How property managers request a W-2 from applicants
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
Ask the applicant for their W-2 from the most recent tax year, one per employer, especially when they changed jobs recently or earn bonuses, overtime or commissions. Next to current pay stubs, the W-2 shows a full year of earnings, which helps you see whether the income on the application holds up over time.
Why property managers need a W-2
Pay stubs show the last few weeks; the W-2 shows the whole previous year. For applicants paid on commission, with heavy overtime or a large bonus, one stub can overstate or understate income. Box 1 wages and the employer name let you confirm a steady earnings history against the rent you are asking.
What exactly to ask for
Copy B or Copy C of each W-2 for the most recent tax year, from every employer the applicant had that year, as the PDF from the payroll portal or tax software. Co-applicants send their own. Employers issue W-2s by January 31, so in January the latest form may be from two years back.
What to check when it arrives
- The tax year is the most recent one available, not an older form.
- The employer matches the one on the application, or the applicant explains the change.
- Box 1 wages are in line with the yearly pay implied by the current stubs.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Your latest W-2 for the rental application
Hi [Client name],
Thank you for your application. Along with your pay stubs, could you send your W-2 for last year? If you had more than one employer, please send one from each.
The PDF from your employer’s payroll portal or your tax software is ideal. A clear scan is fine too, as long as every box is readable.
Could you send it by [date]? If you changed jobs recently or are self-employed, just tell me and I will let you know what to send instead.
Thank you, [Your name]
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a W-2 or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.