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I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
I'm looking for a new place to live. Every complex wants to see pay stubs or W2s. I'm self-employed. I don't have either. And like hell I'm letting them snoop through my bank accounts.* My credit score is 720. I offer to pay the lease up-front. And it's not good enough. They must know how much I earn to determine if my income is at least 3x the rent. The rent is usually somewhere between $350 and $500. These aren't exclusive, posh communities.
I don't know what to do. I bought a new car with no questions and an APR of 2.99%. Why are these lower middle class apartments so hard to get into? I'm willing to pre-pay a 12-month lease. Jeez!
*I keep my earnings to myself. I do not let my neighbors know that I am an entertainer. I do not know who they are or who their friends are. To criminals, a stripper is a young woman who walks to her door at night with a wad of cash. Someone could easily see me as an opportunity for rape and robbery.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
Okay, I would stop looking in apartment complexes and start looking in the paper. Generally, you can find a cool landlord renting out his house/duplex that will work with you.
Also, you're right, you are a target to future criminals. So why would you move into an unsavory apartment community?
Maybe it's a blessing in disguise you can't find an apt where you are looking.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
they need proof of income. they want to know if you can/will pay your rent on time and what not. i think if someone is self employeed they have to show a 1099 or something. some apartment complexes can be a pain...some even require that your monthly income is 3 to 4 times the monthly rent, and they want written proof of that. i know...just went through it myself...only i have a 'regular' job and could provide a pay stub.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
you're usually better off renting from a private owner rather than a property management company. I've rented from private owners that gave much more leeway in this department. Could you look for a privately owned condo or 1 br house instead of an apartment?
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
I managed properties for years. If you are unsucessful finding a private owner to rent from there are other options. Your credit is A+ so I doubt that they will search too deep or feel skeptical of any documentation you provide. They do have to obide by Fair housing laws which means they have to cover their ass if a discrimination suit takes place. The consistancy in their qualifying criterea , meaning all applicants must provide check stubs, rental history, job stability, and satisfactory credit.
What did you list on the application as your place of employement and position?
If they are aware you are an entertainer most likely they are thinking you cant provide income varifaction. If you told them than sometimes a letter of income typed and on company head from a dance manager will be sufficient enough.
On that note if they are unaware of what you do , office depot or a good friend with contacts can usually provide you with some sort of "pay stub" with letterhead for the managers records. Your credit is strong and if you have good rental history usually they wont red flag a "personal check stub" if you catch my drift.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
I have ran into these situations before. That is in the city.
They got to have this and they got to have that, and get the round around
and here I am freezing to death in the cold.
Well, I don't know whether this will work out for you, but the way
I confronted this situation was to find a house way out in the country.
I answered an ad in the paper, went to look at the house.
It was a little run down, but worth the rent.
The renters were glad to have the cash money, no questions asked.
Yeah, the drive was long, but I, at least had a roof over my head
and I was not freezing. And that says a lot.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandi004
If they are aware you are an entertainer most likely they are thinking you cant provide income varifaction. If you told them than sometimes a letter of income typed and on company head from a dance manager will be sufficient enough.
On that note if they are unaware of what you do , office depot or a good friend with contacts can usually provide you with some sort of "pay stub" with letterhead for the managers records. Your credit is strong and if you have good rental history usually they wont red flag a "personal check stub" if you catch my drift.
I might just speak directly with the decision makers of apartments in which I am interested. I just don't want receptionists, maintenance, leasing agents, etc. to know because I don't know who they are and they would know where I live.
I have a checking/savings where I maintain a combined balance of $5,000. I use this account to pay bills. (I have other savings as well.) If I show them this account, with both the influx and outflux of money, might it be enough?
*sigh* I really hate being turned away by a leasing agent in cheap shoes who does not think I'd be a good prospect.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
You need to get a " I work here letter" from your manager.. get him to sign it and date it. I've had to do this before. Also you could bring your car payment book.. and give them the number of the place you bought your car from.
