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Home Real Estate Rental Application

Rental Application Form

Use our Rental Application to screen tenants before leasing your rental property.

Updated May 26, 2023 | Legally reviewed by Susan Chai, Esq.

A Rental Application is a document landlords and property managers use to screen prospective tenants before they sign a lease agreement and move into a rental property, including a room, home, or apartment.

A well-written rental application helps a property owner assess whether or not a tenant is trustworthy and responsible.

Next Steps After Sending a Rental Application

‣ Review the tenant’s background and credit checks

‣ Verify the employment and income

‣ Contact references

‣ Approve or deny

    • If the application is approved, it is time to sign a lease agreement.
    • If the application is denied, the landlord will send a rejection letter.

Rental Application – By State

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
Table of Contents
  • Rental Application - By State
  • Rental Application Sample
  • How to Find Good Tenants
  • How to Approve or Decline a Rental Application
  • What Happens After Approving Rental Applications?
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Rental Application Sample

Below, you can find what a residential rental application typically looks like.

rental lease application form

DOWNLOAD PDF
DOWNLOAD WORD DOC

How to Find Good Tenants

Set Expectations Clearly

An effective way to identify the most qualified tenants is to set your expectations in advance and in the rental list. Start your job by setting predetermined minimum criteria for your prospective tenants, such as smoking situation, number of pets, if any, and rental property rules.

Start Advertising

To increase the chance of getting good tenants, use online rental platforms. There are a variety of platforms so that you can reach many potential tenants. If you point out all points of a rental unit, both positive and negative, your potential tenant pool gets more qualified.

Use a Rental Application

Through a rental application, you can collect all the information you need to make a preliminary decision. You can easily manage applicants and save time so that you can perform background checks.

Rental Application Fee Laws by State

With obtaining a filled-out application, landlords and property managers may charge a non-refundable rental application fee to cover the cost of background (including criminal history), credit checks, and a rental history inquiry.

State Maximum App Fee ($) Laws
Alabama No limit No statute
Alaska No limit Landlord-Tenant Handbook
Arizona No limit ARS 33-1321(B)
Arkansas No limit No statute
California 54.7 Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.6
Colorado No limit Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-903
Connecticut No limit No statute
Delaware 10% of the monthly rent or $50.00 DE Code § 7020
Florida No limit No statute
Georgia No limit No statute
Hawaii No limit No statute
Idaho No limit No statute
Illinois No limit No statute
Indiana No limit No statute
Iowa No limit No statute
Kansas No limit No statute
Kentucky No limit No statute
Louisiana No limit No statute
Maine No limit No statute
Maryland No limit Md. Code, Real. Prop. § 8-213
Massachusetts Landlords may NOT charge (only brokers and agents can charge) MA G.L. c 186 § 15B(b)
Michigan No limit No statute
Minnesota Not more than the actual cost of screening Minn. Sat. § 504B.173
Mississippi No limit No statute
Missouri No limit No statute
Montana No limit No statute
Nebraska No limit No statute
Nevada No limit No statute
New Hampshire No limit No statute
New Jersey No limit No statute
New Mexico No limit No statute
New York Cost of background check or $20, whichever is less NY Real Prop. L. § 238-a
North Carolina No limit No statute
North Dakota No limit No statute
Ohio No limit No statute
Oklahoma No limit No statute
Oregon Not more than the actual cost of screening or the customary amount charged by tenant screening companies Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.295
Pennsylvania No limit No statute
Rhode Island No limit No statute
South Carolina No limit No statute
South Dakota No limit No statute
Tennessee No limit No statute
Texas No limit No statute
Utah No limit No statute
Vermont Landlord or a landlord's agent cannot charge an application fee. Vt. Stat. tit. 9 § 4456a
Virginia up to $50.00 (may charge a separate application deposit that must be refunded within 20 days to any tenants denied the rental) Va. Code § 55.1-1203(C)
Washington Not more than the actual cost of screening RCW § 59.18.257
Washington D.C. No limit No statute
West Virginia No limit W. Va. Code § 37-6A-1(2)
Wisconsin up to $20 ATCP § 134.05
Wyoming No limit No statute

Run a Comprehensive Screening and Employment Verification

Rental Application Screening Process Timeline

Screening is one of the most crucial steps to finding good tenants. Check their credit, criminal, and eviction history. Thanks to these reports, you can learn the applicant’s ability and willingness to pay their rent on time. Also, they help you minimize losses by avoiding a tenant with a bad rental history and maintaining a safe neighborhood.

IMPORTANT

Property owners in all states must adhere to the laws outlined in the Federal Fair Housing Act as well as their state and local fair housing laws when screening potential tenants.

Remember, fair housing laws consider age a protected class, so only collect this information if you need it to run tenant screening reports like credit or background checks.

