Tenants must ensure they get their receipts from landlords when they pay their rent.

A tenant who is now being taken to court for non-payment of rent said her landlord was malicious and dishonest because she was sued for rent had already paid.

The tenant disclosed that last year she had a quarrel with her landlord. A few days later she was served with a summons which stated that she owed $60,000 for rent.

so heartless

"I don't know how my landlord could be so heartless because she knows that I do not owe the money," the tenant said.

"I have been living at a house for the past 18 months. I got about six receipts from the landlord. The rent is $5,000 monthly, and every month I pay my rent. I have never owed the landlord.

"One Sunday I was washing my clothes and the landlord came out and said I should hurry up because she wanted to wash. I told her she would just have to wait until I was finished.

deal with my case

"She began cursing me and, to tell you the truth, I answered her because I am not her child. She said she was going to deal with my case, but I did not pay her any mind.

"A few days later, while I was about to leave home for work , a man came to the house and served me with a summons to attend court. It was written on the document that I owed $60,000 to my landlord.

"I was very frightened and so I knocked on my landlord's door and asked her what the summons was about. All she said to me was that she would see me in court. I went to court and the woman lied to the judge that I have not paid her any rent for the last 12 months. Can you believe it? The judge believed her and ordered me to pay the money.

"I have since moved from the premises but I now have no choice but to pay the money. I have since made arrangements at the bailiff's office to pay the money in instalments, because I cannot pay the debt at one time".

Now that you have had this unfortunate experience, you must ensure that you get you receipt when you pay your rent, because your receipt is the only way of proving that your rent is paid. You can also purchase a manager's cheque from the bank to pay your rent if your landlord refuses to give you a receipt.

A landlord must give a tenant a receipt whenever rent is paid, but if a landlord refuses to issue a receipt the tenant has a legal right to report the matter to the Rent Board.