HUD Handbook 4350.3 § 5-13
Acceptable Verification Methods (HUD Occupancy Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4)
Operative Text
A. Methods of Verification
Owners must use verification methods that are acceptable to HUD. The owner is
responsible for determining if the verification documentation is adequate and
credible. *Acceptable methods of verification, in order of acceptability: 1)
upfront-income verification (UIV) with use of EIV being mandatory and use of
non-EIV UIV being optional; 2) third-party verification from source (written), 3)
third-party verification from source (oral), and 4) family certification.* If third-party
verification is not available, owners must document the tenant file to explain why
third-party verification was not available. Appendix 3 provides a detailed list of
acceptable forms of verification by type of information.
B. Third-Party Verification
1. *The following describes the types of third-party verification in order of
acceptability
a. Upfront-income verification (UIV)
UIV is verification of income before or during a certification and/or
recertification, through an independent source that systematically
and uniformly maintains income information in a computerized
form.
(1) Using HUD’s EIV system for tenants (not available for
applicants). (Mandatory)
It is mandatory that owners use the EIV system as the
third-party source to verify employment and income
information of tenants during recertification (annual and
interim) of family composition and income.
(2) UIV using non-EIV system (Optional)
(a) Owners may use other non-HUD UIV tools such as
The Work Number and other state government
databases, if available, to verify income:
(1) Of applicants;
(2) When no employment or income is available
in EIV; or
(3) For other types of income received by the
family.
b. Third-party verification from source (written)
(1) An original or authentic document generated by a third
party source that is dated within 120 days from the date of
receipt by the owner. Such documentation may be in
possession of the tenant (or applicant), and commonly
referred to as tenant-provided documents. These
documents are considered third-party verification because
they originated from a third-party source.
Examples of tenant-provided documentation that may be
used includes, but is not limited to: pay stubs, payroll
summary report, employer notice/letter of hire/termination,
SSA benefit letter, bank statements, child support payment
stubs, welfare benefit letters and/or printouts, and
unemployment monetary benefit notices.
Owners must consider the following when using tenant-
provided documentation:
(a) Is the document current? Documentation of public
assistance may be inaccurate if it is not recent and
does not show any changes in the family’s benefits
or work and training activities.
(b) Is the documentation complete? Owners may not
accept pay stubs to document employment income
unless the applicant or tenant provides the most
recent four to six, consecutive pay stubs to illustrate
variations in hours worked. Actual paychecks or
copies of paychecks should never be used to
document income because deductions are not
shown on the paycheck.
(c) Is the document an unaltered original? The
greatest shortcoming of tenant-provided documents
as a verification source is their susceptibility to
undetectable change through the use of high-
quality copying equipment. Documents with
original signatures are the most reliable.
Photocopied documents generally cannot be
assumed to be reliable.
(2) Written documentation sent directly by the third-party
source by mail or electronically by fax, email or internet.
Note: See Paragraph 9-10 for situations when this method
of verification must be used prior to verifying through (1)
above.*
(For information about electronic documentation, see
subparagraph B.2 below.)
c. *Third-party verification from source (oral).*
When verifying information over the telephone, it is important to be
certain that the person on the telephone is the party he or she
claims to be. Generally, it is best to telephone the verification
source rather than to accept verification from a source calling the
property management office. Oral verification must be
documented in the file, as described in paragraph 5-18.C.
d. *Family Certification.
An owner may accept a tenant’s notarized statement or signed
affidavit regarding the veracity of information submitted only if the
information cannot be verified by another acceptable verification
method. In these instances, the owner must document the file
why third-party verification was not available. (See Paragraph 5-
18.E for documentation requirements when third-party verification
is not available.). The owner may witness the tenant signature(s)
in lieu of a notarized statement or affidavit.*
2. *The following describes use of electronic information when used as third-
party verification.*
*Electronic Verification.* The owner may obtain accurate third-party
written verification by facsimile, email, or Internet, if adequate effort is
made to ensure that the sender is a valid third-party source.
a. Facsimile. Information sent by fax is most reliable if the owner
and the verification source agree to use this method in advance
during a telephone conversation. The fax should include the
company name and fax number of the verification source.
b. Email. Similar to faxed information, information verified by email
is more reliable when preceded by a telephone conversation
and/or when the email address includes the name of an
appropriate individual and firm.
c. Internet. Information verified on the Internet is considered third
party verification if the owner is able to view web-based
information from a reputable source on the computer screen. Use
of a printout from the Internet may also be adequate verification in
many instances. Refer to subparagraph C. Review of Documents
below.
Example – Verification by Internet Printout
Jose Perez maintains a portfolio of stocks and bonds through an Internet-based
stockbroker. The broker only provides electronic account statements and will not
respond to a written verification request. The owner may accept a printout of
Jose’s most recent statement if it includes the relevant information required for
third-party verification and an Internet address and header or footer that identifies
the company issuing the statement. If the owner has reason to question the
authenticity of a document, the owner may require Jose to access the electronic
file via the Internet in the owner’s office, without providing the owner with
username or password information.HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 5-13 establishes a ranked hierarchy of acceptable methods that HUD-assisted housing owners must use to verify tenant and applicant information, particularly income. At the top of the hierarchy is upfront-income verification (UIV), with use of HUD's Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system being mandatory for tenant recertifications; below that come written third-party verification, oral third-party verification, and finally family certification, which is only permitted when no other method is available. When third-party verification cannot be obtained, the owner must document the reason in the tenant file.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 5-13, compliant operators run EIV checks as a mandatory step during every annual and interim recertification of tenant income and family composition. When reviewing tenant-provided documents such as pay stubs, operators generally assess whether the documents are current, complete (typically four to six consecutive pay stubs), and unaltered originals, since photocopies are generally not considered reliable. Family certification through a notarized statement or signed affidavit is reserved as a last resort, and the file must contain written documentation explaining why third-party verification was unavailable.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 5-13 governs how owners of HUD-assisted housing are required to verify the income and other information that tenants and applicants provide. Tenants have a right to understand that documents they supply—such as pay stubs, benefit letters, or bank statements—can serve as valid third-party verification, provided they meet the standards outlined in this section. If a tenant believes an owner is not following the verification hierarchy required by § 5-13, they may raise the issue with the property's management, contact the local HUD field office, or reach out to a tenant-rights organization for general guidance on available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 25, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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