Pay stubs, W-2s, 1040s are easily faked.

[Cal C.]

I know a lot of landlords rely upon these documents to vet potential tenants, but simply doing a google search on Fake pay stubs, fake w-2s, etc... will quickly illustrate how risky it is to rely on these documents.  Yes, most people will not fake their documents, but the ones who will fake documents are likely the ones you want to keep out of your rentals most!

IMHO it is much better to find the employer's phone number online then call and ask for the HR Dept.  This is usually pretty simple.  

One other thing that pay stubs don't tell you is whether or not the tenant is currently employed (pay stubs are for previous weeks) and will likely remain employed.   

IMHO it is much better to spend a few minutes on the phone than simply take a pay stub at face value.