Can My Landlord Lock My Rent Portal?

Your obligation is to pay the rent you owe, and a landlord generally can't create a "nonpayment" by refusing or blocking a good-faith payment.

If a landlord locks you out of an online rent portal, or otherwise makes it hard to pay, the key is to keep clear proof that you tried — the date, the amount, and how you tried — and to pay through another acceptable method if you can. If you later receive a pay-or-quit notice, that notice is supposed to tell you exactly how and where to pay (Code of Civil Procedure §1161.1); if the method it lists isn't actually available to you, that's worth noting. This area is very fact-specific, and documentation can become important if a dispute later arises.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

• Keep a record of every attempt to pay — screenshots, dates, amounts, and the method you tried.
• A pay-or-quit notice must state acceptable payment methods; if the stated method doesn't work, document that.
• A landlord generally cannot create a default by refusing a proper, full payment.