Free Rental Application Form Templates

Since it’s almost impractical to assume your first paycheck will get you your dream house, rental accommodation would be one of your friendliest options. The desire of every landlord is to see all their vacant apartments filled with tenants, and while this is the case, they don’t just settle for anyone who comes around seeking accommodation. This article serves as a guide in filling out an application to land any rental apartment of your choice.

What is a Rental Application?

A rental application is a form the landlord gives to you as a prospective tenant to screen or vet you if you are eligible enough to occupy their property.

The information you provide in this form is a larger determinant of whether the landlord will be willing to proceed with the transaction or not. The submission of a rental application is analogous to a job application, only that you may be required to pay a non-refundable fee to the former.

Where to Get a Rental Application Form?

If you stumble upon your dream rental apartment online, you may be required to fill out a form on the site where your application will be submitted to the property manager’s email. Otherwise, you could get a rental form from a leasing outlet.    

After finding a fitting apartment, you’ll definitely be required to fill out a rental application either online or in person. Either way, it’ll be helpful to know the steps in filling out this application.

Step 1: Fill in the application form

The form contains specified fields where you’ll be required to provide the necessary information. They include the following:

Personal information

This is usually the most sensitive part where you can provide your personally identifiable information. The landlord uses the information you provide in the personal details section to verify your identity and to get an idea of who’s coming into their property.

Personal information to be filled in a rental application form include:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Other occupants
• Phone numbers
• Date of birth
• Government-issued identification
• How do you get to know about the property?

Filling out these details is a pivotal part of the screening process. Failure to fill out the required information in the specific fields could be to your detriment.

Social security number SSN

Your social security number is also essential in filling out a rental application. However, you should note the following:

1. Your social number is important, but it’s not enough for a landlord to discard your application if not provided. Landlords who do this may want to tread carefully to avoid the risk of attracting penalties from the law for discriminating between tenants based on their origin.
2. Your SSN may not really be needed for screening. However, if the landlord demands it, you can provide it during the lease signing stage, not the rental application process.

Vehicle detail

Providing the correct vehicle information provides a better understanding between you and the landlord. For example, if the landlord has parking space for only two cars, they want to know if you are coming with more or less than the available space. It also provides the information needed to work something out before you move in.

Source of income

The landlord will demand your employment and income information as this helps them know your financial capability for subsequent rent payments. Typically, the landlord tries to evaluate the rent-to-income ratio from the answers you provide.

Below is a breakdown of what to expect in this section:

• Employment information: This is required to verify the employment and income information you provide. It’s not uncommon for people to come up with false numbers, hence the need for verification.
• Other sources of income: It is possible you have one or two side hustles aside from your full-time job. It will be unlawful for the landlord to discriminate against other forms of income aside from a full-time job. This section ensures you make sufficient money to accommodate the rent in the long run.
• Professional and personal references: A meticulous landlord won’t mind going a step further by contacting your boss(es) or colleagues about your conduct at work. These kinds of property owners tend to take word of mouth from employers and coworkers seriously. This piece of information could boost your chances as well as hinder them.
• Rental history: Your personal information and source(s) of income provide the landlord enough closure about you to an extent. However, your rental history is also a critical determinant of the landlord’s decision.

As far as rental application goes, your residence history is one of the best ways to win the attention of landlords. Landlords want to know how much of a good tenant you have been in the past. Such records tend to set the tone for their expectations of your conduct as a tenant.

You can expect to provide the following details in a typical rental history section:

• Current residential address
• Landlord name and contact information
• Move-in/move-out dates
• Residence type
• Reason for moving out

It’s important that you remain as honest as possible when filling out this section, as most landlords take their time to verify the authenticity of your information.

Emergency contacts

The landlord will require you to provide one or two phone numbers from your contact list as emergency contacts should the need arise.

Counterpart /co-signer

This section is reserved for tenants who plan on living together. Both parties will be required to fill out a separate rental application form.

Step 2: Attach all necessary document 

If you want to stay ahead of other prospective tenants seeking the same apartment as you, make sure to provide all the required documents for the application.

Reference letters

Good recommendations from previous landlords, neighbors, colleagues, employers and property managers significantly increase your chances of getting a rental apartment. In addition, reference letters portray you as a responsible and trustworthy resident capable of handling the monthly rent and maintaining the proper condition of the property.

