Rental applications are essential for landlords, as they allow potential renters to provide the information needed to determine whether they are good candidates to rent a home. Whether you own or manage a rental property, a key element of your success hinges on your ability to find and rent to reliable, trustworthy renters. In order to find those renters, you need the right applicant and screening process. Using a rental application as part of that process helps both you and the potential renters.
What is a rental application?
A rental application is a document that a potential renter fills out when requesting consideration to rent a house, apartment, or other living space. This document should include the renter’s personal information, residential history, employment and income details, household information, and background information.
What personal information should be included?
In the personal information section, an applicant should include their name and contact information as well as any details you would need to run credit and background checks. It’s important to make sure that your rental application doesn’t request any protected information, such as the applicant’s age, sexual orientation, gender, or race. You may be able to ask for their age if you are renting a home in a community that restricts by age, such as a senior living community, or if you need that detail to verify their identity.
The personal information section of a rental application may also include a brief statement about the applicant and why you should choose them as your renter over any other applicants. Some may even include a photo of themselves to create a more personal connection with the person reviewing their application.
Residential History
A residential history section of a rental application outlines the applicant’s previous living situations, including any properties that they previously rented or owned. In order to gain a full picture of the person applying to live in your unit, you should request their current address, any previous addresses at which they lived in the last few years, and the dates they lived in each location. You may also request the names and contact details for their previous landlords and why they moved out of their previous residences.
Employment and Income Details
The financial details of an applicant are important to verify that they will be able to afford the monthly rent. You can request their current employment information, including how long they have worked there and their job title. Most rental applications will also request their monthly gross income. If you plan to verify the employment details provided, make sure to request the name and contact information of their supervisor or human resources representative as well as their permission to contact their employer.
You may also choose to request applicants to provide how much they were previously paying in rent at their last residences. In some cases, the past rent amount and payment history tell you more about whether they are likely to pay on time and what they can afford based on their income level.
Household Information
Your rental applications should include a section that allows the applicant to provide details about their household and who will live in the unit. Some landlords choose to request applications from all adults who will be sharing the space, while others allow one applicant to complete the form and sublet the other rooms to other people. This section is also where applicants can disclose whether they have any pets. If your unit is pet-friendly, you can request information about what type of pets will live in the home.
Prior Evictions and Background Information
Other key details that might be in the background information section of a rental application include any evictions from a previous living situation or if they have filed bankruptcy in the last seven years. You may also request information about their lifestyle and habits, although you must comply with all fair housing laws in your area. Certain questions about an applicant’s lifestyle may fall under the protected information status.
Disclosure
As a landlord, you must also obtain permission from applicants to run background and credit checks, contact their employer, and contact their previous landlords as references. Be sure your rental application includes a disclosure section that highlights what steps you will take to verify the information they provided. Review all landlord-tenant laws in your area as you word your disclosure, as you want to be sure that the section doesn’t include any information that doesn’t comply with fair housing laws and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Other details to add to the disclosure section include any applicable fees, such as application processing or background check fees, and the required deposit amount. You should also outline whether the deposit is refundable and if you require the payment of any rent upon move-in, such as first and last months’ rent.
In order to maintain the legality of the rental application, include a place to date and sign. A signature indicates that the applicant has reviewed all the information presented, while the date ensures the validity of the timeline. You can use an online signing tool to make it easier for applicants who may not be able to come to you in person to fill out an application.
Review the Rental Application
After you receive a rental application for your property, you can begin reviewing the information and making a decision about who you want to choose as your renter. Most landlords perform background checks on their potential renters, as they can be held responsible for illegal activity, disruption, and/or violence that occurs within the property. A credit report can also provide insights into the renter’s financial history and their ability to make payments on time.
The final step in renting out a property is creating the rental agreement with terms that you both can agree to and having it signed by the new renter. Once this step is complete, you now have a renter under contract who is legally responsible for paying the rent. The process begins with a thorough rental application, so make sure your document includes the information you need to make an informed decision.
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