Renter resources
Employment Verification Letter: Template and Sample
A free template your employer can sign, a filled-in example, the full landlord checklist, and a payroll verified alternative when your HR department is slow or unresponsive.
What an employment verification letter is and who writes it
An employment verification letter is a written statement from an employer confirming that a person works there, what their job title is, when they started, and how much they earn. Landlords use it to check that the income on a rental application is real and stable before approving a lease.
Most letters are written and signed by an HR representative or a direct manager. If your company does not have an HR department, a business owner can sign it instead. The person who signs should be someone a landlord or property manager can reach by phone if they want to follow up.
The letter is different from a pay stub. A pay stub shows what was paid in a particular period. An employment verification letter confirms that the job and the pay rate are current, and it comes from the employer rather than from you. Some landlords want both. Others accept one or the other.
What landlords expect the letter to include
A letter missing any of these is likely to be sent back. Make sure the one your employer writes covers each item before you submit your application.
- ✓Employer letterhead with company name, address, phone, and email
- ✓Date the letter was written
- ✓Employee full legal name (must match the rental application)
- ✓Job title or position
- ✓Employment start date
- ✓Employment status: full-time, part-time, or temporary
- ✓Salary (annual or monthly) or hourly rate and average weekly hours
- ✓Name and direct phone number for verification calls
- ✓Signature of the HR contact, manager, or owner
Tip: hand the template below to your HR department or manager. It has every field pre-labeled so they do not have to guess what format to use.
Free employment verification letter template
Copy the text below and send it to your HR department or manager. Replace each bracketed placeholder with the real information before it goes out on company letterhead.
[Company Letterhead] [Company Name] [Company Address] [City, State ZIP] [Phone] | [Email] [Date] To Whom It May Concern, This letter confirms that [Employee Full Name] has been employed with [Company Name] since [Start Date]. [Employee Full Name] holds the position of [Job Title] and is currently employed on a [full-time / part-time] basis, working approximately [X] hours per week. [His / Her / Their] [annual salary / hourly rate] is [Amount]. If you have questions or wish to verify this information, please contact [Contact Name] at [Phone Number] or [Email Address]. Sincerely, [Authorized Signature] [Name] [Title] [Company Name] [Date]
For a fillable version with auto-formatting, use the free letter template generator.
Filled-in example
Here is what the completed letter looks like with real information filled in. This is what a landlord would receive.
Acme Distribution, Inc. 1420 Commerce Drive, Suite 300 Houston, TX 77002 (713) 555-0141 | hr@acmedist.com November 10, 2026 To Whom It May Concern, This letter confirms that Jordan Rivera has been employed with Acme Distribution, Inc. since March 15, 2024. Jordan Rivera holds the position of Logistics Coordinator and is currently employed on a full-time basis, working approximately 40 hours per week. Their annual salary is $62,000. If you have questions or wish to verify this information, please contact Sarah Chen, HR Manager, at (713) 555-0142 or s.chen@acmedist.com. Sincerely, [Signature] Sarah Chen HR Manager Acme Distribution, Inc. November 10, 2026
Generate your letter template
Fill in the fields below to get a formatted letter ready to copy or download. Send it to your employer to sign on company letterhead.
Employer
HR contact
Employee
Letter preview
About employer-issued letters: A letter you fill out here is an employer statement that a landlord may still call to verify by phone. It is not independently verified. For stronger proof, Settl’s Job Letter ($29) is verified directly from your payroll system and includes a secure link your landlord can check online. See a sample verified letter.
How landlords usually confirm an employment letter
Receiving a letter is not always the end of the process. Many landlords and property managers take one or more of these steps before making a decision:
- 1
Call the contact on the letter
The landlord or leasing agent dials the HR number listed and asks to confirm the employee name, title, and salary. This is why the contact on the letter needs to be a real person who is available and informed.
- 2
Look up the company
If the letterhead looks unfamiliar, some landlords search for the company online to confirm it exists and that the address and phone number match. Using a personal Gmail address instead of a company domain is a common red flag.
- 3
Cross-check with pay stubs
If the landlord asks for both a letter and pay stubs, they compare the salary on the letter to the gross pay on the stubs. Discrepancies will come up.
- 4
Use a third-party verification service
Some corporate landlords and property management companies use services like The Work Number instead of reviewing letters at all. They query the database using your SSN and get a report directly from the data provider.
When your employer is slow or will not write the letter
Some situations where an employer letter is not straightforward:
- ·Your employer has a strict no-letter policy and routes all verifications through a third-party service like The Work Number.
- ·HR is backed up and your move-in date is approaching.
- ·You are a contractor or staffing agency employee and the client company will not issue a letter.
- ·You just started and your employer says they cannot verify employment until your first paycheck clears.
- ·You are an independent contractor who does not have an employer to write the letter at all.
In these situations, one option is a payroll verified Job Letter. Rather than relying on your HR department to write anything, your employer and job title are confirmed directly from your payroll system (ADP, Workday, Gusto, and others covering 91% of US workers). The result is a secure link your landlord can open at settlhome.com/verify to see your verified employer and role.
There is no SSN and no credit check for letters. See a sample at /sample-letter/job_letter.
Job Verification Letter
Employer and job title verified directly from your payroll login. Quick ID check. No SSN, no credit check. Share a secure link with your landlord. One time payment.
Questions
Common questions
What should an employment verification letter include for an apartment application?
Most landlords expect at minimum: the employer name on official letterhead, the date, the employee full name, job title, employment start date, full-time or part-time status, salary or hourly rate and hours, a contact name and number for verification, and a signature from HR or a manager. Missing any of these can slow down your application.
Who writes and signs an employment verification letter?
Human resources departments most often handle this. If your company does not have an HR department, a direct manager or owner can sign it. The signer should be someone who can confirm the details if a landlord calls to verify.
How long does it take to get an employment verification letter?
That depends entirely on your employer. Some HR departments turn these around in one or two business days. Others route them through a third-party verification service with a standard processing window, or require a written request form before they begin.
What if my employer uses a third-party service like The Work Number?
Many larger employers route all employment verifications through a service such as The Work Number (Equifax Workforce Solutions). In that case you typically cannot get a signed letter and instead provide the landlord with an access code or a consent form to query the service directly.
What if my employer refuses to write the letter or takes too long?
Some employers have a no-letter policy or processing delays that fall outside your move-in timeline. A payroll verified Job Letter from Settl confirms your employer and job title directly from your payroll login rather than relying on your HR department. See the section below on alternatives.
Can I write the letter myself and have my employer sign it?
Yes. Many employees draft the letter and ask HR or a manager to review and sign it on company letterhead. That is what the template on this page is for. Use plain language, include every required field, and do not exaggerate or omit anything.
Will a landlord call my employer to verify?
Some do and some do not. Provide an accurate phone number and contact name. If a landlord calls and the person named does not recognize your position or start date, it raises a question about the letter.
What if I just started a new job and do not have a full first paycheck yet?
An offer letter confirms the job and the agreed salary, but it is not the same as an employment verification letter because the employment has not yet been verified as active. Some landlords accept offer letters, especially with a payroll verification. Ask your landlord what they will accept before you apply.
Need a verified employment letter your landlord can check online?
Employer and job title confirmed from your payroll login. Quick ID check. Share a secure link. One time payment, no subscription.
Get my Job Letter, $29