A big proportion of residents in New York prefer to rent rather than buy their own house. The rental market involves different parties such as landlords and property owners, who make a profit off their residential holdings. Property owners want to make sure there is little to no risk involved in the potential deal by requesting renters to produce some documents. Among the documents you need to have in order to strike a deal with a homeowner is a letter of employment or proof of income.
Read this article to know why you need it and tips to get a letter of employment when looking to rent an apartment in NYC. Before that though…
What is a letter of employment?
This is a verification letter to show you are employed. Also known as proof of income, this letter confirms that you work where you claim to work and make the income you say you make. When making the application to rent an apartment, you’ll also be required to indicate the name of your employer. Proof of income or letter of employment is what is used as proof that the information is correct.
Why do landlords ask for proof of income?
Landlords depend on the proof of income to determine whether you have a stable source of income and therefore can pay your rent on time. Some property owners may even ask potential tenants to show at least a couple of documents that prove an income to stay safe from scams and frauds.
These documents also provide an excellent way for renters to weigh their budgets to ensure they don’t go beyond what they can afford in rent payments. The letter of employment also acts as proof of a stable income that renters can use to vouch for themselves should a dispute over their ability to pay rent arise in the future.
Does my company have to comply?
Well, employers are not legally required to answer to such requests unless it’s needed by a federal entity. However, this isn’t usually in the best interest of the employee for an employer to expose something so significant. They could be disappointed if they lose an apartment because someone couldn’t draft a simple letter.
What’s usually in a letter of employment?
Many property owners will ask for the following details:
- Date of employment including starting date
- Job title
- Salary
- You may add a few testimonials and positive comments. It can help if the landlord is trying to decide between several applicants.
Apart from that, add letter-specific formalities such as date, address, contact information and such. The house owner does not need anything detailed to confirm a renter’s income – just be brief.
Tips for writing a letter of employment
Add contact information
You should start your letter with contact details including your name, telephone, and address of the employer. For self-employed people, be sure to add the name of your business. It vests to put the crucial information at the tip of the page to make it easily accessible.
Statement of purpose
Next is to insert a short blurb highlighting the purpose of the letter. It can be something as simple as ‘’Re: Proof of Income”. This will make it easy for the reader to continue reading.
Introduce yourself
It’s time to take a moment to say who you are and the reason for writing the letter. Ensure you put it precisely because the management receives dozens of letters every day. Being overly wordy might get your letter tossed on the dustbin.
Talk about your income and sources
Take time to talk about your main income stream. How much income do you make? How do you make the money? You must be honest with this information because the reader will be cross-referencing the information with your employer and bank. Any exaggeration is a poor reflection of you.
Mention additional income
Have any other sources of income? Add the information to this letter. This includes your part-time jobs, pension, and other regular income apart from your main employment. In addition, make it clear how often and how long you expect to receive this income.
Total income
After your primary and secondary sources of income, add all these income streams altogether. You can also add information on how you expect the income to change over the coming months or years.
Conclude the letter
Tell the recipient that you have attached all the relevant documents needed for income verification. These include pay stubs, tax returns, or bank statements. Thank them for their time and sign. You can add legitimacy to the letter by requesting your employer to attach a statement verifying the information you’ve just provided.
What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing when looking for an apartment to rent in NYC? Share your feedback in the comments section below.
