How does exotic dancers get?

Question

I have a friend that works as a exotic dancer.
She's a student by day and dance at night.

She told me that she'd like to move to a new apartment complex,
but to move into a apartment,I would think that she would need paychecks!
As a dancer you only receive cash and it's not "on the paper".

What is her options?

She makes enough money,but she doesn't have any paychecks to prove it...?

She is willing/able to pay up to 5 months rent in advance (if needed),
but doesn't have too many bank statements.

By the way,thank you for great answers!

Answer 1

Are you sure she doesn't get paychecks? That doesn't sound like a reputable club. I'm an exotic dancer, and I get paychecks. It's a lot like waitressing - I get a base pay that is less than minimum wage, but the tips I get more than cover for the difference.

I lowball my income for taxes, but not so much that I look like I'm getting paid below minimum wage. It's pretty common for strippers to do. My fellow dancers and I all get together and do our taxes together every February (one of the girls' mothers is an accountant and she helps us out).

If she's not getting paychecks, she needs to consider changing clubs. A fair amount of tip-based jobs get dealt with under the table, but any place that isn't absolutely a slimehole will have enough over-the-table business to allow their staff to live "legitimately" in the world.

In the meantime, tell her to go to H&R Block or some popular accounting firm and ask about doing back taxes so that she can get legitimate statements to give any potential landlords. Only so much can be done, since a lot of it will be based on her memory of how much she is paid. It'll hurt her financially in the short run, but in the long run, she can get back on track and back into the appearance of being above-the-table.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

She has bank statements and can bring first last and security deposits. Many years ago I started my real estate career in rental properties and my office was right across the street from an exotic establishment. So we would have the ladies stop in to find a place to live when the need arose. Many times they would share the most expensive rentals in the area-simply because they could afford to do so. It's a life choice and while not everyone would make the same choice, the landlords were happy to have the houses rented and if it was a good house it was never vacant after the ladies found it. If your friend ever wants to buy a house she should plan for 20% down plus closing costs for the price of the home that they dream of buying. Also as they rent now they need to be certain to pay their rent on time or early every single time and get receipts that are strictly saved for future use. Being in the business that she is in does create some different kinds of problems so it is important to plan ahead for life changes so that when they do move on from that business and it seems everyone does-they will have a good start for the future. Planning pays off.

Answer 3

Well, she has herself in a bit of a pickle now, doesn't she? This is what happens when you try to get around the system -- it comes around and bites you in the @$$ from another direction. She's trying to get around paying her fair share in income taxes by working in a pure cash job but as a result has no proof of her income for such things as housing or credit.

While some landlords will rent to anyone with the first month's rent and a security deposit without any further proof of income, they tend to be the bottom feeders of the rental business and their properties reflect that. Probably explains why most of the strippers that I knew lived in some pretty skanky digs even though they always seemed to have plenty of cash.

If she doesn't put her money in the bank then it's going to be difficult to prove that she has the resources to pay the rent. (Flashing a bank statement works wonders for proving ability to pay the rent, even without a job.) Since most folks trying to live "under the radar" don't use banks since they leave an audit trail, her best bet is to offer several months rent up front to get into a decent place.

Answer 4

I hope she is paying income tax on her income. If she is not, she could be in serious trouble in the future. Most landlords will rent to anyone that pays the 1st and last months rent and a security deposit.

Answer 5

find a place that takes cash. rent out from a person.

Answer 6

Maybe she should consider a career move