I need an apartment and have no money problems but I work construction and due to being paid under the table have no pay stubs to show and despite having the money no one will allow me to least an apartment

Is there any way around this ?

Why are you paid under the table? I've found that this kind of behaviors can lead to serious head injuries if you stand up too quickly....be careful out there!

Okay, so in all seriousness I find that 99% of the time there are two reasons people are paid under the table: 1) they and/or their employers are not paying taxes to the IRS as required by law 2) they are trying to duck a court ordered obligation such as child-support or debt repayments. My guess is one of these two reasons is your reason as well.

You want to find a way to "get around this." Accepting cash payments to avoid paying taxes/court-ordered payment is fraudulent and illegal, and both the employee and employer could go to jail for tax evasion or conspiring to be in contempt of court. You and/or your employer are okay with breaking the law and causing others besides yourselves to be responsible for the money you owe.

Therefore, land lords don't trust that rent will be paid on time as agreed. I agree with them that this is unacceptable behavior, and we only consider documented income when screening tenants. I don't go crawling under tables to look for money.... ;-)

And then you'll wind up at age 67 with no money, no job, and not even Social Security because you thought you were being smart when you were getting paid under the table.

You obviously did NOT understand the full lesson being taught, Steffan, because you reiterated a reason I gave already then walked right past it like it was no big deal.

Here it is again with EMPHASIS ADDED..."they and/or their EMPLOYERS ARE NOT PAYING THEIR TAXES to the IRS as required by law"

I don't care if you have a CD for your taxes, and more importantly the IRS doesn't care either. The law says your employer is supposed to withhold and pay your taxes throughout the year. You and your employer are failing to do this, and that is ILLEGAL. When you do get around to filing your taxes "at the end of the year" you could be audited and penalized for creating this "Do it youself" method of withholding, and possibly thrown in jail.

I don't care if "all the other construction guys are doing it." The fact is, you and your employer are BREAKING THE LAW.

Good land lords like law-abiding residents. It's a sign of the person's character that they know the law and follow it. We expect you to treat us and the lease you sign with the same respect as you show the law. Since you and your employer show no respect for the law, good land lords don't trust you. I hope I am being clear, because that is the reason people are rejecting you and will CONTINUE to reject you.

You have two choice: 1) as NE said, "get legit" or 2) you can keep getting rejected until you find a slum lord who doesn't care about the law to rent to you. Don't be surprised if he fails to fix anything in your home and evicts you the second rent is late, because who will he have to garnishee wages from? Not your "under the table" employer.

So you work for a company that is shady in paying their people and payroll taxes, probably don't have insurance etc. Well, as said, you made a lousy life decision here. This decision is also affecting your getting a place to live.

I guess you can save all your money and buy a flip house and live in that, because even if you are learning trades and saving money, you don't understand the financial consequences of your actions and probably won't do well in the financial aspect of "flipping" houses.

You can become an independent contractor which means you are your own business and then pay yourself and get legal. You can't buy a car either. The employers are trying to avoid expensive insurance so you don't exist and if you get hurt you are on your own. Find the nearest insurance agency and tell them you want to become an independent contractor and get some insurance from them. They will tell you how to do it.

Right thank you guys for the advice but I need a solution to find somewhere NOW in my CURRENt situation. It seems like I was right in saying there is no solution to help me in my current struggle only a solution that will help me in the future I will take the suggested steps. But that does not make me any less homeless

Hotels are expensive

Steffan -- Since you are not having any taxes withheld, you are required to pay estimated quarterly taxes -- not save up money until the end of the year to pay. You are currently in violation of the law. The IRS will take your property when -not if- you are caught. Lack of a documented income will impact your ability to finance your purchases. Sid is right.

Steffan,

You are running on empty.

The minute you buy a piece of property, the IRS will come knocking, asking questions like: what was the source of funding?

Sid, there is another reason that people like to get paid under the table. So that they can work while on disability.

Stephan, get with the program and pay taxes as you should be. If the employer is paying you under the table it means two other things are not getting paid. His payroll taxes (his share of your social security, commonly called FICA) and Workers Compensation. Workers Compensation is what pays if you are injured on the job. (Relatively common in construction.) Or if you fall off that roof you are working on. Are you ready to foot the entire hospital stay with required physical therapy and the income you need during that entire recovery period?

Wow thank you guys

Hi Steffan - you're about the same age as my youngest. I know that the working world, taxes, payments, etc., are all new to you. Bravo for wanting to work hard!

There has been some very good advice here about finding roommates, or posting a CL ad and offering $ up front. Here's mine: learn how to manage your money and make it work for you. The best education that I can suggest is to check out the resources on daveramsey.com. This site has many resources including a free budgeting app. (You can also find a lot of the books used on Ebay and Amazon)

Everything is honest and straightforward, and will set you on the path of saving and spending without questionable gimmicks. Dave Ramsey is passionate about getting people to live within their means and to avoid debt. Why? Because he made a stupid mess of his life early in his career years - and he teaches people to avoid the mistakes that he made.