I am looking to avoid some unknown problem or entanglement here, not cheat anyone.

My wife and I are renewing our apt lease. Our management has a newer website and has required a digital signature for several years. This year, before you can get to the lease, you have to fill out several forms with information they would definitely already have, things that don't change. DOB, SSN, middle name etc. You cant proceed without filling it out. The one after that is for employer and monthly income. I am wondering what fresh hell awaits my answer of none. I could write self employed and put in a modest figure I guess. No verifying that.

I should point out that I have been at this street address for 17 years. I moved apartments once (here) to a larger unit in 2009 and my wife is still listed on their lease as a roommate. The new lease offer even has a modest rent decrease, which has never happened before.

I do understand they are seeking surety but really, after 17 years of good rental history?

Did your apartment get a new owner or, lease management firm? Sounds like admin/data entry work that somebody didn't want to spend the time filling-out thus, the work falls on you the tenant to complete the information upon the lease renewal.

The place I'm in is all electronic, no issues upon moving in. When I moved in I was self-employed but changing jobs, showed them my most recent pay stub, no issues; the place has the nicest pool of the area apts and in a quiet neighborhood so, no knuckleheads with weekends full of moving trucks. Lease renewals don't require any re-filling of info other than each page being acknowledged; rent paid electronically no issues like office manager 'loosing the rent check'.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
Did your apartment get a new owner or, lease management firm? Sounds like admin/data entry work that somebody didn't want to spend the time filling-out thus, the work falls on you the tenant to complete the information upon the lease renewal.

They have changed but it was maybe as long as 10 years now.

In my opinion. I would do like you said, put self employed.

RE: 'no verifying' self employment.

I wouldn't be sure of that. They can ask a bunch of questions, wrong answers to which throw up red/yellow flags: what line of work, how long have you been doing it, e.g. The catch-22 with the 'how long' question is that if you answer 'not long' it won't mean much as an indicator of creditworthiness, and if you tell them 'years' they can ask for tax returns verifying the revenues over the claimed period of self employment.

You might look at the existing lease and see what happens when the term expires - some leases provide automatic transitions to month-to-month, for example. If so, maybe you could proceed under that while getting back to work somewhere else, and not bother with the renewal.

quote:

Originally posted by hvyhawler:
In my opinion. I would do like you said, put self employed.

I would be careful doing that and even posting a modest salary because if the Government is good at one thing they are good at finding a way to tax you.

If you wife's salary is enough to pay the rent then I would just list hers.

Tell the truth. There are plenty of wealthy people who do not pay their rent on time. If fact, wealthy people can be difficult when it comes to getting money out of them.

If they have a problem, offer to pay a year in advance.

quote:

If they have a problem, offer to pay a year in advance.

With the associated discount one would expect for doing such a thing.

I don’t understand the angst. With that long of a payment history the last thing they want to do is kick you out.

List independently wealthy but unemployed. That’s subjective.

Or write: I do OK.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Tell the truth. There are plenty of wealthy people who do not pay their rent on time. If fact, wealthy people can be difficult when it comes to getting money out of them.

Ain't that the TRUTH! Chautauqua Institution is nearby and many homes there are owned by rich NYC residents and others with $$ from Ohio & various other places. I had so much trouble collecting pay there, that I flat out refuse to work there, even gave up my plumbing license there. They can find someone else to hose!!

Well, I got no problems like being too rich.

Thanks for all the responses. I think I'll go with 1s1k's suggestion and just list my wife's.

Didn’t your lease go month to month after it expired ? Are the forcing you to sign another lease ? As long as you pay on the 1st what’s the problem ?

I’m not sure why “tell the truth” isn’t the obvious answer....

quote:

Originally posted by tanksoldier:
I’m not sure why “tell the truth” isn’t the obvious answer....

The above question appears to be framed as rhetorical, but the answer seems.......obvious, nonetheless.........

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
If you wife's salary is enough to pay the rent then I would just list hers.

quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
Thanks for all the responses. I think I'll go with 1s1k's suggestion and just list my wife's.

As a landlord, I can tell you right now that I wouldn’t give two poops about your income if you had a decade of good rental history.