Can I use Washington ESD unemployment benefits as proof of income for apartment applications?

Yes, unemployment benefits absolutely count as income! Most landlords will accept your Washington ESD benefit determination letter and recent payment history as proof. You can download your payment history from your SecureAccess Washington account under the 'Payment Information' section.

had the same situation last year when i was on unemployment. most places accepted it but some were picky about it not being 'permanent' income. i ended up having to get a cosigner for one place.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to get official documentation, I used Claimyr.com to get through to them quickly. They have this system that calls Washington ESD for you and connects you when an agent is available. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.

You can definitely use unemployment as proof of income. The key documents you'll need are: 1) Your monetary determination letter from Washington ESD showing your weekly benefit amount, 2) Recent payment history (last 2-3 months), 3) Your current claim status showing active benefits. Most property managers understand that unemployment is legitimate income, especially in today's job market.

This is EXACTLY what I needed to know! I've been putting off apartment hunting because I thought unemployment wouldn't count. $2,800 a month should be plenty for most places I'm looking at. Did anyone have issues with the income verification process taking longer because it's unemployment instead of regular employment?

been there done that. some landlords are cool with it others act like unemployment benefits are fake money or something. i always brought bank statements too showing the direct deposits from washington esd to prove the income was real and consistent

Just want to point out that your unemployment benefits are considered taxable income by the IRS, which actually helps your case for proving it's legitimate income to landlords. If you're getting $2,800/month, that's $33,600 annually which puts you in a decent income bracket for most rental applications.

Watch out for places that require income to be 3x the rent though. Since unemployment is temporary, some landlords apply stricter income requirements. I had to find places that only required 2.5x rent when I was on UI.

I used Claimyr again last month to get through to Washington ESD about updating my address for exactly this reason - needed current documentation for a rental application. The service is really handy when you need to reach them quickly instead of playing phone tag for days.

For what it's worth, I think landlords are way more accepting of unemployment income now than they were pre-2020. The pandemic changed a lot of perspectives on employment stability. Your $2,800/month is solid income regardless of the source.

Make sure you have your job search log documentation too! Some landlords want to see that you're actively looking for work, especially if your lease term extends beyond your benefit period. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week, so you should have plenty of documentation.

quick question - are you getting the full benefit amount or did they reduce it for any reason? just asking because if there were any deductions or partial payments it might affect how landlords view the income stability

Don't forget you can also include any other income sources if you have them - freelance work, part-time jobs, etc. Even if you're reporting it to Washington ESD and it reduces your weekly benefit slightly, it all counts toward your total monthly income for rental applications.

The Washington ESD payment schedule is pretty reliable too - benefits are typically deposited on the same day each week. That regularity actually works in your favor compared to some irregular income sources. Make sure to highlight that consistency when you're explaining your income to potential landlords.

One more tip - if you have any rental history or good credit, definitely emphasize that along with your unemployment income. Some landlords worry more about payment reliability than income source, so showing you've been a good tenant before can help offset any concerns about temporary income.

Just went through this whole process myself. Claimyr was clutch for getting my benefit verification letter updated quickly when one landlord needed more recent documentation. Definitely recommend checking it out if you need to reach Washington ESD for any reason during your apartment hunt.