Can I Rent An Apartment If I Get Paid Cash? Breaking Cash Barriers…

Yes! If you get paid differently, sometimes you might be second-guessing yourself and wondering if you “Can rent an apartment if you’re paid in cash?”

While each apartment complex has its own rules, you still have the chance of getting approved for a Texas apartment when you get paid in cash. 

Besides, when going through apartment approval, the apartments don’t care what career you’re pursuing (well, sort of…). They only care that you can afford to pay their rent and continue paying their rent, throughout your entire lease term.

So, as long as you have a legit career and decent credit, coupled with all of your documents reflecting the income that you’re disclosing to the property, with the hopes that everything is matching up.

Then getting into an apartment should not be as big of a concern as you may have thought.

This guide will help you prepare for your upcoming move if you receive your employment wages in cash.

Show Them The Money: Why Depositing The Cash In Your Bank Is Essential?

Remember the show called “Show Me The Money?” It was similar to the show called “Deal Or No Deal”. 

Although we’re talking about a TV show here, I’m going somewhere with this.

… So, stay with me.

In short, the property manager has a job to do.

One of their responsibilities is to make sure they protect the owner’s investment. So, what the apartments really prefer to see is the money physically posted in your bank account.

… Not in your briefcase or purse but in your bank account.

You see, whether you’re buying a home or renting, the deciding party has to get all up in your space because, they want to know your financial capabilities.

So, when a complex is trying to determine if you meet their income requirements, they prefer to see a track record.

With the above intention, they want to know your financial activities, including: 

• Where is your money coming from? 
• How long have you been receiving it and how long do you plan on receiving it? 
• How many other people do you owe because we want to make sure that we get ours first?

…. You know, things like that

In short…you have to help them, help you…

More importantly, make them feel more comfortable about why they should rent to you, over someone else that has a proven financial track record.

Given the above points, if you never deposited any of your funds into a bank account, could it be a deal breaker? 

…Of course, it could! But, as I mentioned earlier, each apartment complex has its own rules and regulations. They make the final decision on what they will accept and won’t.

With all things considered, it’s not 100% guaranteed that you’ll get denied, the final decision is still up to the apartment complex and its deciding parties.

Going forward, my suggestion would be to deposit your hard-earned money into a bank account, for at least 3 to 6 months before you decide to move. And do this every single month. 

That way you have a stronger foot print of your income.

Hence, the amount of money that you should be depositing into your bank account, should be at least 3 times the rent.

For example, if you are trying to rent an apartment for $995 per month. Then its best to deposit at least $2985 per month into the same account every single month.

Sure documents work, but, they don’t always hold up as strongly as depositing at least 3 times the rent amount into you bank account. Especially, when you have other hurdles for them to jump over.

By the way, if you find yourself not being able to get approved for a bank account. You can try a pre-paid card that comes with a routing and bank account number. 

That pre-paid account would also be more beneficial if it has the capability of printing out monthly statements.

Can You Pay The Rent In Cash?

Whether you want to pay multiple months in cash, or a single payment. The answer to paying your landlord in cash varies. Some landlords will accept cash payments. Others, however, will not.

Furthermore, your landlord may appreciate your efforts to make your rental payment on time, but the number one recommendation, is to always refer to your lease agreement.

In addition to that, you may want to take some time and read what the Texas Property Sec. 92. 001, has to say about paying your lease in cash.

Either way, there should be a section in your lease titled “Method Of Payment.” 

In the method of payment section, there are approximately 5 bullet points. Those 5 bullet points should be a set of guidelines outlining how your landlord prefers to receive their monthly rent payments.

I would suggest that you adhere to lease agreement method of payments and the place of payment. Both of these sections can be found within your three pages. 

The place of payment should be the section above the method of payment. If it’s not simply read through your lease until you find that section, so that you can be aware of how to make the payment and where to make the payment. 

What Documents Might Be Requested From The Apartments If You Get Paid In Cash?

As a real estate agent, we deal with the leasing agents daily. One of the questions that I inquire about for future tenants is the form of income requirements that the property will accept.

Again, this is where you’ll find each apartment community has their own rules. 

Some complexes will accept a notarized employment verification while others do not consider the letter sufficient at all.

With that in mind, most communities might accept your last two years of tax returns, with the hopes that they prove within those last two years, that you can make at least 3 times the current rent.

In addition to that, some properties want to see anywhere from 3 to 6 months’ worth of bank statements. Or they may request your previous rental history. 

Whether you’re a freelancer, self-employed, or paid in cash, there are options. By the way, if you are self-employed, gig worker, or freelancer, you have need your 1099 forms, along with the above documents.

At the end of the day, there is no firm guideline on what a particular property will accept. But, no worries! It’s still possible to find your dream home…

Sum, It All Up: Can I Rent An Apartment If I Get Paid Cash

The bottom line here is, yes you can potentially rent a professionally managed apartment, even if you are paid in cash. 

As you just discovered that each apartment complex has their own rules. So, if you find yourself having a difficult time, locating an apartment complex that will accept your situation, that’s when you may want to consider hiring an apartment finder. 

Besides, you aren’t the one paying the apartment locator commission, the property management is the one that will bill the real estate agents broker. The apartment finder can help you narrow your search down, and they help you avoid rental scams.

Have you ever rented an apartment while receiving your wages in cash? How was your experience, good or bad? We’d all like to learn from others…If you’d like to chime in, please leave your comment below. 

Here’s A Tiny Request From Me To You!

Building this blog page by page, post by post to help educate others on the benefits of apartment locating services. I’m on a mission to help renters have a smoother moving transition while educating you on things I find during my journey.

So, if you could be a kind steward, and please share this post. Here’s some ideas: pin it, tweet it, email it, or text it. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you as always for your continued support. I wish you all the best and continued success…

Your Apartment Pal

Lakisha Akbar