Self-employed, contract, and gig income
Income that does not arrive as a pay stub still counts
If you are self-employed, contract, seasonal, or working across several platforms, the problem is usually the form, not the money. We accept documentation that reflects how you are actually paid.
What usually goes wrong
Naming it plainly, because you already know it and pretending otherwise wastes your time.
- Most application forms have one box for "employer" and one for "monthly salary", and neither describes contract or platform income.
- Automated screening frequently reads irregular deposits as no income at all.
- Being asked for two recent pay stubs when you have never had one is a dead end, not a request.
How we handle it
Rules, not reassurance. Each of these is something you can hold us to.
- We accept tax returns, 1099s, and bank statements showing regular deposits in place of pay stubs.
- We average across a stated period rather than judging a single slow month.
- Business income and personal income can both be counted where they are verifiable.
- An ITIN is accepted in place of a Social Security number.
What to bring
You can submit these after you apply; they do not hold up the initial review.
- Your most recent tax return, or 1099s
- Bank statements covering a recent period, showing deposits
- Platform or client payment summaries
- A signed contract or offer, for work that has been agreed but not yet paid
What happens, and when
- Pre-qualificationA few questions, an honest read on your odds. No fee yet.
- ApplicationAround ten minutes on a phone. Documents can follow after you submit.
- DecisionWithin 24 hours of a complete application, with the reason stated.
- Lease and keysSigned remotely if you need to. Move-in costs known in advance.
Questions people actually ask
My income varies a lot month to month. Does that disqualify me?
No. We average over a period rather than looking at your worst month, and the period we use is published on the criteria page.
I write off most of my income on my taxes. Which number do you use?
This is the most common problem self-employed applicants hit, and we would rather look at deposits than at a return that is optimised for a different purpose. Bring both.
I have only been self-employed for a few months.
That routes to individual review rather than to a decline. Bank statements and signed contracts help most.
Find out where you stand with zero upfront fee
The first step of the application gives you an honest read on your odds. If it looks unlikely, we tell you right away so you do not pay any application fee.