When did they start needing your 1040s to lease an apt?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

Ok- granted, I've been out of the loop for a while, and since I've been renting off the books for... oh, eight years, I don't have much of a rental history. But DAYUM. I find this great little place that fits me very well, and I start in on "THE PROCESS". That's when I find out leasing an apartment just ain't what it used to be. I have to give them my tax forms for three years, along with my small business profit and loss statements, plus an estimate of what I'll make NEXT year, and notorize this and certify that and shit, man, this is all so freakin' NEW to me.

I'll qualify (I'll get the call tomorrow), but I never thought I'd have strangers shining a spotlight on me like that. It's disconcerting at the least, and an invasion at the most.

Dayum.

[astral]

1. That's major bullshit

You are not even OFFERED the place yet,and they are having you provide this stuff? You know it's got to be illegal, but when people are desperate enough to get the rental they want / need, they'll go along with stuff like this.

I was looking for a place onece where they wanted a $30 background check fee. They wanted this from EVERYONE who wanted the apartment, and they were not going to REFUND ANYBODY'S MONEY who was not selected!

Can you imagine how much money they pocketed illegally from this, from people handing over the money?

Ooooh were they digusted with me when I took the time to explain to them, loudly, over the phone how that is NOT LEGAL.

AAAAARGH~~~

____________________________________

So "renting off the books" means you don't have any rental history references?

Anyways, I would never go for a B.S. plan like that.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

2. I guess I can see their side of it

In this economic situation they want to lease to people who will be able to pay. I guess having a financial picture of the prospect is a good way to give them a good chance of picking someone who won't skip out on a lease. It's not the most comfortable of ways to do it, but I'd wager it works.

The price is right for me, too- reasonable rent in a well-landscaped, well-maintained complex. I don't want to use the word "exclusive" because it's not, nor would I care to live in such a neighborhood.

I haven't officially rented since moving to Dallas in 2000, and I had a couple years before that I was not paying rent, so my rental history does not exist. All that means is a bit extra on the deposit. No biggie.

On the plus side, simply by walking into the rental office, I already hooked one new client- one of the office workers is going to hire me to do a virus cleanup on her laptop computer. I can look forward to this place as a new client base- within the neighborhood I live in now I have seven clients on one block. How long before everyone at the new complex comes to me for computer repairs? Just by moving in, I may be able to pay the rent...

[judaspriestess]

3. I've never heard of this

but its safe to guess because you are self employed they want to make sure you can make the payment.
A friend of mine got turned down for a lease because he is self-employed. Sounds like an invasion of privacy.

is the rental demand high?

[LiberalHeart]

4. During my decades of self-employment...

...it became clear to me that many people saw that as "unemployed."