Do landlords have to give rent receipts? The law in 10 states
By The Venda team · Written November 13, 2026 · Updated November 13, 2026
The short answer
It depends on the state, and on how the rent is paid. Cash is where the law is strictest: in most of the states below, a landlord who takes cash has to hand over a written receipt, request or not. Several states also require one whenever the tenant asks. Where no law requires it, a receipt is still the simplest proof of what was paid, for both sides.
We read each state's law itself on November 13, 2026. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check your state's current text before relying on it. This is general information, not legal advice.
What 10 states require
| State | When a receipt is required |
|---|---|
| New York | For rent paid in cash, money order or anything other than the tenant's personal check: right away when paid in person, within 15 days when sent. For a personal check, when the tenant asks in writing; the request lasts the whole tenancy. The receipt shows the date, amount, address, the period covered and who took it. Keep cash receipt records for 3 years [1]. |
| Texas | A landlord who accepts rent in cash gives a written receipt and records the date and amount in a record book [2]. |
| California | No rent-specific rule, but anyone paying a debt, rent included, can ask for a written receipt for the payment, and the person paid must give one [3]. |
| New Jersey | Every cash payment under a residential lease signed or renewed on or after January 13, 2020 gets a receipt, on paper or by email, with the amount, what it's for, the date, both names and who took it. Buildings with two units or fewer, and owner-occupied buildings with three or fewer, are left out [4]. |
| Washington | A landlord can refuse cash, but cash it takes gets a receipt. Payments made any other way get a written receipt when the tenant asks [5]. |
| Maryland | A receipt for cash payments, and for any payment when the tenant asks. Anne Arundel County requires one for every payment except by check [6]. |
| Minnesota | Rent paid in cash gets a written receipt right away when paid in person, or within 3 business days otherwise. Without one, the tenant has a defense in an eviction for unpaid rent [7]. |
| Virginia | Rent paid in cash or by money order gets a written receipt, without the tenant having to ask [8]. |
| Oregon | Any payment gets a written receipt when the tenant asks, showing the amount, the date and the landlord or rental. Paid by mail, within a reasonable time [9]. |
| Massachusetts | Receipts for a security deposit and for last month's rent paid in advance, not for each month's rent. The deposit receipt names the amount, the date, who took it and the unit, and is signed [10]. |
What to put on a rent receipt
New York's list is the most complete, and it works anywhere: the date it was paid, the amount, the rental's address, the period the rent covers, and the name of the person who took it [1]. New Jersey adds what the payment was for and the tenant's name [4]. Adding how it was paid and what's still owed answers most of the questions that come up later.
To make one now, use the free rent receipt maker: fill in one payment and download a numbered PDF, with no account.
Keep a copy of every receipt
New York wants cash receipt records kept for 3 years, Texas wants a record book, and Massachusetts wants deposit records kept for 2 years after the tenancy ends [1] [2] [10]. With Venda, each payment you log gets a numbered receipt, your tenant gets it by email, and every receipt stays in your book, ready to download.
Questions
Do landlords have to give rent receipts?
In many states, at least for cash. New York, Texas, New Jersey, Minnesota, Virginia, Washington and Maryland require a receipt for cash rent, and some states also when the tenant asks.
Does a landlord have to give a receipt for rent paid by check?
Usually only when the tenant asks. New York requires one for a personal check when the tenant asks in writing; Washington, Maryland and Oregon when the tenant asks.
What should a rent receipt include?
The date paid, the amount, the rental's address, the period the rent covers and the name of the person who took it. How it was paid and any balance help too.
How long should a landlord keep rent receipts?
New York requires cash receipt records for 3 years, and Massachusetts deposit records for 2 years after the tenancy ends. Most other states on this list set no period.
Sources
- New York Real Property Law § 235-e, Duty to provide a written receipt, read November 13, 2026
- Texas Property Code § 92.011, Cash rental payments (FindLaw copy), read November 13, 2026
- California Civil Code § 1499, Receipt for payment (FindLaw copy), read November 13, 2026
- New Jersey P.L. 2019, c. 300 (N.J.S.A. 46:8-49.2), Receipts for cash rent payments, read November 13, 2026
- Revised Code of Washington 59.18.063, Payments, receipt required, read November 13, 2026
- Maryland Code, Real Property § 8-205, Receipts for rent, read November 13, 2026
- Minnesota Statutes § 504B.118, Receipt for rent paid in cash, read November 13, 2026
- Code of Virginia § 55.1-1204, Terms and conditions of rental agreement, read November 13, 2026
- Oregon Revised Statutes 90.140, Types of payments landlord may require or accept, read November 13, 2026
- Massachusetts General Laws c. 186 § 15B, Security deposits and last month's rent, read November 13, 2026
Related
Cite this page: "Do landlords have to give rent receipts? The law in 10 states." Venda, November 13, 2026. https://vendawallet.com/guides/rent-receipt-laws-by-state