NYC rental application checklist

Apartments in New York move fast. Having your documents ready lets you apply the moment you find the one. Here's what landlords typically ask for.

The template

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RENTAL APPLICATION CHECKLIST — have these ready before you apply

Identity
[ ] Government photo ID (driver's license, passport, or IDNYC)

Income (usually ~40x monthly rent, or a guarantor at ~80x)
[ ] Recent pay stubs (last 2-4) OR
[ ] Employment offer/verification letter OR
[ ] Bank statements / tax return if self-employed

Rental history
[ ] Current and past addresses
[ ] Landlord names and contact info
[ ] Proof of on-time rent (bank records or a verified profile)

Financial
[ ] Bank account statements (last 2-3 months)
[ ] Credit report (bring your own recent one — NY landlords must waive the $20 app fee if you do)

References
[ ] Past-landlord reference(s)
[ ] Optional: employer or personal reference

Money to move in
[ ] First month's rent
[ ] Security deposit (max one month in NY)
[ ] Note: broker fee is usually NOT yours to pay under the FARE Act

Tip: A CertRent profile bundles your ID, bank-verified rent + income, and references into one link — so you can hand over all of the above for free, and may qualify for the fee waiver.

Replace the [bracketed] parts with your details.

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