How to verify income and job history for self employed tenant?

[Chris McDaniel]

Ok, so I have this potential tenant who seems at first glance to have strong financials but he is self employed. He didn't seem to have anything to hide, but when I asked for proof of income, he showed me a bank statement. He showed me two statements, one with his name and company DBA and one with just his name. So my question is, how do you verify employment history and income with a self employed tenant?

[Justin R.]

I always require verification of income - pay stubs for employed, visual tax return inspection for self-employed, or bank statements if income comes from elsewhere.

If they have good credit, that's it - I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

If credit is marginal, I'll ask for additional year tax returns, P&L statement, or whatever else makes sense.

After that I'm either satisfied, satisfied with a larger up front payment, or decline the applicant.