Screening tenant with hourly income

[Stephen T.]

Hi

I talked to a potential applicant whose husband is paid hourly.

What documentation would you ask for from a potential renter who is paid hourly? (eg 1 month of recent paystubs, longer?) Or would you treat this applicant more like they were self-employed an ask for a copy of last year's tax return?

Also on the verification side, do you ask any different questions when calling employers who are paid hourly?

I guess it depends on what their job is to some extent, but I'm concerned that anyone can provide me a pay stub with a good week or two of income that might seem to over-inflate the actual income over a longer period.

Thanks in advance for your help

[Rob K.]

Aren't most renters paid hourly? Most of mine are. I like to see a recent pay stub. It will show their hourly rate and hours worked. You can also see if there's been overtime and if any questionable deductions are taken out. Take the year to date and divide by how far into the year we are to see if their pay is consistent. You also want to call the employer and verify everything. Look up the phone number so you know you're not talking to one of their friends. I've pretended to be the employer for many of my friends over the years and have gotten good at it. Make sure you're talking to the real boss.