Free Rental Application Form (PDF & Online)
This free rental application form collects what you need to screen a tenant (identity, three years of rental history, income, references and a signed consent to run reports) and leaves out the questions that get landlords into fair housing trouble. Print it, have every adult applicant fill in a copy, and move on to our free lease agreement template once you approve someone.
By LandlordTested editorial teamLast reviewed
Rental Application
Free to use and edit. To get a Word or Google Docs copy, print to PDF or copy the text into a new document.
Rental application
Property address: ______________________________________________
Unit: __________ Desired move-in date: ______________ Monthly rent: $ __________
Application fee: $ __________ (where allowed in [STATE]; some states cap or ban application fees)
Each adult (18 or older) who will live in the unit fills out a separate application.
1. Applicant information
Full legal name: ______________________________________________
Other names used in the last 7 years: ______________________________________________
Date of birth: ______________ (used only to match identity on consumer reports)
Phone: ______________________ Email: ______________________________
Government-issued photo ID type: ______________ ID number (last 4 digits): __________
Social Security number or ITIN (for screening only): ______________________
Other adults who will live in the unit (each completes their own application):
| Full name | Phone or email |
|---|---|
Total number of people who will live in the unit: __________
2. Residence history (last 3 years)
| Current address | Previous address | Previous address | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street, city, state, ZIP | |||
| Dates lived there (from - to) | |||
| Monthly rent or mortgage | |||
| Landlord or property manager name | |||
| Landlord phone or email | |||
| Reason for leaving |
May we contact your current landlord? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Have you ever been evicted or asked to leave a rental? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, please explain: ______________________________________________
3. Employment and income
| Current employer | Previous employer | |
|---|---|---|
| Employer name | ||
| Employer address | ||
| Supervisor name and phone | ||
| Job title | ||
| Dates employed (from - to) | ||
| Gross monthly income |
Other income (list the source and monthly amount; include any housing assistance, benefits, support payments or self-employment income you want considered):
| Source | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| $ | |
| $ |
Total gross monthly household income: $ __________
Documents you can provide to verify income:
- Recent pay stubs
- Offer letter
- Tax return or 1099s
- Bank statements
- Benefit or voucher award letter
- Other: ______________________
4. References
List two personal or professional references who are not relatives.
| Name | Relationship | Phone or email | Years known |
|---|---|---|---|
Emergency contact name: ______________________ Phone: ______________________
5. Vehicles
| Make and model | Year | Color | License plate and state |
|---|---|---|---|
6. Pets
Do you plan to keep any pets in the unit? [ ] Yes [ ] No
| Type | Breed | Weight | Age | Spayed or neutered? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Assistance animals (service animals and emotional support animals) are not pets. If you need an assistance animal because of a disability, you may tell us at any time and we will handle it as a request for a reasonable accommodation. Pet fees, pet deposits and pet rent do not apply to assistance animals.
7. Additional questions
Do you or any occupant smoke or vape? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Will anyone run a business from the unit? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Do you have renters insurance, or will you get it before move-in if the lease requires it? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? [ ] Yes [ ] No Year discharged: __________
Anything else you would like us to know about your application: ______________________________________________
______________________________________________
8. Authorization to obtain consumer reports
I authorize [LANDLORD OR PROPERTY MANAGER NAME] and its screening provider, [SCREENING COMPANY NAME], to obtain consumer reports about me, including credit reports, eviction records and criminal background reports where allowed by [STATE] and local law, and to verify the information on this application with my employers, landlords and references. I understand these reports will be used only to evaluate my application to rent the property listed above.
I understand that if my application is denied, or approved only with conditions such as a co-signer or a higher deposit, based in whole or in part on information in a consumer report, I will receive a written adverse action notice. That notice will name the consumer reporting agency that supplied the report, state that the agency did not make the decision, and explain my right to get a free copy of the report within 60 days and to dispute any information in it that I believe is wrong.
Applicant signature: ______________________________ Date: ______________
Printed name: ______________________________
9. Applicant certification
I certify that the information on this application is true and complete. I understand that false or incomplete information may be grounds for denying my application or, if discovered after I move in, for ending the lease as allowed by law. I understand this application is not a lease and does not guarantee approval.
Applicant signature: ______________________________ Date: ______________
For landlord use only
Date received: ______________ Fee received: $ __________ Method: ______________
ID verified by: ______________ Date screening ordered: ______________
Decision: [ ] Approved [ ] Approved with conditions [ ] Denied
Adverse action notice sent (if required): ______________
Equal housing opportunity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, [STATE] or local law.
This template is general information, not legal advice. Check your state’s rules before using it.
On this page
How to fill in the rental application, section by section
Fill in the top block yourself before you hand the form out: the property address, unit, monthly rent, move-in date and application fee. Writing the rent on the form matters, because it’s the number every income check runs against.
