Mark your situation and the list builds itself, with where to get each paper.
Your case
Your list
10 documents
You have 0 of 10.
Identity and taxpayer number
An unexpired passport, driver's license, permanent resident card or consular ID. Banks and lenders have to verify who you are with a government photo document; landlords ask for one too.
The lender uses it as your taxpayer identification number to open the file and pull your credit report; landlords ask for it for tenant screening.
Proof of income
Your payroll receipts for the last month. They show your gross pay, deductions and the year-to-date total.
The annual summary of wages and taxes withheld your employer sends every January. It confirms your income is steady from one year to the next.
Your complete returns (Form 1040 with schedules), signed. With an ITIN they count the same: they are the proof of income that opens the most doors.
Pension, Social Security, child support, rent you collect, a second job. They count if you can document them and they will keep coming.
Your money
Every page of your checking and savings accounts. The lender looks at the balance, the deposits and any overdrafts.
Savings or investment statements showing at least two months of ownership of the money. The lender checks it is not a hidden loan.
Credit and payment history
The lender or landlord will pull your report. Get it yourself first, free, from the three bureaus and dispute errors in writing before they see it.
Other
If your papers carry different names (marriage, divorce or a court order), the lender needs the document that links them.
An educational list with official sources; each lender or landlord may ask for more. Never hand over documents through links that arrive unasked.
Show contents
How is it calculated?
Each document comes from a reviewed list with the official source that asks for it. We add nothing that list does not have.
The formula
List = the documents lenders and landlords ask for given your goal, your tax ID and your kind of income, each with its official source.
Example with the numbers for the United States
- Documents reviewed
- 21
- Sections
- 5
- With an official source
- 19
Computed from the page's data when it was built; in the tool you replace every number with your own.
What moves the result?
Six things that change the number more than anything else.
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Your documents
ID, income and savings. Having them ready shortens the whole process.
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Income
Lenders compare the payment with your pre-tax income; programs, with the household's.
-
Your credit
It sets the rate you are offered and which programs you can enter. It can be built from zero.
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Your savings
Down payment, closing costs and a reserve. Down-payment assistance counts.
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Your household
How many people live with you changes the income limits and the size you need.
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The program
Each program publishes its own rules. What the source says is what we show.
The official numbers behind the tool
Official data the tool uses, so you can compare.
HUD-approved housing counselors by state
| State | HUD counselors | Serve in Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| California | 81 | 57 |
| Texas | 51 | 39 |
| Florida | 98 | 57 |
| New York | 93 | 38 |
| Pennsylvania | 75 | 32 |
| Illinois | 81 | 29 |
| Ohio | 54 | 14 |
| Georgia | 42 | 12 |
- California 8157
- Texas 5139
- Florida 9857
- New York 9338
- Pennsylvania 7532
- Illinois 8129
- Ohio 5414
- Georgia 4212
Source: HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026)
Reviewed assistance programs by state
| State | Programs | Say they accept ITIN | Require first-time buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Illinois | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| California | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Florida | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| New Mexico | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Washington | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Alabama | 3 | 0 | 0 |
- Texas 70
- Illinois 60
- California 50
- Florida 50
- New Mexico 40
- Pennsylvania 40
- Washington 40
- Alabama 30
Source: Programs reviewed with their official source
— means the source publishes no value.
Want your county's numbers?
Type your county or ZIP code: the tool loads its numbers and keeps them in your browser for the other tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is this list final?
It is the base list most lenders and landlords ask for, with its source. Each lender can ask for more depending on your case; the CFPB notes you will likely update the packet at least once during the process.
What if I have no tax returns?
Can I rent without a Social Security number?
Many landlords accept applications with an ITIN or other proof. The guide on renting without a Social Security number or credit explains what to bring and your rights if you are denied because of a screening report.
Do you receive my documents?
No. You upload nothing here: you only tick what you have, and the list stays on your phone. Hand your documents directly to your lender or landlord, never through a link that arrives by email unasked.
How we calculate and sources
- Five answers (what you want, your taxpayer number, how you get paid, whether someone signs with you and whether you will receive a gift) filter a reviewed list of documents. We add nothing the list does not have.
- Each document carries the official source that asks for it or explains how to get it (the CFPB mortgage application guide, Fannie Mae's rules, the federal bank identification rule, the IRS, the FTC), with its verification date.
- You tick what you already have; progress and answers are saved only in this browser. You can print the list or copy it to take to the lender or landlord.
What comes next?
Go on to the tool that answers your next question, or read a guide at your own pace.
Want someone to go over it with you? A HUD-approved counselor does it for free or at low cost. Find a counselor
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Guides to read next
- Closing Disclosure explained: what to check before signing What the Closing Disclosure is, when it must reach you, what to check on each of its five pages and which closing costs are not allowed to go up.
- How to buy a home in the United States, step by step The nine steps to buying a home: paperwork, credit, budget, assistance, preapproval, offer, inspection, closing and the first year, with official sources.
- How to get an ITIN with Form W-7, step by step Who can apply for an ITIN, which documents the IRS accepts, where to file Form W-7 for free, how long it takes and how to renew it.
- What an ITIN is and what it is for The ITIN is the IRS number for filing taxes without a Social Security number: what it does and does not do, how to apply with Form W-7, timing and expiry.