# Documents for an Income Restricted Apartment Application > What to gather for a Texas income restricted application: ID, household, benefit, gig, self-employed, cash and seasonal income, and how to send it safely. URL: https://incomerestrictedapartments.com/guide/what-documents-you-need-to-apply/ Phone: +1 (888) 411-4403 Plain answers backed by official sources # Documents you need to apply for an income restricted apartment Get the property’s own checklist and gather records for every kind of income, including gig, self-employed, cash and seasonal pay. Then send them only through a channel you know is theirs. [How we check our information](/editorial-standards/). Before you apply, confirm application status and unit details with the property or agency. ## Start with the checklist for that property There’s no single list that fits every income restricted unit. [TDHCA publishes compliance and income verification forms](https://www.tdhca.texas.gov/compliance-forms), but what you’re asked for depends on the program and your household. A tax credit unit, a voucher rental and public housing can each ask for different things. Before you gather private records, ask the provider for its current list. A general checklist like this one helps you get ready, but not every household has to send every item on it. ## Set up four folders Sorting as you go makes it easier to answer follow-up questions fast. - Identity and household: the ID they ask for and details on who will live in the unit. - Income and assets: the pay, business, benefits or account records they ask for, plus a note on any unusual changes. - Program items: voucher paperwork, proof of student status or proof of age, if it applies. - Application record: criteria, fees, signed forms, receipts and confirmations. If anyone in the household is a student, the tax credit student rules can add their own questions. See our [guide to student eligibility rules](/guide/student-eligibility-rules-at-lihtc-apartments/). ## Get missing records from the place that issued them [SSA offers benefit verification letters](https://www.ssa.gov/manage-benefits/get-benefit-letter) for Social Security and SSI. [SSA says](https://www.ssa.gov/faqs/en/questions/KA-01717.html) you can get one right away through a my Social Security account, then view, print or save it. You can call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). By mail, SSA sends it to the address on file within 10 business days, so plan for that wait. This letter goes by several names, according to SSA: budget letter, benefits letter, proof of income letter or proof of award letter. If a property asks for any of those, this is the one to get. For any other missing record, ask whoever issued it, and ask the property what else it accepts. Don’t count on an expired document, a tax transcript or an employer’s note taking the place of what they asked for. ## If you do gig work or run your own business Proving this kind of income can take more than a paystub. [TDHCA’s compliance forms](https://www.tdhca.texas.gov/compliance-forms) and [earned income training](https://www.tdhca.texas.gov/sites/default/files/pmcdocs/LunchLearn/Module2-answers.pdf) show the extra records a reviewer may need. Ask management which time period, forms and backup records they need for your kind of work. Don’t assume one rule of three, six or twelve months applies everywhere. - Keep platform statements, invoices or business records that show where your earnings came from and when. - In your explanation, keep business receipts, expenses, transfers and loans apart, and never relabel them to hit a number. - Send tax or bank documents only when they’re asked for, and only through the verified application channel. ## If your pay is seasonal, irregular or in cash Explain seasonal changes, new work or work that has ended. A short note with dates helps the reviewer see why March looks nothing like July. If you’re paid in cash, ask the property what proof it accepts for that income. Give an accurate record of what you earned and who paid you. Never create or change a document to make it look official or to fit a number. Our [income comparison tool](/tools/ami-eligibility-estimator/) runs on your own estimate, so it can’t certify income that goes up and down. Only the property can make that call. ## When two documents show different totals Explain the difference honestly. Gross receipts, net business income and bank deposits can measure different things. [TDHCA’s income training](https://www.tdhca.texas.gov/sites/default/files/pmcdocs/24-IncomeDetermination-Training-HOTMA-Changes.pdf) treats net business income as gross receipts minus business expenses. A deposit can be a transfer or a loan, not earnings. Don’t rewrite a profit and loss statement just to make it match deposits. Ask which program definition they use, then attach a short explanation with records that back it up. ## Keep disability requests separate, and share only what’s needed [HUD and DOJ explain what paperwork a reasonable accommodation request may need](https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/huddojstatement.pdf). Don’t assume every housing inquiry needs a diagnosis or a doctor’s letter. Talk with the provider about the accommodation you need and what proof is appropriate. ## Send records safely and keep a copy - Check the manager or agency against its official website before you send anything. - Use its approved secure channel, and keep originals when you can. - Save a copy of exactly what you sent, and the date. - Never send bank statements or ID to someone who calls you out of the blue. The FTC explains how [rental listing scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/rental-listing-scams) work. Sending us your details isn’t the same as applying with the property. ## If a document is missing or they ask for more Expect follow-up questions, especially for income that changes month to month. Save the reviewer’s questions next to what you sent. If a document is missing, ask what else they’ll accept, and get the deadline in writing so you know how long you have. Being under the income limit isn’t the same as being approved. Our [step by step guide to qualifying](/guide/how-to-qualify-for-income-restricted-apartments/) covers screening and what to do if the first answer is no. If your income is from SSI, SSDI or another fixed source, see [renting on SSI, SSDI or a fixed income](/guide/ssi-ssdi-renters-and-property-income-minimums/). Use the [housing search checklist](/housing-search-guide/) to keep the whole application organized. ## Want help finding a community? Tell us where you want to live, your budget and what your household needs. We’ll help you sort out where to apply, and the property or agency makes the final call on approval. [Help Me Pick a Community](/find-housing/)