Guess in the respect I am lucky. My apartment complex allows me to pay my rent with a credit card through their website. I use a US Bank Visa that earns 1.25% cash back (due to being linked to a checking account). Like it a lot because it gives me a slight break on something I have to spend anyway.
I have lived in a number of large apartment complexes and universities housings. NONE allowed credit cards. You are very lucky.
VirtualPay (virtualpayusa.com) allows you to pay rent online with a credit card. They charge an administrative fee of 3%. May be an option to avoid late payment to property manager or meet reward program minimums.