One of the most commonly requested is the proof of income letter, also known as income verification letter or verification of employment.
What is a proof of income letter?
All of these different names actually mean the exact same thing. An entity (in this case an apartment community) needs to make sure the employee in question is reliably making the kind of money they claim.
If they aren’t, they might not be able to pay the rent. This is bad for everyone involved, from the landlord to the tenant. It could even get sticky for the employer since a potentially homeless employee is quite possibly very unhappy, distracted and unproductive.
Does my company have to comply?
Technically, employers are not legally required to respond to such requests, unless it’s coming from a federal entity. However, it’s not in the best interests of the employee for an employer to blow off something so significant. They might be annoyed if they lose a loan or apartment because someone couldn’t write a simple letter.
What’s in a proof of income letter?
Many states have restrictions regarding what information can or can’t be disclosed about a current or former employee. Before you take the letter-writing leap, check out this state-by-state list of dos and don’ts.
Generally, though, the following details are allowed, if requested:
- Employment dates, including start date and whether the would-be renter is currently employed
- Job title
- Salary
- Optional: If you’d like to beef it up with a few positive comments about the employee, feel free. It can’t hurt them in the apartment application process, especially if the landlord is trying to decide between multiple applicants.
Other than that, it’s all letter-specific formalities like address, date, contact information and so on. The apartment manager doesn’t necessarily need anything overly wordy or fancy to confirm a renter’s income — they just want the details.
Handling the proof of income letter request
Sometimes, the apartment community will get in touch to request the employment verification letter, but often it’s the employee who makes the ask. There’s some variation on how each company handles the request.
In some cases, the human resources manager will provide the letter or may require a form to be filled out and signed. In other cases, employees can download a template letter, fill it out and provide for a boss’s signature.
Get employee consent
If the landlord submits the request directly to the company, be sure to check the policy on whether you need to obtain written consent from the employee to provide the information. Although it should go without saying, all information must be truthful.
Sample proof of income letter
If you need to write a proof of income letter for your employee who is looking for an apartment, follow the template below. Simply update the text in brackets [ ] to personalize it for your needs.
- Download the proof of income letter sample PDF
- Download the proof of income letter sample Word document
[Employer name]
[Street Address]
[City, State Zip Code]
[Date]
Subject: Proof of Income Letter for [Name of employee]
Dear [Name of landlord or apartment community],
Please accept this letter as proof of income and verification of employment for [name of employee] at [name of employer]. [Name of employee] joined our team in [month and year of employment start], and currently holds the position of [job title]. [Employee name] is a [full-time/part-time] employee who earns $[dollar amount] per [week/month/quarter/year].
Please feel free to contact me at [employer e-mail] or [employer telephone] with any concerns or questions.
Best Regards,
[Leave space for signature]
[Employer name]
[Employer title]
[Employer phone number]
[Employer email address]
Keep lines of communication open
Don’t be surprised if the landlord or community calls or emails you directly to verify your identity. Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous applicants out there who might claim to work for a fake company and have their cousin Randy ready to play the role of “boss man.”
Sign, seal, deliver
Once the proof of income letter is complete, simply print, sign and deliver by hand to the employee, who probably should double-check the information. If the apartment community requests return by fax, e-mail or U.S. mail, go that route. No matter what, it’s a tiny task that makes a big impact for employees.
