Kempt
The short answer
Landlords in the US usually ask for a photo ID, your last two or three pay stubs, recent bank statements, and sometimes a tax return or employment letter. Paste their exact list into Kempt: it matches each line to the newest document on your Mac, flags anything too old, and exports the packet in their order.
What landlords usually ask for
- 01
Photo ID
Driver’s license or passport.
- 02
Recent pay stubs
Often the last two or three.
- 03
Bank statements
Usually the last two or three months.
- 04
Proof of income if self-employed
Tax returns, 1099s or a profit-and-loss statement.
- 05
Employment or offer letter
Confirms salary and start date.
- 06
References
Previous landlord or employer.
Every landlord asks differently. Send only what their list asks for.
How Kempt builds the packet
Paste their email
“What they asked” turns the request into a checklist. On real published lists it read 25 of 25 items.
Every paper found
Each line is matched to the newest matching document on your Mac. Too old or missing is flagged in orange.
One PDF, their order
Export a merged PDF or share by Mail or AirDrop. Kempt warns you later when a pay stub ages out.
$39 once, 14 days freeRuns on every Apple silicon MacA question? Ask a person
Proof, not promises
Measured on a real Mac (macOS 26) with about 1,600 real documents. Each test is re-run whenever the app changes.
- AccuracyItems read from real published lists
- 25 / 25Rental, mortgage and visa lists published by a rental site, a bank and an insurer.
- SafetyFiles held for review
- 6.7 %Of 540 real downloads, the doubtful ones wait for you instead of being moved.
- SafetyFiles deleted by Kempt
- 0Moves are journaled before they happen and undoable even after a crash; cleanup only uses the Trash.
- PrivacyDocument uploads
- 0Reading, naming, search, answers and voice all run on your Mac with Apple’s on-device model. No analytics, no account.
How we compare: Kempt’s rows come from its own measured tests. Every other app’s row comes from that maker’s public pages on the date shown. When a page is silent or unclear, we say so instead of guessing.
Questions people ask
What documents do I need for a rental application?
Usually photo ID, recent pay stubs, bank statements and references; self-employed applicants add tax returns or 1099s. Ask the landlord for their exact list and paste it into Kempt.
How many pay stubs do landlords want?
Most ask for the last two or three. Kempt picks the most recent ones and flags any that fall outside the window.
Should I give my bank account number on a rental application?
Only if the landlord really needs it. You can black out account numbers on statements with Preview’s Redact tool before sending.
Can I send my rental application as one PDF?
Yes, and it’s easier to review. Kempt exports one merged PDF in the order the landlord asked for.
Is it safe to keep ID scans and pay stubs on my Mac?
With Kempt they stay ordinary files on your Mac: nothing is uploaded, and there’s no account.
Guides
- Rental application documents: the checklist, and how to send it fastWhat landlords usually ask for in a US rental application, how to gather it on a Mac, and how Kempt turns the landlord’s email into a ready checklist.
- How to find a document on a Mac by what’s inside itSearch inside PDFs, scans and photos of paper on macOS: Spotlight tips, and how Kempt answers questions like “what’s my IBAN?” with the page cited.
- How to scan documents on a Mac (MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac)Three free ways to scan paper on a Mac (iPhone Continuity Camera, Preview, Image Capture) and how Kempt names, files and searches every scan.
Other comparisons
- Kempt vs Paperless-ngxPaperless-ngx is a free server you host and maintain; Kempt is a Mac app with nothing to install beyond the app itself. Choose Kempt for one person’s Mac; choose Paperless-ngx for a shared archive on a home server.
- Kempt vs DEVONthinkDEVONthink is a powerful research database; Kempt keeps your files in ordinary Finder folders and does the filing for you. Choose Kempt for everyday documents and paperwork with zero setup; choose DEVONthink for large research archives.
For everyone else
- Your month of receipts, sent to your accountant in one click.Kempt gathers your month of receipts and invoices, reads the amounts, matches them to your bank statement and builds the pack your accountant wants: PDF + CSV.
- Visa, residence permit, consulate: every paper ready when they ask.Schengen visa, residence permit renewal, consulate appointments: Kempt finds every paper on your Mac, flags what’s expired or too old, and exports one PDF.
- Your first Mac, organized from the very first download.New MacBook Air, Pro or MacBook Neo? The setup steps that matter, tips for Windows switchers, and the app that names and files every document from day one.