Rental application preparation

Applicant playbook

How to explain commission income in a rental application

Make the fixed part of your pay and the changing part easy to distinguish. Use earned commission, not a sales target or hoped-for bonus.

Market: AU
Jurisdiction: Australia
Updated: 2026-10-11

Short answer

Describe your base pay and show commission already recorded for a stated period. Keep gross and net figures labelled, explain an unusual payment and ask which history the recipient wants. A commission target or possible future bonus should not be presented as money already earned.

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Practical example

Filled example: one payslip, no double counting

Fictional example only. Jordan's payslip covers 28 September to 11 October 2026. It lists A$2,000 gross base pay and A$300 gross commission, with gross pay of A$2,300. Jordan records the total once and shows its two components; the commission is not added again to A$2,300.

A separate sales dashboard displays a quarterly target. Jordan leaves that target out of the income summary because it is not evidence of pay received. A previous payslip with no commission stays in the requested history; the application does not replace quieter periods with the strongest one. These invented figures are not an income threshold.

Working checklist

Check what the pay records actually show

Keep the pay period beside each amount. A payment date alone may not explain when the commission was earned. If a commission covers a longer sales period than the base-pay cycle, add a short explanation rather than assuming the figures repeat together.

Identify the employer and current role.
Label base pay, paid commission and any possible future incentive separately.
Keep gross or net wording from the source.
Check whether a total already includes the commission line.
Ask which period the recipient needs if the request is unclear.

Action plan

Copy a factual commission note

Fictional message: "My role includes base pay and variable commission. The attached payslips show the amounts actually paid for the stated periods. The October commission includes a completed sale and is not a guaranteed amount for every fortnight. Please let me know if you need a longer pay history or an employer confirmation of the pay structure."

You can shorten this to the point that needs explaining. Avoid guessing an annual commission total from one strong pay period. Where you do use a calculation, identify the records and period rather than presenting a forecast as a confirmed salary.

Useful context

Separate three different figures

Your employment agreement, payslip and sales dashboard may describe different things. An agreement may state base pay. A payslip shows pay for a particular period. A sales target describes an objective. Do not use the highest number simply because it makes the application look stronger.

If your role includes both base pay and commission, name both components. If it is commission-only, say that plainly and use the records you actually have. The same presentation does not mean both arrangements will be assessed in the same way.

Keep in view

Keep uncertainty visible

Provide information relevant to the recipient's application process and handle identity or financial material carefully.

If you cannot explain a commission adjustment, identify the line and ask your employer about it. Do not change an official record to make the figures align. The recipient sets the evidence request and makes the rental decision.

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Questions

Common questions

Clear answers for the decisions people usually pause on.

Can I use my commission target as rental application income?

A target is not evidence of commission already paid. Describe the actual pay records and keep any potential future payment clearly separate.

My commission covers several months but my base pay is fortnightly. How do I explain it?

Label the commission period and the base-pay period separately. Add a short note about the mismatch rather than implying the commission repeats every fortnight.

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