Here’s What Info You Need To Apply For An Apartment

Wondering what information you need to apply for an apartment? You have taken the correct first step and come to the right place. This post will give you a good idea of some of the most common information and required documentation that you need to successfully apply for a new apartment.

In most applications, you are going to be asked for three things: A copy of your current, valid Driver’s License or other government-issued ID, verification of your gross income, and social security number, or a copy of a current, valid Passport.

Now, those are just the main three information pieces that you will see asked of you the majority of the time. Let’s dive into this in more detail and discuss these required documents and other pieces of information that might be asked of you when completing an apartment rental application.

Current And Valid Photo ID

At the time of application, you will need a current and valid form of photo ID to give to the leasing office. In most cases, this can be a driver’s license or a military ID card. If for some reason you do not have either of those, then you will need to find another current and valid government-issued ID.

Something like a social security card or birth certificate could do the trick. It would be best to first reach out to the leasing agent and confirm what are other acceptable forms of ID.

Proof Of Income

You need proof of income.

It is a staple piece of information that you need to apply for an apartment.

Property managers want to see that you have a steady and verifiable income. Usually, you will be asked to provide proof of income with the option of three different methods.

Method 1 is providing a copy of your two most recent pay stubs.

Method 2 is providing a copy of your employment offer letter, in which the letter explicitly states your annual salary. If you can provide bank statements that show your “take-home” monthly income that is helpful documentation to give as well.

Method 3 is to provide a copy of your previous year’s tax returns and bank statements. This method is more so acceptable if your prospective landlord is not part of a national property management company. 

In most cases though, Method 1 where you can just show proof of your last two recent pay stubs, is sufficient for the potential landlord to verify your income. Note, in some rare cases, the employment offer letter might be requested in conjunction with the pay stubs.

Either way, it is best to have both pieces of information handy before you begin the apartment application process.

Do You Make 2.5 Times The Rent?

One thing to remember is some apartment buildings especially those in bigger cities require that you make “enough money” money in order to be considered. This “enough” amount is usually a multiplier of the cost of rent.

For example, an apartment might say that in order to be eligible to apply and complete the application you must have a monthly sufficient income that is at least 2.5 times the monthly rent.

Now, odds are if you are here reading this and follow Adulting Starts Here, you are probably between the age of 18 and 24.

So, the likelihood that you have a large enough income to “solo” apply for an apartment is not high, especially for those of us who are first-time renters in big cities.

What are your other Proof of Income options?

If you do not meet the “sufficient income multiplier” amount for the rental property you will likely need to find a co-signer. This is usually your next best bet if you intend to live alone. The co-signer can be your parent, another family member, or pretty much anyone who is willing to sponsor you and say they will cover rent costs if you cannot.

If you are willing to have a roommate, bringing another salary into the equation can help you reach that 2.5 times threshold, especially for those of us looking to live with our partners.

Now, that is all I am going to say on the topic of co-signing for an apartment. I might do a post diving into that topic more later.

Social Security Number

At the time of application, you will most likely be asked for some personal information like the last four of your social security number, if not the whole number itself.

This is the personal information that the leasing agent will most likely use this number to do two things. The first is to make sure you are who you say you are. Second, they will use this information to run a credit check and background check on you. We will talk about the background check and credit check in this next section.

Background and Credit Check

As I mentioned earlier, a background check and credit check will be run on you as part of the approval process. This is done for all new renters and not just people who are applying for their first apartment. So, do not think that the property owner is picking on you because you are young. It is all a part of the approval process.

Background Check

The background check usually aggregates most forms of public information and checks for things like criminal history, bankruptcy, and associated information like phone number and driver’s license number. The following information in the chart below is some of the most common pieces of information found on a background check.

Criminal Record and Arrest Records	Telephone Numbers
Bankruptcy Data	Address (Past and Present)
License Information	Asset Information
Sex Offender Data	Employment History
Driving History	Education Confirmation
Related Persons	Social Media Profiles

As you can see the background check has the potential to be pretty extensive. Depending on how much the leasing agent wants to know they could pay for background services that dive into related persons and your social media profiles. I doubt that this type of depth will be given to an apartment application, but it could be possible.

Credit History

Now the Credit Check will focus more on your financial stability and check to see if you have a good credit score or bad credit. This is where things like  This is most likely where the leasing agent will determine if you would be more of a financial liability than an asset to the apartment complex.

The credit check develops what’s called a credit report for the leasing agent to review. Below is a chart of some of the most common information found on a credit report.

Name and Variations of Name	Name of Employer
Current And Previous Addresses	Installment Loans/Accounts
Account Payment History	Open and Closed Accounts
Recent Loan Applications	Recent Credit Applications
Collection Accounts	Revolving Accounts

There are a few free sites where you can get a free credit report, so definitely search around for those.

Personal References

You will need references in the sense of previous rental history. So, usually, you will need the contact information of your current landlord unless otherwise indicated.

Some places will want you to go back further and give contact info for other previous landlords, but most are fine with just having your current landlord’s information.

Now, it remains to be uncovered whether the leasing agents actually call up your current landlord and ask about you. But on the off chance that they do, it might not be a bad idea to take the time and make sure that you are on your current landlord’s good side.

If the apartment building you are applying to does call your current landlord, know that one of the first questions they will ask is about is if you have ever had any issues paying rent on time and in full.

I say on time and in full because one without the other can signal a red flag for some leasing agents, especially those in bigger cities that have a higher rate of applications coming in.

Security Deposit And Apartment Application Fee

Lastly, is not necessarily information you need to apply for an apartment but more so the money you need to open and close the application. When you submit your application you will most likely need to pay an application fee.

The application fee is a non-refundable fee regardless if you complete an online application or in-person application. So, this means no matter if your application is approved or denied you will not get your money back.

Easy money grab – yes, I agree.

Now, in some cases, if approved you might be able to convince the leasing agent to put the application fee cost toward your rent.

The security deposit is essentially the payment to close your application and confirm that you are moving in it. It is pretty much the final thing you do besides actually signing the lease.

The deposit can be thought of as an insurance payment for the landlord or leasing agency just in case you skip a payment or damage the place. Usually, the security deposit is equal to first month’s rent.

Application Fee v.s. Security Deposit

Now, a big difference between the application fee and the security deposit is that the security deposit is usually refundable. So, the unused security deposit is usually returned to you in the set timeframe outlined in the lease agreement.

Always be sure to confirm that timeframe with the leasing agent or landlord.

Additional Fees

A quick note on additional fees that you should ask about while you are trying to find your perfect place to call home. If you have a pet be sure to ask about the pet fee. Some property managers charge both an upfront fee and a monthly fee for pets.

In bigger cities, you might have upfront costs of a $500 one-time pet fee and then $50 monthly fees for having a pet in your apartment. Be prepared for these fees. Usually, the monthly fee portion is non-negotiable but you might be able to negotiate the upfront one-time fee.

Additionally, if you have a car, be sure to find out if your parking space is free or not. A lot of apartments have a monthly charge for parking space use. You will also need to make sure that you know what vehicle information to give the apartment complex. So just be aware of these potential additional fees as you search for your new place.

What are your thoughts? Did you already know what information you needed to apply for an apartment? Let us know in the comments below and happy apartment hunting!

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Best of luck adulting!

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