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Rental application template

The application is your screening policy written down. Ask everyone the same questions in the same order, and a fair-housing complaint becomes a document you can hand over.

Rental application

Questions asked

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Preview

RENTAL APPLICATION
Property : 1412 Ashgrove Ave, Unit 2
Rent     : $1850 per month     Deposit: $1850
Fee      : $45 per adult applicant, non-refundable
Income   : gross monthly income of at least 2.5 x rent

01. Full legal name, date of birth, and current address
    ____________________________________________
02. Two most recent addresses with landlord name and phone
    ____________________________________________
03. Employer, position, length of service, supervisor contact
    ____________________________________________
04. Gross monthly income and the documents you will provide
    ____________________________________________
05. Other occupants over 18 (each files a separate application)
    ____________________________________________
06. Pets: type, weight, age (service animals are not pets)
    ____________________________________________
07. Vehicles to be parked on site
    ____________________________________________
08. Emergency contact
    ____________________________________________
09. Have you ever been party to an eviction action? If yes, explain.
    ____________________________________________
10. Authorisation to obtain a consumer report and verify the above
    ____________________________________________

By signing, I certify the information is true and authorise M. Reyes to obtain a consumer report for the purpose of evaluating this application. I understand that a decision based on that report entitles me to an adverse action notice naming the reporting agency.

Applicant signature __________________  Date __________

Never ask about race, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, or the nature of a disability. Ask what everyone is asked, in the same order, every time.

What you may and may not ask

You may ask about income, employment, rental history, occupancy and pets. You may not ask about race, colour, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or disability — including the nature or severity of a disability. You may ask whether an applicant can meet the terms of the tenancy; you may not ask why they might not.

AskDo not ask
Gross monthly income and proofSource of income where prohibited locally
Whether pets will live in the unitWhether an assistance animal is a "real" pet
Number of occupants over 18Whether an applicant is pregnant or has children
Prior landlord contact detailsCountry of origin or first language

An animal kept because of a disability is a reasonable-accommodation request, decided on its own rather than by your pet policy (24 CFR § 100.204), and asking about the nature of the disability behind it is itself a violation (24 CFR § 100.202(c)). HUD rescinded its 2020 assistance-animal notice, the one that barred pet fees for these animals, on September 17, 2025, so check your state's law and get advice before charging a fee for one.

The application fee

  • Several states cap it, and several require a receipt and an accounting of what it was spent on.
  • A few require refunding the unused portion if you do not run the screening.
  • Charging per adult applicant is standard; charging per household is not.
  • If you take fees from more applicants than you could possibly house, expect the question.

Compare what the screening itself actually costs in free tenant screening services before you set the number.

Sources read for this page

Related in the binder

Engraved wire-mesh letter tray of blank sheets beside a brass desk bell
The in-tray at the desk: every applicant arrives on the same form.