Federal and State Fair Housing Laws

State Fair Housing Laws
Federal Federal Fair Housing Act - 45 USC §§ 3601 - 3619
Alabama Alabama Fair Housing Law - Alabama Code §§ 24-8-1 - 24-8-15
Alaska Alaska Human Rights - Alaska Stat. §§ 18.80.200 - 18.80.295
Arizona Arizona Fair Housing Law - Arizona Admin. Code, Title 10, Chapter 2, Article 1
Arkansas Arkansas Fair Housing Act - Arkansas Code §§ 16-123-201 - 16-123-210
California California Fair Employment and Housing Act - California Govt. Code §§ 12955 - 12957
Colorado Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act - Colorado Rev. Stat. §§ 24-34-501 - 24-34-509
Connecticute Connecticut Fair Housing Law - Connecticut Gen. Stat. § 46a-64c
Delaware Delaware Fair Housing Act - 6 Delaware Code §§ 4600 - 4620
District of Columbia District of Columbia Human Rights Act - District of Columbia Code § 2-1402.21
Florida Florida Fair Housing Act - Florida Stat. §§ 760.20 - 760.37
Georgia Georgia Fair Housing Act - Georgia Code §§ 8-3-200 - 8-3-223
Hawaii Hawaii Fair Housing Act - Hawaii Rev. Stat. §§ 515-1 to 515-20
Idaho Idaho Fair Housing Act - Idaho Stat. Title 67, Chapter 59
Illinois Illinois Human Rights Act - 775 Illinois Comp. Stat. §§ 5/1-101 - 5/10-104
Indiana Indiana Fair Housing Act - Indiana Code §§ 22-9.5-1-1 to 22-9.5-11-3
Iowa Iowa Civil Rights Act - Iowa Code Title VI, Chapter 216
Kansas Kansas Acts Against Discrimination - Kansas Stat. Chapter 44, Article 10
Kentucky Kentucky Fair Housing Act - Kentucky Rev. Stat. Chapter 344
Louisiana Louisiana Equal Housing Opportunity Act - Louisiana Rev. Stat. §§ 51:2601 - 51:2614
Maine Maine Fair Housing Act - 5 Maine Rev. Stat. §§ 4581 - 4583
Maryland Maryland Fair Housing Act - Maryland State Gov. Code §§ 20-701 - 20-710
Massachusetts Massachusetts Landlord-Tenant [Unfair and Deceptive Acts] - 940 Code Mass. Regs. 3.17
Michigan Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act - Michigan Comp. Laws §§ 37.2101 - 37.2804
Minnesota Minnesota Human Rights Act - Minnesota Stat. Chapter 363A
Mississippi Federal Fair Housing Act - 45 USC §§ 3601 - 3619
Missouri Missouri Human Rights Act - Missouri Revised Statutes § 213.040
Montana Montana Human Rights Act - Montana Code § 49-2-305
Nebraska Nebraska Fair Housing Act - Nebraska Rev. Stat. §§ 20-301 - 20-344
Nevada Nevada Fair Housing Law - Nevada Rev. Stat. §§ 118.010 - 118.120
New Hampshire New Hampshire Fair Housing - New Hampshire Rev. Stat. § 354-A:8
New Jersey New Jersey Law Against Discrimination - New Jersey Stat. Ann. §§ 10:5-1 et seq.
New Mexico New Mexico Human Rights Act - New Mexico Stat. §§ 28-1-7 - 28-1-14
New York New York State Human Rights Law - New York Executive Law §§ 296
North Carolina North Carolina State Fair Housing Act, NC Gen. Stat. §§ 41A-1 - 41A-10
North Dakota North Dakota Housing Discrimination Act - North Dakota Century Code §§ 14-02.5-01 et seq.
Ohio Ohio Fair Housing Laws - Ohio Rev. Code § 4112.02
Oklahoma Oklahoma Fair Housing Laws - 25 Oklahoma Stat. §§ 25-1451 - 25-1508
Oregon Oregon Equality Act - Oregon Rev. Stat. §§ 659A.001 et seq.
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Human Relations Act - 43 Pennsylvania Stat. §§ 951 - 963
Rhode Island Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act - Rhode Island Gen. Laws §§ 34-37-1 - 34-37-11
South Carolina South Carolina Fair Housing Law - South Carolina Code §§ 31-21-10 - 31-21-150
South Dakota South Dakota Fair Housing Law - South Dakota Codified Laws § 20-13-20
Tennessee Tennessee Human Rights Act - Tennessee Code §§ 4-21-601 - 4-21-607
Texas Texas Fair Housing Act - Texas Prop. Code §§ 301.001 - 301.171
Utah Utah Fair Housing Act - Utah Code §§ 57-21-1 - 57-21-14
Vermont Vermont Unfair Housing Practices - 9 Vermont Stat. Ann. § 4503
Virginia Virginia Fair Housing Law - Code of Virginia §§ 36-96.1 - 36-96.23
Washington Washington Law Against Discrimination - Rev. Code of Washington, ch. 49.60
West Virginia West Virginia Fair Housing Act - West Virginia Code §§ 5-11A-1 - 5-11A-20
Wisconsin Wisconsin Open Housing Law - Wisconsin Stat. §§ 106.50 - 106.58
Wyoming Wyoming Fair Housing Act - Wyoming Stat. §§ 40-26-101 - 40-26-145

