Free Rental Application (Paperless)
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Our FREE paperless Rental Application is the EZ way for Landlords to start the Tenant Screening process. All you need is an Applicant’s name and email address to send them a Rental App that they can complete entirely online.
Document Last Modified: 3/27/2023
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You can send our Paperless Rental App and start Tenant Screening in one EZ step!
Start the Screening Process
A Great Lease makes a Great Landlord
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Always Screen Your Tenants.
When it comes to Tenant Screening, the data is clear and compelling: Tenant screening can increase your rental success by 40%.
And who doesn’t want to increase their likelihood of success by 40%? Especially if it only takes about 5 minutes to get those better odds!
Table of Contents
- How to User Our FREE Rental Application
- What’s Included in the Rental Application
- Tenant Screening Tips
- FAQ
How to Use Our FREE Rental Application
All Tenants should fill out a Rental Application before signing their Lease Agreement. Ours is EZ to send, complete, and review. Here’s how the process works:
- Landlords enter an Applicant’s name and email address to send a Rental Application Request.
- Once the request is sent, the Applicant will receive the request via email and be prompted to complete the Rental Application online.
- Once the Application is completed, the Landlord will receive a notification and be able to view the completed Application online.
It’s that EZ and 100% FREE!
This means in one EZ step you can send an Application Request AND start comprehensive Tenant Screening!
What’s Included in the Rental Application
The Rental Application is a vital first step in gathering information about a potential Tenant. It provides Landlords with essential information about an Applicant and includes necessary authorizations to contact references, run background reports, and gather financial information about each Applicant.
Our FREE Rental Application asks for the Applicant’s:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Current address
- Prior addresses
- Prior Landlord name and contact information
- Employment status
- Income information
- Proposed occupants
- Proposed pets
- Vehicle information
- Credit card and debt information
You can view a sample Rental Application here.
Our application also includes a short questionnaire to gather important information about the Applicant. These questions include:
Finally, the Application includes authorizations for the Landlord to run screening reports, gather important background information, and contract references.
Tenant Screening Tips
Tenant Screening is one of the most important things that Landlords do. After all, you have a lot invested in your rental property. You don’t want to hand over possession to just anyone.
Tenant Screening is THE BEST way to ensure that you only rent to qualified Applicants. Here are a few things to keep in mind when screening Tenants!
- Screening Systems. Prior to filling a vacancy, it’s important to create procedures for how you will screen Tenants. This includes knowing the information you want to gather, having objective criteria that Applicants must meet, and having a system for how you will evaluate all Applicants. This is key for ensuring that your process is effective, fair, and legal.
- The Essentials of Tenant Screening. There are a few things that all Landlords should include in their Tenant Screening process. These include:
- Rental Application
- Credit report
- ResidentScore or credit score
- Criminal history background report
- Eviction history report
- Reference checks
- Application Fees. In most states, Landlords can charge an Application fee that covers the cost of Tenant Screening. This means that Landlords can gather all of this vital information without paying anything.
Visit our Tenant Screening Page to learn more or send your Screening Request now!
FAQ
What makes a great Tenant?
As a Landlord, you should be focused on two things when selecting a Tenant: (1) will the Tenant consistently pay rent on time, and (2) will the Tenant take good care of the rental unit.
The best way to predict future behavior is by looking at past behavior. This means you want to look for Applicants that have no eviction history, no prior complaints from Landlords, and no history of unpaid rent. Further, you want an Applicant with a steady income and stable financial situation.
An Applicant with a strong ResidentScore or credit score, no red flags on their background report or credit report, good references from prior Landlords, steady employment, and a history of paying rent on time should be a great Tenant.
What questions can’t you ask during Tenant Screening?
When screening Tenants, it’s important that Landlords be familiar with the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Landlords are not allowed to ask any questions that violate the FHA. This means Landlords shouldn’t ask anything about an Applicant’s race, national origin, gender, religion, sexuality, familial status, age, or disability.
How much can I charge for an Application fee?
Rules regarding Application Fees vary from state to state. In most states, Landlords can charge an Application fee that covers their screening expenses. Here’s a quick look at Application fee rules in every state.
State Assist
Rental Application Fee Limits
There are no rental application fee limits for the following states: AL, AZ, AR, CT, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WV, WY.
Who should complete a Rental Application?
All Tenants or potential Tenants should complete a Rental Application and Tenant Screening. It doesn’t matter if they’re referred by a friend or have lived down the street for a long time. When you enter into a Lease Agreement with a new Tenant, you hand over legal possession of your property.
Before you do that, you need to get some basic information about your prospective Tenant. This means all Applicants and prospective Tenants should complete a thorough Rental Application.
Send Your Rental App Request
Ready to get started? Just provide your Applicant’s name and email address and we’ll send them a Free Rental App!