What other's think of you is unimportant and yes I know it's a pain in the butt , but necessary. Any sort of reliable, I've payed my bills on time sort of record is what they are looking for. Besides, if any of those so called professional folks give you grief about where you work or what you do.. Obviously you did not need to live there.
Also, the advice to rent from an individual is killer good. If you don't want to do the above, do that. Good luck and happy home hunting!
Miss R
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
Quote:
I have a checking/savings where I maintain a combined balance of $5,000. I use this account to pay bills. (I have other savings as well.) If I show them this account, with both the influx and outflux of money, might it be enough?
Yes, probably. However, they usually want to see a 'government sanctioned' document of some kind ie. pay stubs, last year's tax return etc. Again it boils down to 'cover the landlord's ass' bureaucratic rules, which many private landlords will be much more flexible about.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandi004
On that note if they are unaware of what you do , office depot or a good friend with contacts can usually provide you with some sort of "pay stub" with letterhead for the managers records. Your credit is strong and if you have good rental history usually they wont red flag a "personal check stub" if you catch my drift.
How closely do they examine this "pay stub" you speak of? Would they call the alleged employer or visit the supposed business?
*****
This is my first year dancing. Before, I was volunteering overseas. I have no significant work history. When I pay taxes on April 15 and every quarterly deadline after, I should not have a problem renting a stupid apartment without disclosing my occupation.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
Lizette,
The world is full of petty boor-a-craps who are drunk with power or form filler-outers.
My first question is are you positive that there is no potential that you are being discriminated against? A bigot of one stripe or another will use any excuse to refuse to lend to someone they do not like.
If the pencil pusher refuses to rent to you, go over their head. Every pencil pusher has a boss. If it is an real estate agency go to the office manager. If it is realestate company go totheir bosses' boss.
Say you are from the renters discrimination board and are investigating them for refusing to rent.
I would echo the sentiment that you go to a private renter where the owner is the decision maker and probably does not know how to run a credit check. Or go to the nearest staples and get some blank W2's or pay stubs and invent one for $12.
Any agent who turns down 100% of the lease obligation up front has to be a moron. What do they think you do, go around and steel hot water heaters, refrigerators. ranges, and cheap wall-to-wall carpet?
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
My hubby is self emplyed and what we did is when we deposited a check into his account we had the bank make a copy on the copy machine.
hth
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
Quote:
Originally Posted by montythegeek
I would echo the sentiment that you go to a private renter where the owner is the decision maker and probably does not know how to run a credit check. Or go to the nearest staples and get some blank W2's or pay stubs and invent one for $12.
Any agent who turns down 100% of the lease obligation up front has to be a moron. What do they think you do, go around and steel hot water heaters, refrigerators. ranges, and cheap wall-to-wall carpet?
I do fancy vinyl flooring and the ecstacy I feel ripping it from the kitchen, the bathroom, the 3x4 "foyer." Yessssssss.
I'm having a fun time looking at officedepot.com and staples.com. I think I'll have a W-2 from last year and create 2 stubs and ... hold on ... I found this thread.
http://www.stripperweb.com/forum/sho...t=57005&page=2
I don't want to get in trouble for fraud. Because I don't want to go to prison, I won't fake a W-2. I'll probably talk to the property manager, not some idiot leasing agent, and offer to pay a lease upfront.
Even if I were not a dancer, I would not want some office not related to taxes or investments having my income on file with anyone and everyone to see. If I have proof of the ability to pay, like CASH upfront, why do they have know what I earn?
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
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Originally Posted by Lizette
I don't want to get in trouble for fraud. Because I don't want to go to prison, I won't fake a W-2.
Why bother? This is a no brainer. Give them a copy of your last tax return. Or in the alternative, show it to them, but do not let them copy or retain it. Tax return is a sworn document. Much better than these other methods.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
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Originally Posted by stant
Why bother? This is a no brainer. Give them a copy of your last tax return. Or in the alternative, show it to them, but do not let them copy or retain it. Tax return is a sworn document. Much better than these other methods.
