Emailable Rental Application (U.S.)

The law requires landlords to first notify the applicant in writing, or by posting, of the following:
•What type of information will be accessed to conduct the tenant screening;
•What criteria may result in denial of the application; and
•If a consumer report is used, the name and address of the screening company and the applicant’s right to get a free copy of the report in the event of denial or other adverse action and to dispute the accuracy of information in the report.

Landlords may only charge an applicant the cost of a tenant screening report if the landlord provides the information above. Even landlords who do not use a screening company must comply with these requirements if the landlord charges a fee for the screening.

Any landlord or prospective landlord who violates this section may be liable to the prospective tenant for an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars. The prevailing party may also recover court cost and reasonable attorneys’ fees.

Screening Fees
•RCW 59.18.257 Landlords can only charge prospective tenants for the actual cost of screening fees. They cannot profit from application fees. Application and screening fees generally cost $35-$75 per person.

RCW 59.18.253

Deposit to secure occupancy by tenant — Landlord's duties — Violation.
(1) It shall be unlawful for a landlord to require a fee or deposit from a prospective tenant for the privilege of being placed on a waiting list to be considered as a tenant for a dwelling unit.

(2) A landlord who charges a prospective tenant a fee or deposit to hold a dwelling unit or secure that the prospective tenant will move into a dwelling unit, after the dwelling unit has been offered to the prospective tenant, must provide the prospective tenant with a receipt for the fee or deposit, together with a written statement of the conditions, if any, under which the fee or deposit may be retained, immediately upon payment of the fee or deposit.

(3)(a) If the prospective tenant does occupy the dwelling unit, then the landlord must credit the amount of the fee or deposit to the tenant's first month's rent or to the tenant's security deposit. If the prospective tenant does not occupy the dwelling unit, then the landlord may keep up to the full amount of any fee or deposit that was paid by the prospective tenant to secure the tenancy, so long as it is in accordance with the written statement of conditions furnished to the prospective tenant at the time the fee or deposit was charged.
(b) A fee or deposit to hold a dwelling unit or secure that the prospective tenant will move into a dwelling unit under this subsection does not include any cost charged by a landlord to use a tenant screening service or obtain background information on a prospective tenant.
(c) A portion of the fee or deposit may not be withheld if the dwelling unit fails a tenant-based rental assistance program inspection by a qualified inspector as defined in RCW 59.18.030. If the inspection does not occur within ten days from the date of collection of the fee or deposit or a longer period of time that the landlord and tenant may agree upon, the landlord may notify the tenant that the dwelling unit will no longer be held. The landlord shall promptly return the fee or deposit to the prospective tenant after the landlord is notified that the dwelling unit failed the inspection or the landlord has notified the tenant that the dwelling unit will no longer be held.

Important Information about credit reports for employment: It is prohibited in Washington state to procure a credit report for employment purposes where such report is not substantially job related or a requirement by law.

Washington's Fair Credit Reporting Act, RCW 19.182.020