Pay slips as a proof that you can pay rent

The landlord may not have the luxury of time to have you convince them that you’re financially buoyant to handle the monthly rent. A more formal approach would be submitting proof of competence, such as pay slips, employment letters, and bank statements, to the landlord. 

Proof of identification

No property manager will rant you a lease agreement without proper verification of your identity. Therefore, you will be required to provide copies of identification documents such as a driver’s license, passport photograph, or a government-issued ID.

Pet reference

If you have a pet, some landlords may require you to make a pet deposit or provide a pet reference from your current or previous landlord stating how well you can manage a property with pets.

Rental ledger

Your deposit or rental ledger records your rent payments as a tenant. Not all rental applications require a rental ledger, but if required, the requirements will be added to the rental application. Hence, applicants are advised to review the application thoroughly to avoid the risk of an incomplete application.

Step 3: Pay the apartment application form fee

You are required to pay the rental application fee to the landlord or the rental agency, as it will be used to cover the cost of running background checks on the details you provide in the application.

In some cases, you may also be required to pay a processing fee alongside the application fees. However, not all of these fees are refundable. It is within your rights to demand which of the fees are refundable should the property be leased to another applicant.

Rental application fees are subject to certain factors, such as the state rules on rental application fees, the structure of the property, or the landlord’s preference. However, you and the landlord need to check the state laws concerning this fee to ensure the price is within the perimeter of the state rules.

Step 4: Verify your application form

You can often lose opportunities to get your dream rental property in a bid to submit fast. Therefore, you must go through your application form again to confirm that all information and documents have been given to the landlord. Other housekeeping details to look out for include spelling and grammatical errors. You may proceed to the next step only after thoroughly verifying your application. 

Step 5: Follow up

Landlords and property managers may get carried away by the distractions of handling multiple applications in a day. Sometimes, applications take up to 72 hours or more to run background checks and other screening exercises. Hence, it’s always a good idea to do a polite follow-up on the progress of your application.

It doesn’t have to be too formal or lengthy; you may start by appreciating them for the time they took to show you the unit. Point out the features of the apartment you think are great. While thanking them, ask them if they need any other information that you should provide and let them know you look forward to hearing from them with their decision.

The following factors should be taken into account when applying and filling out for a rental unit:

Expect credit and background checks

Background checks are an essential part of the screening process. Landlords use this exercise to identify red flags and problematic tenants. Therefore, if you are going to be submitting a rental application, be prepared for a few background checks during the course of your application.

Some landlords run their background checks deep enough to look into criminal records if you have any. Therefore, it is important that you are forthcoming with any relevant history worth knowing that might affect the landlord’s decision.

Background checks such as rental application credit check, for example, helps the landlord know how financially responsible you are. There are various ways to conduct a credit check, but most people prefer to run it through credit stores. It’s important that you state cases of medical bills or bad credit before the landlord begins their check.

Make a lasting first impression

It will be in your best interest as a potential tenant to create a striking first impression in the mind of the property manager or agent. Remember, your application won’t be the only one they’ll be looking at all day, so conduct yourself in a friendly, conversational, and enthusiastic manner when the agent shows off the property to you.

Prove you can pay rent

A vital part of the rental application process is providing evidence of income or employment. If possible, provide copies of bank statements, contracts, or W- 2 tax forms. Some landlords may require you to prove your credibility by providing proof via other documents. Ensure to provide them as long as they don’t violate the laws governing your job or the state.

Depending on the property, income and credit checks may take up to 3 days to process. You may want to contact the landlord to know how long it will take to complete the exercise.

Show the landlord that you’re a reliable renter

This boils down to having a good reference letter from previous or current landlords and is even mandatory for some properties. Agents and property owners will be interested in renting out their property to you if they have proof that you’re a reliable tenant who will not wreak havoc on their property or become a disturbance to the neighbors.

You may consider adding a reference letter from your previous landlord(s) to sway the odds in your favor.

Final Remarks

The rental application plays a significant role in your journey in getting the rental apartment of your choice. It is not a form to be rushed or left to chance, as every detail and document you provide increases your chances of getting qualified more than the other applicants who fail to do so. If possible, you can also physically apply with the rental reference to the agent or landlord to hasten the screening process.