Can You Get Approved For An Apartment With Fake Pay Stubs?

Last Updated on July 19, 2023 By Emma W. Thomas

Using fake pay stubs to get approved for an apartment is illegal and unethical. While it may seem like a way to increase the chances of approval, it poses significant risks. Landlords and property managers often verify income and employment details to ensure tenants can meet their financial obligations. If caught using fake pay stubs, it can lead to immediate lease termination, eviction, and legal consequences, damaging your rental history and future prospects.

Can You Get Approved For An Apartment With Fake Pay Stubs?

Securing a rental apartment often requires presenting proof of income, typically in the form of pay stubs. While some individuals may be tempted to fabricate pay stubs in order to enhance their chances of approval, doing so can have serious consequences. In this listicle, we will shed light on the potential risks and explain why using fake pay stubs is not a viable solution.

1. Legal Consequences:
   Using fake pay stubs is illegal and can result in severe legal repercussions. It is considered fraud and can lead to fines, eviction, and even criminal charges. These consequences can tarnish your reputation and make it difficult to find future housing opportunities.
2. Poor Rental History:
   If you are caught using counterfeit pay stubs, it will create a negative rental history. Landlords and property management companies maintain comprehensive databases that track tenant behaviors and rental histories. Once you are flagged for fraudulent activity, future landlords may hesitate to rent to you, further limiting your housing options.
3. Verifying Income:
   Most landlords undertake thorough income verification processes to ensure their tenants can afford to pay rent. By providing fake pay stubs, you may temporarily deceive the landlord, but sooner or later, they will discover the discrepancy. Landlords often cross-reference pay stubs with bank statements or employment verification letters, revealing any inconsistencies.
4. Financial and Legal Liability:
   If you are approved for an apartment through fraudulent means, you could face financial and legal liability. In the event of non-payment or other lease violations, your landlord may take legal action. Additionally, if you are evicted for fraudulent behavior, it could be challenging to secure new housing, and the resulting legal fees could add to your financial burden.
5. Background Checks:
   Landlords commonly perform background checks on potential tenants. A thorough background check includes verifying employment history and income. If your fake pay stubs are discovered during the background check, your application will likely be denied, and you may be reported to the relevant authorities.
6. Damage to Credit Score:
   Using fake pay stubs to secure an apartment can have long-lasting effects on your credit score. Failure to pay rent or a subsequent eviction can severely impact your creditworthiness. A damaged credit score can hinder your ability to secure future housing, obtain loans, or qualify for credit cards.

What Is A Paystub?

It is a paycheck part providing information and figures on employees’ taxes, deductions, and wages. A pay stub shows all details used in the paycheck. It is more transparent and precise on the job done and the money paid. You find it as an online form and also as a physical bill. An employer always retains a copy to prove when settling any discrepancy issues. They can also use it in protecting their employees from the government on taxes and other deductions.

Why Use Fake Pay Stubs To Get An Apartment Approved?

Most apartment owners request potential tenants to bring along their pay stubs. They want to lease their apartments to employed individuals who can pay rent on time. It helps avoid unnecessary fights concerning late payments. By using a pay stub, landlords can determine the tenants’ employer and their income levels. From there, they decide whether to lease their space or not.

In some states, it is difficult for unemployed people to get an apartment due to a lack of a pay stub. It takes them up the creek, searching for any possible means to get themselves a way to get it. What better method than using a fake pay stub? Since they are unemployed, they need a document serving as proof of employment. Some think it is just a piece of paper until the landlord goes through the information provided.

As a renter, it is essential to uphold honesty and make it your policy. It is easier to deal with a landlord you explained everything to at the beginning of the lease agreement. If you lied to and issued a fake pay stub, they are likely even to sue you for fraud. They even go as far as throwing you out of their property. Using a fake pay stub could land you in worse legal issues attracting over $1 million from the company you claim to work for.

Why Do Apartment Owners Request Pay Stubs?

Being an apartment landlord involves so many risks. You rent out living space to individuals you know nothing about. They could be terrorists or thieves seeking refuge in your building. If caught, you might get involved and face legal charges for harboring lawbreakers. To avoid such cases, landlords take precautions. For example, they will screen credit details, rental history, and pay stubs. They do this to ensure the safety of other tenants too. They are also certain you can pay your rent and cover other expenses.

Apartment owners request pay stubs for the following reasons;

To Verify Income

No one wants a nagging tenant. The type of people you always knock on their door requesting their monthly rent. That is why most apartment complexes set minimum income requirements for one to get their approval. Even those without minimum requirements, pay stubs do help validate your ability to fulfill your rental fees obligations.

