
Quoting
Mr. Knowitall
A waiting period prior to the imposition of a late fee is not the same thing as a "grace period" that in essence modifies when your rent is due. If the rental agreement is "Rent is due on the 1st; if you have not paid by the 5th an additional late fee of $X becomes due in addition to your rent...." your failure to pay rent on the 1st can result in the immediate issuance of a "pay or quit" notice. The wording may matter - for example, if the agreement is instead, "Rent of $XXX is payable on the 1st of the month, but if not paid by the 5th increases to $YYY," you would have an argument that rent is not actually due until the 5th.