What is income verification?
Income verification confirms your income through secure, automated connections to your payroll provider or bank account, giving landlords verified data instead of just self-reported numbers or documents that can be questioned.
Why should I verify my income?
Verified income strengthens your application. Landlords trust direct verification from payroll systems and bank accounts more than uploaded documents. This can help you stand out and get approved faster. And once verified, your Renter Passport stays active for 30 days — so you can reuse it across multiple applications without paying again.
Is there a fee for income verification?
No. Income verification is included in your $49 Clara application fee.
How do I verify my income?
Choose one of two automated methods during your application:
- Payroll Connection (Recommended): Connect to your employer's payroll system
- Bank Connection: Link the bank account where your income lands to show your deposits
If Clara isn't able to complete your Bank Connection, you'll be offered Document Upload as a fallback for paystubs or W2s.
What if my payroll provider isn't listed?
Use Bank Connection instead — it works for virtually all US banks and credit unions. If Bank Connection isn't possible either, Clara will give you the option to upload documents.
Can I include income beyond my main job?
Yes. During your application, look for the Additional Income Information step. You can report income from sources like Social Security, government assistance, retirement and pension, investment income, and alimony or child support. Connecting your bank account is the fastest way to verify these sources — landlords will see the deposits directly.
Can Clara see all my financial information?
Clara only surfaces the income data landlords need to evaluate your application — your employer name, income source, monthly income, and (for Bank Connection) the deposit history and account details that let landlords verify your income streams. Your full bank account history beyond what's needed for verification isn't displayed, and you can review what's being shared before submitting your application.
Can I remove my verified income information?
Once submitted to a landlord, the income verification on that application is locked in — it remains visible to them as a snapshot of your profile at the time of submission. To update your income information for future applications, you can re-run verification from your profile at any time.
Is income verification mandatory?
It depends on the landlord. Some require it, some make it optional. You'll see which verifications are required when you start an application for a specific property.
I have roommates—how do we all verify income?
Each person (roommates, co-applicants, guarantors) completes their own independent income verification during the application process. Everyone gets their own Clara account and verifies individually.
I'm having trouble connecting—what should I do?
For Payroll Connection:
- Use the "Login help" link in the connection screen to reset your payroll password if it's not accepted
- If you hit a two-factor authentication prompt, start the connection again with your phone or authenticator app ready
- If the connection times out or returns a security error, retry from your profile — most retries succeed
- Make sure pop-ups aren't blocked in your browser
For Bank Connection:
- Verify you're using the correct online banking credentials
- Connect the account where your income actually lands, not a savings or secondary account
- Make sure pop-ups aren't blocked and complete each step promptly if your bank requires two-factor authentication
For more detail, see Why Didn't My Income Verification Work?
Still need help? Contact support@rentwithclara.com