For First Time Apartment Hunters

If you're in the market for a new apartment, there are a few things you absolutely must get ready in advance. This is especially important in places like New York City or San Francisco where an amazing apartment going for a decent price is on and off the market in the snap of a finger!

You may find the apartment of your dreams, but if another applicant equally as qualified as you gets the necessary paperwork in before you do, that apartment has just slipped right from your grasp!

Here's a list of paperwork that you should get ready before starting your apartment hunt. Of course, requirements vary from landlord to landlord.

• A letter of employment which states your salary on your company's letterhead and signed by a supervisor
• Recent bank statements
• Your most recent bank statements
• A photocopy of your photo ID
• Your most recent W2 statement(s) and the first 2 pages of your most recent tax return
• If you are self-employed, you will also need proof of your income, which may be fulfilled with pay stubs, contracts, a letter from your CPA, etc.

A guarantor is like a cosigner on your lease, and is responsible for your rent or your share of the rent should you renege on your responsibility or are otherwise unable to pay. There are various reasons why a guarantor may be necessary. A guarantor may be required if the applicant is a student, if a candidate doesn't quite make the income guidelines (in NYC, it's generally an annual salary of 40x the monthly rent) but is otherwise qualified, if the candidate doesn't have much or has questionable credit history but makes more than 40x the monthly rent annually, or if the landlord just requires a guarantor for all applicants or for applicants without any prior rental history.

Guarantors are generally required to submit the same paperwork as the applicant, and in NYC, they are generally required to make an annual salary that is 70-80x the monthly rent. Of course, minimum income requirements for both applicants and guarantors differ depending on the landlord or management company.

This is just a general list of paperwork that you should have handy, and landlords, leasing agents, management companies and real estate agents that you may work with may ask for more items that I did not list.

Happy hunting!