Applicant information
The form asks for full legal name, other names used, date of birth, contact details and the last four digits of an ID. Your screening service needs the date of birth and a Social Security number or ITIN to match the right person’s records, so tell applicants that’s the reason. Check with your screening service how it handles applicants who have no Social Security number before you turn anyone away.
Other adults go on the form by name, and you get a total headcount. That’s all you need to apply an occupancy limit. Don’t ask how old the children are or how the adults are related.
Residence history
Three years is the useful window. Get a landlord name and phone number for each address, not only the street address, and look for gaps in the dates. A gap isn’t a red flag on its own; ask about it. Call the previous landlord as well as the current one, since a current landlord with a problem tenant has a reason to give a glowing reference.
Employment and income
Ask for gross monthly income from every source. Most small landlords use a multiple of rent. On a $1,650 unit, a 3x rule means the applicant needs $4,950 a month. An applicant earning $4,200 a month fails that test but passes at 2.5x, which needs $4,125. Pick your multiple before you advertise and use it for everyone.
The “other income” table is there on purpose. Where source-of-income protection applies, a housing voucher, Social Security or child support has to be weighed like wages.
References, vehicles and pets
Two non-relative references, vehicle details for parking, and pet type, breed and weight for your pet policy. The pet section says assistance animals aren’t pets. Keep that sentence in. An applicant with an emotional support animal shouldn’t have to list it as a pet and get quoted pet rent.
The screening authorization
Section 8 is the signature that lets you or your screening company pull credit, eviction and criminal reports and verify the application. Fill in your name and the screening company’s name before you hand it out. It also tells the applicant what happens if a report leads to a denial: under the Fair Credit Reporting Act you send a written adverse action notice naming the reporting agency and explaining their right to a free copy of the report within 60 days.
State rules that change a tenant application
Most states leave the content of a rental property application to you, but fees and criminal-history questions are regulated in several places:
- New York: application and screening fees are limited to the actual cost or $20, whichever is less (RPL § 238-a).
- Rhode Island: application fees have been banned since January 1, 2024. You can pass through the actual cost of credit and background checks.
- New Jersey: the Fair Chance in Housing Act limits criminal-history questions until after a conditional offer. Use the screening authorization for credit and rental history first.
- Illinois: from January 1, 2027, HB 3564 (Public Act 104-0479) caps application and screening fees at $50, unless you can document a higher third-party screening cost.
- Oregon: Portland adds its own screening rules under the FAIR ordinance.
Many states and cities also ban discrimination based on source of income. If you’re in one of them, you can’t refuse an applicant because they pay with a Section 8 voucher.
Questions to leave off any application for rental property
Don’t ask about race, national origin, religion, marital status, pregnancy, children’s ages, disability, medical history or medications. Don’t ask where someone was born or what language they speak at home. If a question wouldn’t change your decision, cut it.
For criminal history, avoid blanket bans. HUD withdrew its 2016 guidance on the subject in 2025, but a blanket ban can still draw a Fair Housing Act claim, and many states and cities limit how you use records. Arrests without a conviction shouldn’t count against anyone, and any conviction you do weigh should be judged on what it was and how long ago it happened.
Mistakes to avoid
- Changing the bar mid-search. Write your income, credit and rental-history standards down before the listing goes live.
- Pulling reports without a signature. No signed authorization, no report.
- Collecting fees you won’t use. Taking $40 from ten applicants for one unit means nine people pay for a report that never mattered. Screen in the order applications arrive, one at a time.
- Skipping the phone calls. The screening report shows filed evictions. Only a past landlord can tell you about the late payments and damage that never reached court.
Questions landlords ask
The questions we get most, each answered in a paragraph.
Can I charge a rental application fee?
In most states, yes, but check the limit first. New York caps application and screening fees at the actual cost or $20, whichever is less. Rhode Island has banned application fees since January 1, 2024, though you can pass through the actual cost of credit and background checks. Charge every applicant the same fee and say upfront what it covers.
Do I need written consent to run a credit check on an applicant?
Screening companies require the applicant's authorization before they release a report, and having it in writing protects you. Section 8 of this form covers credit, eviction and criminal background reports, plus calls to employers and past landlords. If you deny someone because of what a report says, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires you to send a written adverse action notice.
What questions are illegal on a rental application?
Anything aimed at a class protected by the Fair Housing Act, which covers race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status and disability. That rules out questions about pregnancy, plans for children, church, birthplace and medical conditions. Many states and cities protect more groups, often including source of income. Ask only what you'll use to decide, and ask every applicant the same thing.
Should every adult fill out a separate rental application?
Yes. Each adult who will live in the unit should complete and sign their own application, so you can screen each person and have each one's consent on file. Most landlords also put every adult on the lease, which makes each of them responsible for the full rent if a roommate stops paying.
How long should I keep rental applications?
Keep applications, screening reports and your decision notes for at least two years, including for people you turned down. A fair housing lawsuit can be filed up to two years after the event, and your notes are your evidence. Store the files securely, and shred or permanently delete consumer reports when you get rid of them.