Can you get an apartment on unemployment benefits in Washington?
I'm currently receiving unemployment benefits from Washington ESD and need to find a new place to live. My lease is up next month and I'm worried landlords won't approve me with just UI income. Has anyone here successfully rented an apartment while on unemployment? What documentation did you need to provide? I'm getting about $680 per week which should cover rent but I'm not sure if that's considered stable income by property managers.
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Kevin Bell
It's definitely possible but you'll need to be strategic about it. I got approved for a place last year while on unemployment. The key is having your benefit determination letter from Washington ESD showing your weekly benefit amount and how long you're eligible to receive benefits.
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Ella Cofer
•That's encouraging! Did you need to provide anything else beyond the benefit letter?
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Kevin Bell
•Yeah, I also had to show bank statements proving I was actually receiving the payments regularly, plus my job search log to show I was actively looking for work.
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Savannah Glover
Look for individual landlords rather than big property management companies. They're usually more flexible about income sources. I found my current place through Craigslist and the landlord was fine with unemployment as long as I could prove the income.
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Ella Cofer
•Good tip about individual landlords. Did you need a cosigner or extra deposit?
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Savannah Glover
•I had to pay first month, last month, and security deposit upfront but no cosigner was needed since my benefit amount was 3x the rent.
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Felix Grigori
The biggest challenge is getting through to Washington ESD if you need documentation quickly. I waited 2 weeks for them to mail me a new benefit verification letter. If you're in a time crunch, you might want to try Claimyr - it's a service that helps you actually reach ESD agents by phone. Check out claimyr.com, they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Ella Cofer
•Thanks for the suggestion! I might need that if I can't get the paperwork I need in time.
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Felicity Bud
•Never heard of Claimyr but anything that helps get through to ESD sounds worth trying. Their phone system is impossible.
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Max Reyes
Most places want income to be 2.5-3x rent. If your $680/week meets that requirement, you should be fine. The bigger issue is some landlords just have policies against unemployment income period.
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Ella Cofer
•That makes sense. I'm looking at places around $800-900 so the income ratio should work.
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Mikayla Davison
•Yeah but don't forget unemployment is temporary. Some landlords worry about what happens when benefits run out.
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Adrian Connor
I was in the exact same situation 6 months ago! Here's what worked for me: 1) Get your monetary determination from Washington ESD showing total benefit amount, 2) Print out 3 months of bank statements showing deposits, 3) Write a brief letter explaining you're actively job searching, 4) Offer to pay extra deposit if needed.
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Ella Cofer
•This is super helpful! Did you mention in your letter how long you'd been receiving benefits?
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Adrian Connor
•Yes, I was honest about being 4 months into my claim period and mentioned I had interviews lined up. Transparency helped.
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Aisha Jackson
•Writing a letter is smart. Shows you're responsible and proactive about the situation.
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Mikayla Davison
just be honest about ur situation. some landlords r cool with it especially if u have good credit and references. dont try to hide the unemployment thing
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Ella Cofer
•Good point about being upfront. Better than them finding out later and feeling misled.
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Felicity Bud
The unemployment office can give you an income verification letter but good luck getting through to them. I've been trying to reach someone at Washington ESD for weeks about my claim status.
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Felix Grigori
•That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier. Worth checking out if you need to reach ESD quickly for documentation.
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Ryder Everingham
•I second this. Used Claimyr last month when I needed to talk to someone about my job search requirements. Actually got through same day.
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Lilly Curtis
Consider getting a cosigner if possible. Even with steady unemployment income, having someone with regular employment vouch for you makes the application much stronger.
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Ella Cofer
•I might have to ask my brother to cosign if I keep getting rejected. Not ideal but better than being homeless.
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Leo Simmons
•Cosigning is common for people in transitional situations. Nothing to be embarrassed about.
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Lindsey Fry
Make sure you're still doing your weekly claims correctly while apartment hunting. Don't want to mess up your benefits right when you need steady income for housing applications.
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Ella Cofer
•Definitely staying on top of my weekly claims. That's my lifeline right now.
