Online Rental Application
Build a rental application tailored to your property that applicants can fill in, sign electronically and send back by email or upload, with your fees and screening criteria stated up front.
Includes 30 days of edits
- 5 to 20 minutes
- Print-ready PDF
What is an Online Rental Application?
An online rental application is the form a landlord or property manager gives prospective tenants to collect the information needed to evaluate them: identity and contact details, rental history, employment and income, references, vehicles and pets. It also contains the applicant's written authorization for the landlord to check credit, rental and background records, and a certification that the information is true.
This version is designed to be sent and returned electronically. You set the property, the rent, any application fee or holding deposit, the documents applicants must provide and how to submit the application. The finished form tells applicants exactly what to expect, includes consent to electronic signatures and records, and ends with an office-use section for tracking the decision.
Stating your screening criteria in writing and applying them consistently to every applicant is one of the best ways to treat applicants fairly and comply with fair housing laws. The application avoids questions about characteristics protected by the federal Fair Housing Act, and it reminds you that state and local law may add protections and limit fees or the use of certain records.
When to use it
- You have a vacancy and want every applicant to complete the same written application.
- You collect applications by email, an upload link or a property management portal instead of on paper.
- You charge an application fee or a holding deposit and want the terms disclosed before anyone pays.
- You want applicants to authorize credit, rental history and background checks in writing.
- You want to state your income and screening criteria up front so applicants can decide whether to apply.
What is included
- Property, rent and lease term offered
- Application fee and holding deposit terms
- Applicant identity and contact details
- Residence history and landlord references
- Employment and income
- Personal references and emergency contact
- Vehicles, pets and other occupants
- Screening criteria and required documents
- Authorization for screening and electronic signature consent
- Fair housing statement and office-use section
How to make your Online Rental Application
Answer the questions
Tell us about the parties and the terms you want. Most documents take about 5 to 20 minutes.
Review the preview
Check the draft as you go and change any answer. The document updates instantly.
Download, sign and keep a copy
Download a print-ready PDF, sign it with the other parties, and give everyone a copy.
Frequently asked questions
What information can a landlord ask for on a rental application?
Landlords commonly ask for identity and contact details, rental history, employment and income, references, and information about vehicles, pets and occupants. Landlords may not make decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability under federal law, and many states and cities protect additional characteristics, such as source of income. Asking only for information you actually use helps keep the process fair.
Can a landlord charge an application fee?
In most places, yes, but many states and some cities limit the amount, require it to reflect the actual cost of screening, require receipts or refunds of unused amounts, or prohibit fees altogether. Check your state and local rules before setting a fee, and disclose it before the applicant pays.
What is a holding deposit?
A holding deposit is money an applicant pays to take a unit off the market while the application is processed or until the lease is signed. The application should say clearly whether and when it is refunded or credited toward the first month's rent or security deposit. Some states regulate holding deposits, so check the rules that apply to your rental.
Does a landlord need permission to run a credit or background check?
Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, a landlord needs a permissible purpose to obtain a consumer report, and a tenant screening application is a standard one. Getting the applicant's written authorization is common practice and is required by some states and screening companies. If you deny an application or impose conditions based on a report, federal law requires you to give the applicant an adverse action notice.
Can I ask about criminal history?
It depends on where the rental is located. A growing number of states and cities limit when and how landlords may ask about or consider criminal records, and federal fair housing guidance discourages blanket bans. This application lets you leave the question out. If you include it, it is phrased to apply only where permitted by law.
Is an electronic signature on a rental application valid?
Generally, yes. The federal E-SIGN Act and state electronic transaction laws allow electronic signatures and records in most transactions when the parties agree to use them. This application includes the applicant's consent to sign and receive documents electronically.
Does each adult need a separate application?
Many landlords require every adult who will live in the home to apply and be screened, while others screen only the people who will sign the lease. Whatever your policy, apply it the same way to every applicant. You can state your policy in this application.
Does submitting an application mean the applicant gets the rental?
No. An application is a request to be considered. The landlord is not required to rent to the applicant, and the applicant is not committed to rent the unit, until a lease is signed. The application says so expressly.
