Sample review cases

See what a review looks like

Four anonymized examples covering the kinds of applications independent landlords and property owners see most often — from steady payroll income to gig and freelance work.

Applicant type

Traditional Payroll Employee

W-2 employee at a mid-size employer

Low Concern

Documents reviewed

  • Three most recent paystubs
  • Most recent W-2

Paystub — Pay Period 09/16 – 09/30

Employer: [Anonymized] • Employee ID: ••••4821

Gross Pay$3,240.00
Net Pay$2,418.74
YTD Gross$58,320.00
Pay FrequencyBi-weekly
Federal Tax$432.10

Sample data — for illustration only

Review insights

  • Pay frequency, gross pay, and YTD totals reconcile cleanly across all three uploaded paystubs.
  • Employer name and tax withholdings match standard payroll provider templates.
  • Document formatting is consistent with a recently generated PDF from a known payroll system.

Suggested verification steps

  • Continue with your normal screening process.
  • Optionally confirm employment dates with the employer's HR line if your standard checklist includes it.

Overall review note

Everything in this application looks consistent. You can move forward with the rest of your standard review.

Applicant type

Gig Economy Applicant

Rideshare and delivery driver

Verification Suggested

Documents reviewed

  • 90 days of bank statements
  • Rideshare and delivery platform earnings exports

Bank Statement — Aug 1 – Aug 31

Account: ••••7714 • [Anonymized] Credit Union

Rideshare Payout+$184.22
Delivery Payout+$96.40
Rideshare Payout+$212.05
Delivery Payout+$78.18
Monthly Total$3,940.18

Sample data — for illustration only

Review insights

  • Frequent small deposits from rideshare and delivery platforms suggest active gig income.
  • Income totals trend slightly downward over the last 60 days — worth noting but not unusual for this work type.
  • Statement formatting and bank header match the issuing institution's current template.

Suggested verification steps

  • Ask for a 90-day deposit summary or earnings export from each platform.
  • Compare platform export totals against bank deposits for the same period.
  • Consider averaging income across the last 3 months rather than relying on a single month.

Overall review note

Income looks real and active, just variable by nature. A small extra check on monthly averages helps you size up affordability with more confidence.

Applicant type

Self-Employed Contractor

Freelance designer with multiple clients

Verification Suggested

Documents reviewed

  • Three months of business bank statements
  • Most recent tax return (Schedule C)
  • Sample of 1099s from top clients

Bank Statement — Sept 1 – Sept 30

Account: ••••3092 • [Anonymized] Bank

Stripe Payout+$2,150.00
PayPal Transfer+$640.00
Client Wire+$3,800.00
Stripe Payout+$1,275.00
Monthly Total$7,865.00

Sample data — for illustration only

Review insights

  • Deposits vary in amount and timing — typical for project-based freelance work.
  • Several deposits originate from payment platforms (Stripe, PayPal) rather than a single payer.
  • No payroll-style memo lines were detected — expected for this applicant type.

Suggested verification steps

  • Request the most recent tax return or Schedule C to confirm annual income.
  • Ask for 1099s from one or two of the largest clients shown on the statements.
  • If income is irregular, consider using an average of the last 6–12 months as the benchmark.

Overall review note

The income picture is reasonable for a self-employed applicant. A short verification step gives you a clearer view of annual earnings.

Applicant type

Mixed Findings Case

Paystub with a few details worth a closer look

Needs Review

Documents reviewed

  • Two recent paystubs
  • One bank statement showing payroll deposits

Paystub — Pay Period 09/01 – 09/15

Employer: [Anonymized] • Employee ID: ••••0188

Gross Pay$2,800.00
Net Pay$2,612.40
YTD Gross$22,400.00
Pay FrequencyBi-weekly
Tax WithholdingUnusually low

Sample data — for illustration only

Review insights

  • Payroll deposits appear unusually consistent in both amount and timing for an hourly role.
  • YTD calculations may not align with the stated pay frequency on one of the uploaded stubs.
  • Some formatting patterns differ slightly from this employer's typical payroll layout.

Suggested verification steps

  • Reach out to the employer's HR or payroll line to confirm employment and pay details.
  • Ask the applicant for one additional proof of income, such as a recent W-2 or tax return.
  • Compare the paystub amounts against deposits on the bank statement for the same period.

Overall review note

A few details here are worth confirming before moving forward. A short verification step usually clears things up either way — you stay in charge of the final decision.

All examples use fully anonymized data. NestGuard surfaces patterns and explains them in plain English — every final rental decision stays with you.