A North Dakota Rental Application is essential for property owners to carefully assess prospective tenants before offering a lease agreement. By utilizing our comprehensive form, landlords can collect essential information such as financial history, employment history, and rental history from each applicant.
However, it is equally vital to adhere to North Dakota state law and respect the rights of potential tenants. Utilize our sample North Dakota rental application template to ensure you ask the appropriate questions and conduct the rental process efficiently and lawfully.
State Laws
Learn the key points about North Dakota state law regarding application fees and security deposits for both tenants and landlords. Lords need to know about the application fee limits and deposit amounts while ensuring compliance with fair housing laws.
Application Fees
Everyone should know several specific points regarding North Dakota state law governing application fees and security deposits.
Some of the key points to keep in mind are:
- Rental Application Fees: In North Dakota, there is no limit to the application fee amount that a landlord can charge a tenant for processing an application. The fee should be reasonable and comparable to the costs of processing the application and conducting background checks.
- Security and Deposit: Per § 47-16-07.1, a landlord cannot charge more than one month’s rent for a security deposit. The landlord can charge up to two months’ rent if the applicant has been convicted of a felony.
- Pet Deposit: North Dakota landlords can charge a pet security deposit of up to $2,500 or two months’ rent. The exception is that if the pet is a service animal the tenant requires, fair housing laws prohibit charging a pet deposit [1] .
For Landlords
Every landlord and property owner in North Dakota must follow the Federal Fair Housing Act and North Dakota fair housing laws.
Landlords in North Dakota are allowed to ask the age of their applicants only if the property is an age-specific community, such as a senior living community.
They can also ask about religious beliefs only if a religious group owns the property [2] .
Other Resources for Landlords
- State Sex Offender Registry – Landlords in North Dakota can access the State Sex Offender Registry to check if applicants are registered sex offenders.
- State Fair Housing Laws – North Dakota landlords must adhere to state fair housing laws, which prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, and age.
Sample
Use our sample North Dakota rental application form and template to ensure you ask the right questions before moving forward with a lease agreement.