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Saleem Vaziri
•Good reminder. Missing even one weekly claim can cause delays in payments.
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Kayla Morgan
Look into apartments that specifically work with people on government assistance or low income. Some places are more understanding of temporary unemployment situations.
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Ella Cofer
•That's a good idea. Are there specific websites or resources for finding those kinds of places?
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Kayla Morgan
•Check with local housing authorities or nonprofits. They often have lists of landlords who work with people in various situations.
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James Maki
DOCUMENTATION IS KEY! I learned this the hard way. Have everything ready before you even start looking: benefit letter, bank statements, ID, references, job search log. Makes you look prepared and responsible.
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Ella Cofer
•Thanks for the caps lock emphasis lol. You're right though, being prepared probably makes a big difference in how landlords perceive you.
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Jasmine Hancock
dont forget about application fees. they add up fast when ur applying to multiple places on unemployment income. budget for those
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Ella Cofer
•Oh wow, I hadn't thought about that. Application fees could easily be $200-300 if I apply to several places.
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Cole Roush
•Some places waive application fees if you ask nicely and explain your situation. Worth trying.
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Scarlett Forster
I'm actually a property manager and we do accept unemployment income as long as it meets our income requirements and the applicant has good references. Not all of us are unreasonable about temporary situations.
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Ella Cofer
•That's really good to hear from someone in the industry! What kind of references do you find most helpful?
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Scarlett Forster
•Previous landlords are best, but employment references, personal references, or even caseworkers can work. We just want to see you're responsible.
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Arnav Bengali
If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD for any documentation you need, seriously consider that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked when I needed to get my benefit verification letter expedited.
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Ella Cofer
•Multiple people have mentioned it now so it must be legit. I'll check out that video demo if I run into issues.
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Sayid Hassan
•Same here, used it when I needed to resolve an issue with my weekly claim. Beat sitting on hold for hours.
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Rachel Tao
One more tip - if you get rejected, ask why. Sometimes it's something you can address like providing additional documentation or offering a higher deposit.
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Ella Cofer
•That's smart. I would have just assumed it was hopeless and moved on to the next place.
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Derek Olson
•Exactly. Sometimes they just need one more piece of paperwork or clarification about your situation.
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Danielle Mays
Been there! Got my apartment while on UI last year. The key is showing you're actively job searching and have a plan. Bring your job search log and any interview confirmations to show you're serious about getting back to work.
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Ella Cofer
•Great idea about bringing interview confirmations. Shows I'm not just sitting around collecting benefits.
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Roger Romero
Update us on how it goes! I'm sure other people on unemployment could benefit from hearing about your experience with the apartment search process.
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Ella Cofer
•Will do! I'm feeling much more confident about this now thanks to everyone's advice. Definitely going to start gathering all the documentation people mentioned.
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Anna Kerber
•Good luck! The housing market is tough but it's definitely doable with the right preparation.
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Charlee Coleman
I'm a landlord in the Seattle area and wanted to add my perspective. We absolutely consider unemployment benefits as valid income - what matters most to us is that you can demonstrate consistent payment history and that your total benefits meet our income requirements. Bring a printout from your ESD online account showing your payment history, not just the determination letter. Also, if you're worried about the temporary nature of UI, mention any job leads or interviews you have lined up. Shows you're actively working toward stable employment again.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
•This is incredibly helpful to hear from an actual landlord! I hadn't thought about printing the payment history from my online account - that's a great tip. I do have a few interviews scheduled next week so I'll definitely mention those. It's reassuring to know that some landlords are understanding about the temporary nature of unemployment. Thank you for taking the time to share the landlord perspective!
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Nathaniel Stewart
•This is so reassuring to hear from a landlord directly! I've been stressed about this exact situation. Quick question - when you say "payment history," do you mean showing like 3-4 months of actual deposits into my bank account, or is there a specific report I can get from the ESD website that shows this better? Also, would it help to include a brief letter explaining my job search efforts along with the documentation?
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