Talk to Their Previous Landlords

As a part of tenant screening, you can contact previous landlords and personal references. They can inform you what kind of tenant an applicant is. So you can get more insights about the tenant that the reports couldn’t give.

Sign a Lease Agreement

To ensure legal protection, set terms and conditions for tenants and sign a lease agreement.

Send a Welcome Letter

To make a great start and maintain a mutually respectful relationship, send a welcome letter including key things, such as move-in details, contact information, reporting maintenance issues, neighborhood guidance, and more.

How to Approve or Decline a Rental Application

Once you run checks like credit reports (and general and criminal) background reports and choose applicants based on your residential rental applications, inform your new tenants that you accepted their application by sending a Rental Application Approval Letter.

rental application approval letter

Rental Application Approval Letter

Send an approval letter once you find the right tenant for your property,

Also, send rental application rejection letters to other pending applicants.

rental application rejection letter

Rental Application Rejection Letter

Send a rental application rejection letter to other pending applicants

Do your due diligence and protect yourself by asking prospective tenants to fill out a simple property application.

Also, ensure you file the completed application forms in a secure location – especially if you have asked candidates to provide their Social Security numbers or other personal information.

What Happens After Approving Rental Applications?

After approving rental applications, it is time to prepare the lease agreements for your new tenants.

When beginning this process, property owners should familiarize themselves with the following:

  • Landlord-tenant rights and responsibilities (as governed by state)
  • State rental laws
  • Security deposit regulations (landlords typically collect security deposits upon signing lease agreements)

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use a tenant application form?


As a landlord, you benefit from using a rental application form if you are:

  • A first-time landlord concerned about finding a suitable tenant
  • A veteran landlord with bad luck with previous renters
  • In a popular location or building that will attract many renters
  • Concerned  about the financial resources of an applicant
  • Screening for more serious tenants who are willing to move in soon

What is a credit reference on a rental application?

A credit reference on a rental application is a person, organization, or business with which an applicant has had a financial relationship.

Obtaining credit references should be part of your normal tenant screening process, in tandem with running a rental application credit check.

The credit references on a rental application will likely provide valuable information about a prospective tenant’s rent payment habits.

Reviewing an applicant’s credit references gives excellent insight into the likelihood of a landlord receiving rent on time.

Examples of good credit references on a residential rental application include:

  • Banks
  • Utility companies
  • Previous landlords
  • Local businesses that offered a rent payment plan
  • Medical and dental offices

What if I don’t use a residential rental application?

If you do not use a residential rental application for tenant screening and research, you could cost yourself time and money.
After a potential renter fills out your tenant application, you should take the time to review it closely.

Always contact the applicant’s current and previous employers and landlords, and run credit and background checks.

How long does a rental application take?

Generally, approving a rental application takes 24 to 72 hours.

But, because many landlords want to check various personal and financial histories, and databases like those companies offering background checks have access to, this process could be longer.

Landlords should try to streamline their tenant screening process by using online legal forms when possible and hiring third-party companies to run essential checks.

Minimizing the time spent collecting and processing applicant data can lead to better initial experiences with tenants and more captured rental income.

Can I rent without a job?

Yes, you can rent a property if you are unemployed, even if some landlords might be reluctant to approve you. To boost your chances, ensure you have references from previous landlords, can pay more upfront, or have a guarantor to co-sign your lease agreement.

What do landlords look for in a tenant?

If you want to rent an apartment, be prepared to disclose your credit, eviction history, income, and criminal background. Tenants that earn three times the rent amount and usually pay their bills on time have a higher chance of getting accepted.

Related Landlords Documents

  • Land Lease Agreement: An agreement between the owner of vacant land or property and an individual or entity who wants to develop or improve the property.
  • Lease/Rental Agreement: A lease agreement is a written document that officially recognizes a legally binding relationship between two parties -- a landlord and a tenant.
  • Short-Term Rental Agreement: Thinking of renting your property to holiday-makers or short-term visitors? Here's how you can create a vacation rental short-term lease agreement.
  • Sublease Agreement: An agreement between the original tenant who is currently leasing the premises and the new tenant who will be moving into the premises.

Create Your Rental Application in Minutes!

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