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A rental application form is a valuable asset in the search for a prospective tenant. Whether you’re renting a home, apartment or condo, a comprehensive rental application will help you sort through each tenant’s personal, rental and employment history.
But how do you create a rental application customized to your renting or leasing needs? With AAOA, you can get our free customizable form.
A rental application form, also known as an application to rent or tenant application form, is one of the most important forms you’ll use as a landlord. It’s a document that a prospective tenant must fill out with personal, financial and employment information to help landlords as they search for the right tenant for their rental property.
As a landlord, property owner or property manager, you need to be able to rent your property with confidence. An in-depth form can guide landlords through the process to identify their ideal fit. Beyond that, a rental application will also allow you to run a tenant credit check and perform tenant screening to find the right fit.
Some landlords may choose to add a non-refundable fee to their rental application to cover the additional cost of screening tenants. However, this is illegal in some states, so be sure to check with local and state laws if you’re considering adding a rental application fee.
One of the main priorities of a landlord is to ensure that there’s as little risk to your rental property as possible — especially when renting to a new tenant. A rental application enables landlords to do so without too much hassle. After all, what other form allows you to collect the necessary information from a potential renter in one application?
An application is the first step to ensuring that you take on low risk when you rent to a new tenant. Remember, a rental application acts as a resume for each applicant. You want a successful tenancy and the application can better screen between renters who are serious about your property and those who aren’t.
If a potential tenant doesn’t want to provide the required information to screen them, this will help rule them out. With these details, you can verify whether they’re able to make monthly rent payments, have a solid renting history and if they have any red flags that would prevent them from being an ideal tenant.
A good application form collects all the need-to-know information about potential renters and allows you to make an informed decision about whether to approve an application.
Rental application forms should typically include:
When collecting rental applications from potential tenants, you can utilize the provided details to do the following:
When you have a customizable rental form, you can send every applicant the same comprehensive form and avoid any allegations of discrimination or favoritism. A comprehensive form also turns away unqualified renters, who know they wouldn't pass your background check.
Rather than create your own application to rent, download a customizable rental application form from American Apartment Owners Association. Our forms are easy to complete, and they're also vetted by real estate experts and lawyers, so you can rely on their accuracy. Many forms are free for AAOA members, who receive other perks. Check out all of our free landlord forms.
Excited to get started and streamline the rental process? Sign up for your account today!
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