Verification Of Employment

 Some people are self-employed and cannot produce a pay stub. In such a case, landlords request you to provide any form of evidence to show your income source. One is by showing them your quarterly tax statements. Alternatively, you can use contract details if working on any project, such as free-lancing. Your bank statements are also proof of steady income enough for you to pay rent.

As a Requirement For The Application Process

It is just a requirement for an apartment application process in other cases. They use it to serve as a reference before your application is approved. Pay stubs are sources of your identification other than just your name and birth details. It is a secondary reference source as it provides details of where to find you (your job place). Lack of pay stubs has denied many people approval of rental apartments.  

How Can Landlords Identify A Fake Paystub?

People who require pay stubs from their clients have come across many fake pay stubs. Some use them even when applying for loans other than apartments. When apartment approval is concerned, it is risky to accept one. What happens if you take one from a tenant who cannot afford the rental fee? How do you reach their supposed employers? For this and other reasons, you can use the following tips to determine whether a pay stub is fake when approving an apartment;

Unexplained Gaps In The Pay Stub

Fake pay stub makers lack enough time to do all the dates and income figures math. For this reason, you find incorrect details, whereas some are unavailable. The most common details that lack in a fake pay stub are annual deductions and also year-to-date pay. It could be due to forgetfulness or an inadequate fake tub template used. Whichever missing detail, it should act as a red flag to raise your suspicion.

Rounded Up Dollars Figures

A regular pay stub has funny-looking figures. They are primarily due to the percentages, deductions, and taxes on the income numbers, producing cents figures. For this reason, it is not normal to have a pay stub with rounded-off figures to the nearest dollar. Having such rounded-off figures is reason enough to suspect them.

Lack Of The Employer’s Contact

It is important to avoid ignoring minor details such as the employer’s details on documents presented to us. The main reason landlords ask for pay stubs is to ensure their tenants are capable. It would not hurt if you contacted the employer just for simple information. Why would they put phone numbers there if they did not want contact with other people? After calling them and you happen to be in doubt, there are other ways like searching them on the internet. 

Incorrect Company Details

Incorrect details of the company they claim to work for is the biggest red flag you can find. It is easy to mistake anything but not the company details. The reason is, employers give out these details now and then. Be considerate. Remember that since the employer’s details do not match the googled information, it does not mean what they gave is incorrect. It would be best if you had several reasons to validate whether the pay stub is real or fake.

Lack Of Bank Statements

People who use fake pay stubs do not have the same bank statements as those listed. After finding several red flags, this is the only sure way to settle the issue. Ask for the same bank statements as the one appearing on the pay stub. Most will give excuses for slow bank systems not producing it. If they produce one with a different deposited amount, it is time to raise the issue with the management for further action.

Is There A Penalty For Using A Fake Pay Stub For Apartment Approval?

Most people using fake pay stubs have the thought of getting away with it. It may be easy not to get caught. However, if you get caught, the consequences are suffocating. The first never-ending hangover of fear you get even after getting away with it. You tend to always be tense, thinking of the consequences.

The worst penalty you get for trying to defraud the apartment owner is a high chance to face legal battles for the rest of your life, especially for government-owned properties. It affects your credit details, making it difficult to access financial help. You are also likely to find it very hard to find an apartment in the same state as others.

For this reason, avoid using fake pay stubs where possible. Instead, be honest with your landlord and explain your situation, whether unemployed or self-employed.

Are There Alternative Documents You Can Use For Apartment Approval Other Than Pay Stubs?

Landlords use pay stubs to measure whether you can afford their apartments or not. There are other methods, but pay stubs are the most efficient since others are easy to manipulate. The table below shows different documents landlords can use and how effective they are:

Document	Content	Effectiveness on a scale of 1 – 5
Signed offer letter	Usually includes dates of job offer. It does not include current employment information	2
Employment verification letter	Indicates job invitation dates by the employer	2
Bank statements	Shows deposits and withdrawals made to a bank account	4
College financial aid documents	For students who have their accommodation funded by the school	3

Conclusion

Some risk-takers use fake pay stubs for apartment approval despite knowing the potential penalties. You risk more than what you gain by using a fake pay stub. Instead, if you are unemployed and looking for an apartment, you could explain your situation to a landlord. It is better to be honest instead of suffering the consequences of fraud.

Reference:

https://www.quora.com/Can-I-get-approved-for-a-apartment-using-fake-pay-stubs
https://www.apartmentlist.com/rental-management/spot-fake-pay-stubs