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Free Rental Application FormFill in your home and your rules, check the preview, then print the blank application or save it as a PDF. No sign-up, and nothing you type is uploaded.

United States · checked What the law says about rental applications

All states (Fair Housing Act): No refusing to rent, or questions showing a preference, based on protected traits. 42 U.S.C. § 3604(a)–(c), (f)

California: Screening fee: actual cost only, up to the yearly-adjusted legal cap. Civil Code § 1950.6

New York: No application fees except background and credit checks: actual cost or $20. Real Property Law § 238-a(1)

Washington: Before screening, tell applicants in writing what is checked and why they may be refused. RCW 59.18.257(1)

Other states and cities: Many add protected groups or limit fees.

Summary, not legal advice. Full details below

This makes a blank application for applicants to fill in by hand. You fill in the home and your rules here; the applicant’s details are never typed into this page.

Basics

Basics

The home

The home

Empty amounts print as lines. Some states limit application fees: see the rules below.

You

You (landlord or manager)

Screening

How you screen applicants

Printed under the home details. Some states require you to give this before you screen or charge a fee.

What to ask

What to ask

The form never asks about race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or family status. Keep your own questions to things that matter for the tenancy.

Wording: change the title, headings and statements

Each box shows the words printed now. Rewrite any of them; an empty box goes back to the standard wording. You can also click any text on the page to rewrite it.

Finished? Print or save your application form

Prints on two pages. Print one for each adult applicant, or share the PDF for them to print.

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Preview

Click any text on the page to edit it.

Layout

Whole page · the printed page has no watermark or logo.

Pinch to zoom.

Examples2 layouts filled in with made-up details. Open one to start with that layout, or print a blank template to fill in by hand.

Notice: Generated via SnapPaperwork. For real homes for rent. Do not use it to collect personal details or fees for a home you cannot rent out, or to screen out applicants for reasons the law protects.

Something missing? Tell me what you need.

How to make a rental application in 3 steps

  1. Fill in the home and your rules

    The address, rent, deposit, any application fee, when it is available, and how you screen applicants.

  2. Choose what to ask

    Tick the parts you need (ID, previous address, pets, vehicles, references) and add up to six questions of your own.

  3. Print or share it

    Print one copy for each adult applicant, or share the PDF for them to print and fill in by hand.

What a rental application should include

  • The home: address, rent, deposit, application fee and the date it is available
  • How applications are screened
  • The applicant’s name, contact details and identification
  • Where they live now and lived before, with landlord contacts
  • Employment and income
  • Everyone who will live in the home, pets and vehicles
  • An emergency contact and references
  • The applicant’s permission to check credit and references, and a signature

Fair housing, screening and fees

The federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to refuse to rent, or to set different terms, because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status or national origin, and to print any notice or statement about renting that shows a preference based on these or on disability (42 U.S.C. § 3604). That is why this application does not ask about any of them, and lists occupants only by name with an “18 or older” column. Many states and cities protect more groups, such as source of income.

A tenant with a disability can ask for a reasonable accommodation in your rules, such as an assistance animal in a home with a no-pets rule (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)). The pets question on this form says so.

If you use a consumer report (a credit or tenant screening report) and deny the application, ask for a co-signer or a bigger deposit, or charge more because of it, you must give the applicant an adverse action notice with the reporting company’s name, address and phone number, a statement that the company did not make the decision, and the applicant’s right to a free copy within 60 days and to dispute it (Federal Trade Commission, “Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know”).

Some states set rules for screening and application fees. In Washington, for example, a landlord must tell applicants in writing what information will be checked, what can lead to a denial and which screening company is used, before screening; may charge only the actual cost of screening; and must give the reasons in writing when an application is turned down (RCW 59.18.257). Check the rules where your rental is.

This form leaves out questions about criminal records and past evictions, because several states and cities limit them. Add your own questions only if they are allowed where you rent.

Rental application rules in Canada, the UK and Australia

Tenancy law is set by each province, nation or state. These are plain-English summaries of the official text, read again on the date shown.

Canada · checked

  • British Columbia: A landlord must not charge anything for accepting or processing an application, checking a tenant’s suitability, or accepting a tenant. Residential Tenancy Act, s. 15
  • Ontario: A landlord may charge a prospective tenant only the fees the regulation allows (such as refundable key deposits). An application fee is not one of them. RTA s. 134(1); O. Reg. 516/06, s. 17
  • Québec and other provinces: Rules differ. Check your province’s residential tenancy law.

United Kingdom · checked

Australia · checked

  • New South Wales: Nobody may charge an applicant for a background check or for preparing the lease. A holding fee of up to one week’s rent can be taken only after the application is approved. Residential Tenancies Act 2010, ss. 23, 24
  • Queensland: Applications use the approved form, which asks only for the listed details, and the lessor offers at least 2 ways to apply. Only a key deposit, holding deposit, bond and rent may be taken from an applicant. RTRA Act 2008, ss. 57B, 59
  • Victoria and other states and territories: Rules differ. Check your state or territory’s tenancy authority.

Laws change, and this page is general information, not legal advice. Check the rules where the property is, or ask a local professional.

Tips for landlords

  • Give every applicant the same form and use the same criteria for everyone, in the order applications arrive.
  • Keep completed applications private and secure: they hold Social Security numbers and other personal details. Shred them when you no longer need them.
  • Take the application fee only when there is a home to rent, and only what your state allows.
  • Write the decision and the date in the office box, and keep it with the application.

Checked in October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. State and city rules on screening, fees and protected groups differ and change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Is this rental application free?

Yes. It is free to use, needs no account or sign-up, and never adds a watermark or a SnapPaperwork logo to your form.

Does the applicant fill it in online?

No. You make a blank form here, with your home and rules filled in, and the applicant fills it in by hand. Their personal details never go through this website.

Why doesn’t the form ask about children or marital status?

Federal fair housing law forbids treating applicants differently because of familial status, and statements that show a preference. The form lists everyone who will live in the home by name, with an “18 or older” column for adults who may need to apply too.

Should every adult fill in an application?

That is the usual practice, so you can check each adult’s income and history. Print one copy for each adult.

Can I charge an application fee?

In many places, yes, but some states limit the amount or require it to cover only the actual cost of screening, and some cities ban it. Check the rules where your rental is before you charge one.

Can I add my own questions?

Yes, up to six, one per line. Keep them to things that matter for the tenancy, and avoid anything about the protected groups listed on this page.

Is my information uploaded or stored on your servers?

No. Everything you type stays in your browser and is never sent to me. The form is saved on your own device so it is there next time.

How do I save the application as a PDF?

Click “Print / Save PDF” and choose “Save as PDF” as the printer, or click “Download PDF” to save a two-page file you can email to applicants. “Share” opens your device’s share menu with the PDF attached.