLC/company.
Step 2: Enable Rent Collection for a Resident
For a new resident:
Go to the Properties tab.
Select the property.
Click the Leases tab → Add New Lease.
Complete the lease setup flow.
In the rent collection step, choose your type of deposit account and follow the prompts to connect your account.
Once set up, the resident will receive an email invitation to set up their Resident Portal account.
For an existing resident:
Go to the Rent Collection tab.
Find the resident.
Under Rent Collection, click the pencil icon.
Under Actions, enable rent collection and select your deposit option.
The resident will receive an email invitation to set up their Resident Portal account.
Tip: Review and update the resident ledger first—this sets the starting balance.
Step 3: Resident Setup
Residents automatically get an invite by email.
Residents are prompted to create an account in the Resident Portal.
If a resident can’t find their invite:
Have them check spam/junk for “Stessa Rent Collection.”
Confirm the email on file is correct.
Collecting Rent for the First Time
Resident chooses their payment method and optionally sets up auto-pay.
Payments can be made by ACH, Credit Card or Debit Card (always free for landlords).
Ongoing Rent Collection
Residents get an email reminder 10 days before rent is due.
Another reminder is sent on the due date.
Residents cannot pay earlier than 10 days before the due date.
Payment Methods
Payment Method | Who Pays Fees? | Notes |
ACH → Cash Management | No fees | Always free for landlord & resident |
ACH → External bank | Resident | $2 per transaction |
Credit Card | Resident | 3% per transaction |
Debit Card | Resident | $8 per transaction |
Bank Connection Updates
If a resident’s bank connection expires or breaks:
Send them to resident.stessa.com.
They can refresh, remove, or add a new connection.
Timeline for Payments
ACH: Up to 5 business days.
Cutoff = 3 PM ET. After cutoff, timeline starts on the next business day.
Credit & Debit Card: Up to 2 business days. Some banks offer instant payments. During the set up process you will see “Instant Eligible” in these cases.
Declined or Missing Payments
If a payment fails, resident gets an email.
Stessa does not retry automatically.
Resident must fix the issue (insufficient funds, closed account) and resubmit the payment.
Partial Payments
Yes, residents can make partial payments. They simply enter an amount in the portal and submit. Note that residents cannot pay more than their current balance.
Incorrect Balance?
Go to the Rent Collection tab.
Open resident ledger → Ledger & Charges tab.
Edit balance.
Updated balance appears next time resident logs in.
Switching Deposit Options
You can change anytime:
Cash Management
Your own external bank account
Go to Lease → Rent Collection settings.
Accounting & Reporting
All payments—no matter the method—are tracked in Stessa:
Transactions update in real time.
Reporting and reconciliations work the same.
FAQ
Is rent collection free for landlords?
Yes, landlords do not incur fees for successful rent payments.
Do residents pay fees?
No fee for ACH payments into a Stessa Cash Management account.
Residents do pay convenience fees:
ACH: Up to $2 per transaction
Credit card: 3% per transaction
Debit card: $8 per transaction
Can residents pay by card?
Yes, residents can pay by debit or credit card. Convenience fees apply for the resident.
Can I use different banks for different leases?
Yes. You can link different external bank accounts to each lease if you like.
Do residents see a different payment experience depending on where I choose to have the funds deposited?
Residents will not see a different experience depending on where you choose to have the funds deposited. All residents have the option to pay by bank transfer, or card. The only difference will be the convenience fee amount depending on the payment method they choose.