Rental Application Template — Everything Landlords Need to Screen Tenants (2026)

The 12 sections every rental application needs

Property identification. Address of the unit being applied for, monthly rent, deposit, available date, lease term. So you know what they're applying to and they know what they're agreeing to consider.
Applicant information. Full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver's license or state ID number, current phone, current email.
Current address & tenancy. Address, dates of occupancy (move-in / move-out), current landlord name and contact, current monthly rent, reason for moving. If the applicant has been somewhere less than 12 months, ask about the prior address too.
Prior addresses (3+ years). Same fields as current. Gaps in residential history are a red flag — they often indicate someone living with family between rentals due to prior eviction or financial problems.
Employment & income. Current employer, position, length of employment, supervisor contact, monthly gross income. Self-employed applicants provide last 2 tax returns or 3 months of business bank statements. The income requirement (usually 3× monthly rent) must be stated on the application.
Other income sources. Child support, Social Security, retirement, government benefits including housing vouchers (Section 8). In states where source of income is a protected class (CA, NY, WA, MA, MN, and others), you cannot reject an applicant for using a voucher.
Co-applicants and household occupants. Full names and ages of every adult and child who will live in the unit. Co-applicants 18+ each fill out a separate application.
References. 2–3 non-family references with name, relationship, phone, email. Useful as a tertiary check; landlord and employer verification matter more.
Pets and animals. Number, breed, weight, age. Distinguish between pets (which you may restrict and charge pet rent/deposit) and service animals / emotional support animals (which you may NOT restrict or charge for under the Fair Housing Act).
Vehicles. Make, model, year, license plate. Useful for parking allocation and for verifying identity.
Disclosures. Have you ever been evicted? Filed bankruptcy in the past 7 years? Been convicted of a felony? Several states (and many cities) restrict the criminal-history question. Check your jurisdiction before including it. The eviction question is universally allowed.
Authorization & signature. Authorization to run credit, criminal background, and eviction history reports. Signature, date. The signature is what makes the application a legal record of representations the applicant has made.

Fair-housing rules every US landlord must follow

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on seven protected classes: race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation per HUD's 2021 guidance), disability, and familial status (the presence of children). State and local laws add classes — most commonly source of income, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and military/veteran status.

Apply the same criteria to every applicant. If you require 3× income from one applicant, you require 3× from every applicant. Adjustments based on anything other than your written, applicant-blind criteria expose you to discrimination claims.
Document why you rejected. “Insufficient income — applicant earned 2.1× rent, criteria requires 3×” is defensible. “Bad vibe” is not.
Don't ask about protected characteristics. No questions about religion, ethnicity, plans to have children, marital status. Many applications inadvertently include these via “optional” demographic questions — remove them.
Section 8 / housing vouchers are accepted in many states by law. California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, New Jersey, and several major cities prohibit rejecting an applicant solely because they hold a voucher.
Reasonable accommodations and modifications must be granted to applicants and tenants with disabilities. Common examples: allowing service animals despite a no-pets policy, allowing a co-signer for an applicant with limited credit history due to disability.

Where the application fits in the screening workflow

Pre-application screening question. Before sending the full application, confirm the basics by phone or text: do they want to see the unit, when, and do they meet the income threshold. This 3-minute conversation eliminates ~40% of unsuitable applicants.
Showing. They view the unit. Hand them the application or send a link if you use an online portal.
Application + application fee. Submitted with the fee that covers credit/background check cost. Verify ID against the application.
Run credit + background + eviction reports. Through a tenant screening service. $25–$50 combined.
Verify income. Last two pay stubs or last year's W-2 (or, for self-employed, last 2 tax returns or 3 months of bank statements).
Contact current and prior landlord. Ask: Did they pay on time? Did they keep the unit in good condition? Would you rent to them again? The last question is the most predictive.
Make the decision. Apply your written criteria. Document approve or deny with specific reasons.
Send the lease. If approved, send the lease for review and signature. Hold the unit only after the lease is signed and the deposit is paid.

After the application is approved

Residential Lease Agreement Pack

Professional lease agreement with summary page, security deposit receipt, move-in checklist, and house rules

$14.99View Lease Pack

Complete landlord paperwork bundle

Complete Property Management Bundle

$49.99$79.99

View Bundle →

Related landlord resources

Rental application FAQs

What information can I legally ask on a rental application?

Generally permitted: full legal name, current and prior addresses (3+ years), date of birth, Social Security number (for credit/background check), employer and income, references, prior landlord contact information, pet details, and signed authorization to run credit and background checks. Generally NOT permitted under federal Fair Housing law: questions about race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or familial status. State and local laws often add protected classes — California adds source of income (including Section 8 vouchers); many cities prohibit asking about criminal history during initial application (banned-the-box).

Can I charge an application fee?

Yes, but it must reflect actual costs (typically the credit and background check fee plus a small administrative amount — usually $25 to $50 total). Some states cap application fees: California caps at $59.67 (as of 2024, indexed annually); Wisconsin caps at $25; Massachusetts disallows application fees entirely on residential rentals. Charging more than your actual cost, or charging for an apartment that has already been rented, can violate state consumer protection laws.

How long should I keep rental applications on file?

Federal Fair Housing Act requires records be kept for 3 years. Some states require longer (CA requires 3 years; NY requires 3 years post-tenancy for accepted applicants). Keep both accepted and rejected applications. The retention is your protection if a rejected applicant later claims discrimination — without the file, you can't prove the legitimate reason for the rejection.

What income ratio should I require?

The industry-standard is 3× monthly rent in gross monthly income. Some markets accept 2.5×; high-cost markets (SF, NYC, Boston) often require 4× or co-signer. The rule must be applied uniformly — telling one applicant 2.5× and another 3× based on anything other than your written criteria is a fair-housing risk. State the income requirement on the application itself so it's visible to every applicant equally.

Do I need to run a credit check AND a background check?

They're different reports. Credit check shows payment history, debt, credit score — useful for predicting whether they'll pay rent. Background check shows criminal history, sex offender registry, prior evictions, and identity verification — useful for safety and tenancy history. Most landlords run both through a tenant screening service ($25-$50 combined). For low-rent or single-unit landlords, eviction history alone (via specialized services like RentPrep or TransUnion SmartMove) is often enough.

Can I reject an applicant for any reason?

You can reject for any reason that isn't a protected class under federal, state, or local fair-housing law. Legitimate rejection grounds: insufficient income, prior evictions, bad credit (below your stated threshold), false statements on the application, refusal to consent to a background check, or inability to provide required references. Document the specific reason in writing and keep it with the application file.

What about co-signers and guarantors?

Useful for applicants with limited credit history (recent college grads, first jobs) or income below your minimum threshold. The co-signer fills out a separate application with their own income and credit information and signs a guarantor addendum to the lease. Apply the same income ratio (typically 5× monthly rent for the co-signer since they may also have their own housing) and run credit/background on them too.