Rental Application Form
A free, printable rental application template for landlords and property managers. Add your property, rent, and contact details, then print it or save it as a PDF for applicants to fill out. Or print it blank. No sign-up.
Leave everything blank to print a blank rental application. Applicant sections always print as lines to fill in by hand. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Rental Application
Each adult (18 or older) who will live at the property should complete a separate application. Please answer every question; write “N/A” if it does not apply.
Property
Property address:
Monthly rent:
Security deposit:
Application fee:
Lease term:
Available:
Desired move-in date:
Landlord or property manager
1. Applicant
2. Co-applicants and other occupants
List everyone else who will live at the property. Adults should each complete their own application.
| Full name | Relationship to applicant | 18 or older? (Y/N) |
|---|---|---|
3. Residence history (past 2 years)
Current residence
☐ Rent ☐ Own ☐ Other
Previous residence
☐ Rent ☐ Own ☐ Other
4. Employment and income
Current employer
Paid: ☐ Weekly ☐ Every 2 weeks ☐ Twice a month ☐ Monthly ☐ Self-employed
Previous employer (if at current job less than 2 years)
5. Other income
For example: Social Security, disability, retirement, housing assistance, child support, or investments. You don't have to list child support or alimony unless you want it considered.
| Source | Monthly amount | How it can be confirmed |
|---|---|---|
6. References (not related to you)
| Name | Relationship | Phone or email |
|---|---|---|
7. Pets
Will any pets live at the property? ☐ Yes ☐ No
| Type | Breed | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
Assistance animals for a disability are not pets.
8. Vehicles
| Make and model | Year | Color | Plate no. and state |
|---|---|---|---|
9. Emergency contact
10. Background
Have you ever been evicted or had an eviction case filed against you? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Have you ever broken a lease or been asked to move out? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Have you filed for bankruptcy in the past 7 years? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Have you been convicted of a felony in the past 7 years? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Do you owe money to a current or previous landlord? ☐ Yes ☐ No
11. Authorization and signature
I certify that the information in this application is true and complete. I authorize the landlord or property manager named above to verify it, including contacting my current and previous landlords, employers, and references, and reviewing income documents I provide. False or incomplete information may be grounds for not renting to me. This application is not a lease, and submitting it does not guarantee a rental.
Equal housing opportunity. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Form template from incomechecker.com/rental-application-form.
Want to check the income on the application?
Have the applicant connect their bank read-only and see estimated monthly income and recurring deposits from their transaction history. Reports as low as $5 each.
See bank-connected income reportsWhat a rental application includes
- The property, rent, security deposit, application fee, and who to return it to
- The applicant's name, contact details, and ID, plus anyone else who will live there
- Current and previous addresses, with each landlord's name and phone number
- Current and previous employers, monthly income, and other income sources
- Personal references and an emergency contact
- Pets and vehicles
- Background questions about evictions, broken leases, bankruptcy, and, where allowed, convictions
- A signed authorization to verify the information, with a date
How to use this rental application as a landlord
- Fill in the property address, rent, deposit, application fee, and your contact details above.
- Print it or save it as a PDF. Print one copy per adult applicant, or email the PDF.
- Give every applicant the same form and the same screening criteria, in writing if you can.
- When it comes back, check that it's signed and complete, then confirm the rental history and income.
- Keep applications, including ones you don't accept, somewhere secure for as long as your state requires.
Fair housing notes
- Don't ask about race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status (for example, whether someone is pregnant or plans to have children). Many states and cities protect more classes, such as source of income, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.
- Treat assistance animals for a disability as an accommodation, not a pet, and don't charge pet fees for them.
- Check your state and city rules on criminal history. Some places ban conviction questions on the application, limit the look-back period, or require an individual review. Turn off the felony question above if you need to.
- Check the rules on application fees. Many places cap the fee, require a receipt, or require refunds when an application isn't processed.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by state and city, so check what applies to your property.
How to check the income an applicant lists
The income section is the one most worth checking. Start with the rent-to-income calculator to see how the stated income compares to the rent, then look at documents:
- Pay stubs: look for math and formatting problems with the pay stub checker.
- Bank statements: check deposits and balances with the bank statement checker.
- Employer: ask for an employment verification letter.
- Previous landlords: send a landlord verification form to confirm the rental history on the application.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rental application form?
A rental application form is the document a prospective tenant fills out when they want to rent a property. It collects their contact details, rental history, employment and income, references, and permission for the landlord to check what they wrote. Landlords use it to compare applicants on the same information.
What questions are on a rental application?
Most rental applications ask for the applicant’s name and contact details, other occupants, current and previous addresses with landlord contacts, employer and monthly income, other income, references, pets, vehicles, an emergency contact, and a few background questions about evictions, bankruptcy, and, where allowed, criminal history. It ends with a signed authorization to verify the information.
Can I charge an application fee?
In most states, yes, but many states and cities cap the amount, require it to match your actual screening costs, require a receipt, or require a refund if you don’t process the application. A few places limit or ban application fees. Check the rules where the property is before you charge one.
Is a rental application legally binding?
No. A rental application is not a lease. It doesn’t commit the applicant to rent or the landlord to rent to them. The applicant is agreeing that the information is true and that you can check it. Some landlords collect a holding deposit with a separate written agreement, and that agreement, not the application, sets the terms.
How do I verify the income on a rental application?
Compare the stated income to the rent (many landlords look for about 3 times the monthly rent), then check it against documents: recent pay stubs, bank statements, an employment verification letter, or a bank-connected income report that shows estimated monthly income from the applicant’s actual deposits.
Can I print a blank rental application?
Yes. Leave every field on this page empty and click Print or save as PDF to get a blank rental application, or fill in your property, rent, and contact details first so every copy you hand out is ready to go. Applicant sections always print as lines to fill in by hand.
Should every adult fill out a separate application?
Usually, yes. Having each adult who will live in the unit complete and sign their own application lets you check each person’s rental history and income, and gives you each person’s authorization. Apply the same rule to every applicant.
Got an application back? Check the rental history
Send the previous landlord a 30-second rental verification. Free, emailed to the landlord, and every response saved to your dashboard.
Send a free rental verificationThis is a general template, not legal advice. Some states and cities require specific disclosures on rental applications.