An Oklahoma Rental Application is a valuable tool for property owners looking to rent out their property. It helps streamline the screening process by collecting essential information from prospective tenants. Ensure compliance with Oklahoma landlord and tenant law and use our template to make informed decisions before offering a lease agreement.
State Laws
According to the Oklahoma Landlord and Tenant Act, there are several important points applicants, and renters need to know about the rental application process.
They include:
- Application Fee: There is no limit to the application fee amount a landlord can charge for processing a rental application. Application fees are determined at the landlord’s sole discretion but should be reasonable to cover the costs of processing the application and conducting background checks.
- Security Deposit: There is no limit to the amount of security deposit that a landlord can charge. The security deposit does need to be held in an escrow account maintained in a bank or institution that is federally insured. That way, there’s no risk of the landlord losing the security deposit [1] .
- Pet Deposit: Oklahoma laws permit landlords to charge a pet deposit. While there is no limit on the deposit amount, property owners must remember they cannot charge a deposit to renters with service assistance animals.
For Landlords
Landlords in Oklahoma need to be thorough when screening applicants.
For example, landlords might want to run:
- A Credit Check: A credit check is important for ensuring an applicant can pay his or her rent on time. Under the Federal Credit Reporting Act, property owners are required to get the applicant’s consent.
- Eviction Check: An eviction check will go back seven years and see if an applicant has been evicted from prior residences.
Other Resources for Landlords
- State Sex Offender Registry – Oklahoma maintains a State Sex Offender Registry that landlords should consult during tenant screening.
- State Fair Housing Laws – Landlords must adhere to State Fair Housing Laws in Oklahoma to ensure fair and equal treatment of all applicants.
Authorization for Background Check
Landlords should conduct a background check on their applicants to ensure they know their criminal history and whether they are on any registries.
We offer a background check authorization form you can use to obtain consent from the applicants to conduct a credit and criminal history search.
Sample
Use our sample Oklahoma rental application form to ensure you do not overlook any important areas.
