As a Wyoming property owner or landlord, you might consider renting your property to someone.
Landlords and property owners must screen their applicants thoroughly before offering a lease agreement, without violating any applicable federal or state laws.
We have a Wyoming Rental Application template you can use to ensure you ask the most important questions.
Learn more about Wyoming law below, and download our template to help you screen your applicants quickly.
- Wyoming Rental Application Information for Applicants and Tenants
- Federal and Wyoming Fair Housing Law
- Wyoming Rental Application Information for Landlords
- Authorization for Background Check
- How to Check State Eviction Records
- Wyoming Rental Application Statistics
- Other Resources for Landlords
- How to Write a Rental Application
- Sample Wyoming Rental Application Form
Wyoming Rental Application Information for Applicants and Tenants
It is critical for renters and applicants in Wyoming to know their rights, and Wyoming state law stipulates the following:
- Application Fee: In Wyoming, there is no limit to the application fee that a landlord can charge; however, landlords should not charge exorbitant fees if they want people to apply for their rental property. The fee should be reasonable and approximate to the cost of processing the rental application.
- Security and Pet Deposits: Wyoming has no maximum pet or security deposit. There might be, however, local caps imposed by cities or counties that landlords must follow. The landlord must return the security deposit, minus any deductions for items such as unpaid rent or damages to the unit, to the tenant within 15 to 30 days.
- Holding Requirements: After a landlord in Wyoming collects a security deposit, there are no specific holding requirements that they need to follow. Landlords are also not required to provide a receipt of the security deposit, but it is generally advisable for them to do so.
Federal and Wyoming Fair Housing Law
Landlords must abide by the Federal Fair Housing Act and the Wyoming Fair Housing Act and cannot ask questions about:
- Any disabilities that a rental applicant might have
- The race, color, or national origin of the applicant
- The religious beliefs or following of the applicant
- Whether the applicant has children
- The sexual orientation or gender identity of the applicant
Wyoming Rental Application Information for Landlords
In Wyoming, there are a few exceptions where landlords can ask specific questions.
They include:
- Family Status: If more than one family unit will live on the property, landlords are allowed to ask questions about children.
- Senior Living Community: If the property owner is looking for applicants for a senior living community, they are allowed to ask about the individual’s age.
- Private Club: If a private club on the property does not allow public access, there can be preferential treatment issued to certain applicants per federal law.
Authorization for Background Check
Conducting background checks and looking into a prospective tenant’s criminal, credit, and eviction history helps protect landlords from problems that may arise.
You don’t want to offer a lease contract to someone with poor credit, past evictions, or prior criminal activity.
Landlords must obtain an applicant’s permission to run many background checks that are typically part of the tenant screening process.
You can either include a consent statement on your lease application or use our background check authorization form to gain consent.
How to Check State Eviction Records
Landlords may access physical copies of eviction court records from the circuit court clerk for a fee.
Currently, there is no way to check Wyoming eviction records online.
If you decide not to offer a lease agreement to an applicant based on the results of an eviction records search or another valid reason, send a rental application rejection letter explaining why.
Wyoming Rental Application Statistics
A local media outlet has reported that people filed 28 housing discrimination complaints in Cheyenne between 2009 and 2019 alone.
Cheyenne is only one city in Wyoming, and there were likely other complaints filed with the local housing board in other cities.
You want to prevent this, so know all landlord and tenant laws.
Other Resources for Landlords
How to Write a Rental Application
A rental application in Wyoming should include the following:
- The address of the property
- Basic information about the applicant
- The employment history or financial status of the applicant
- Information for character references
- Prior address history
- Any pertinent questions about the property, such as smoking history or pets
Sample Wyoming Rental Application Form
Use our sample Wyoming rental application template to help you screen your applicants quickly.