I didn't work last year.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
If she's offered to PREPAY 12 months of rent, they don't need proof of income because they'll have their money up front.
Lizette, the reason they're being so particular is the they think you're a hooker or some such, and they're saying they need income documents because you don't have it - to keep you out of the community. If you were a middle-aged male (or any male for that matter) with that credit score they wouldn't be so damned strict about documentation.
Like others have said, look in the sunday paper or craigslist.com for your area for rentals from private landlords. With your credit and willingness to pay, they WILL let you rent, and will most likely be better landlords than the jerkoffs in those apt complexes. Just have a story re: employment - you're a freelance computer consultant or the like. Once you've read through a few ads, you'll be able to distingquish the difference between the commercial type ads and those written by private landlords - stick with the private ones.
Good luck!
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
I might be going out on a limb here, but I read Indiana is America's new Number One Meth Producer. It could be that landlords are equating "stripper" with "meth user + likely to use her domicile as a lab"....I feel for you but I know the owners are legally obligated to pay for meth lab clean-up when a renter gets caught with one....just throwing this idea out there, you're being unfairly lumped into a high-risk category.
OK, what is my point? I agree with the people who say it's better you've been barred from renting in poorer neighborhoods. Sublet a nice place in a gated community. I have heard of a few cases where young single women living alone & known to carry much cash have been attacked or murdered. Too many losers out there.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
you can definitely find something from a private renter... i know plenty of dancers who got places... some people may be desperate to find a renter, so they'll take the cash right away.. no questions asked... u gotta keep looking.... something will come up... some apartments can be really uptight about things...
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
Hey,
Forget renting, Why don't you just buy! It's for the best! If you want to move you can always become an landlordand make extra money! I hope everything works out for you!
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
I second the notion that you're probably getting the run-around because they think you're doing something illegal, if you won't tell a soul what you do for money. Explaining that you're an entertainer and you have documentation from your employer, even if you only wish to show it to the decision-maker, should probably help A LOT.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
also, offering to prepay in cash is a drug dealer/illegal activity red flag.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
Yeah, about buying - if you think you're gonna be in that area for a while, with that credit score you could get a mortgage with no down payment and no income verification ('stated income'). There are programs for first time buyers where you either finance 100% of the purchase price or you may qualify for a down payment grant which never has to be repaid. Might be worth it to look into buying.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
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Originally Posted by miabella
also, offering to prepay in cash is a drug dealer/illegal activity red flag.
I'm not one, but I hear repeatedly that being a landlord sucks. Pre-paying a year's rent is a landlord's wet dream, Homeland Security be damned. Just say you're are in sales and self employed. At worst it's puffing ;) .
Oh yeah, this reminds me of Pacific Heights...where Mathew Modine jumps at the offer of a year of rent cash pre-paid.... then Mr. Mom goes postal tenant.
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
I used to live in one of those awful awful apartment complexes. Find an apartment from an individual, or you could just buy.
(Providing proof that you have the income doesn't mean you aren't a drug dealer. The first week I lived in the complex, there was a meth fire.)
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Re: I can't rent a f*cking apartment!
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Originally Posted by miabella
also, offering to prepay in cash is a drug dealer/illegal activity red flag.
Not only that, but if an apartment community accepts rent pre-paid, they can't terminate your lease in the event that a tenent acts up, e.g. throwing loud parties, being convicted of a violent or drug related crime, having an unauthorized pet, other lease violations, etc... Smart apartment management companies don't allow paid-in-full rents.
Also, the fact that one has $$$ in the bank and can prove it still doesn't show the amc that you have a consistent means of income, as you can lose it all (medical emergency for example) right after you sign the lease.
I would definitely recommend leasing from a private individual owner. They typically just want 1st and last upfront and you can state you are an independent contractor with little to no questions.