Rental application form: free in Word, or sign it online
Reviewed in October 2026
A rental application is the form a landlord uses to screen people who want to rent a home. It collects identity, income, employment, rental history and references. The applicant signs it to confirm the information and to authorize background and credit checks.
Ten documents free, no card. Signed by each adult applicant.
Example filled in with sample data
The full rental application
RENTAL APPLICATION
1. Property:
[address and unit]. Monthly rent: USD [amount]. Desired move-in date: [date]. Application fee: USD [amount, if any, within the limit allowed by state law].
2. Applicant
Full legal name: [name]. Date of birth: [date]. Phone: [phone]. Email: [email]. Government ID type and last four digits: [ID].
3. Other Occupants
Names and ages of everyone who will live in the home: [list]. Pets (type, breed, weight): [list or "none"].
4. Current and Previous Residences
For the last [number] years: address, dates, monthly rent, landlord name and phone, and reason for leaving: [details].
5. Employment and Income
Current employer, position, start date, supervisor phone and gross monthly income: [details]. Other income (source and amount): [details].
6. References and Emergency Contact
Two personal references with phone numbers: [details]. Emergency contact: [name, relationship, phone].
7. Questions
Have you ever been evicted? [yes/no]. Have you ever broken a lease? [yes/no]. Do you smoke? [yes/no]. If yes to any, explain: [details].
8. Authorization
I authorize [landlord or management company] to verify the information in this application and to obtain a consumer report, including credit and rental history, [and criminal background where allowed by law], for the purpose of evaluating this application.
9. Certification
I certify that the information above is true and complete. False information may be grounds to deny this application or end a lease. This application is not a lease, and submitting it does not guarantee approval.
10. Fair Housing
The landlord does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability or any other class protected by federal, state or local law.
Applicant
Name: [name]
Signature: ______________
Date: [date]
What the template includes
Property, rent, move-in date and application fee
Applicant identity and contact details
Other occupants and pets
Rental history with landlord contacts
Employment and income
References and emergency contact
Eviction, broken lease and smoking questions
Authorization for credit and background checks
Certification that the information is true
Fair housing statement
What you fill in
Field
Example
Property
2215 Lakeshore Ave, Apt 4B, Oakland, CA
Monthly rent
USD 2,450
Move-in date
December 1, 2026
Applicant
Daniela Ruiz
Employer
Bay Area Health, registered nurse
Gross monthly income
USD 8,900
Previous landlord
Sunset Property Management, 510 555 0182
Pets
One cat
How it gets signed
1Choose «Use this template», fill in the fields and review the full rental application.
2Send it by WhatsApp or email. The other party opens the link on their phone without an account.
3They tap the brown bar at the bottom that says «Sign as …» and draw their signature once.
4Everyone gets the signed PDF with its signature certificate. Anyone can check it at signsolu.com/verificar.
The signing screen tells each signer that signing means agreeing to sign electronically. It links to the electronic signature disclosure that the ESIGN Act asks for.
What you get once everyone signs
The signed PDF. The final rental application with every drawn signature in place.
The signature certificate. It lists each signer and the date and time of each signature.
A record you can check. The folio on the certificate opens the document history at signsolu.com/verificar.
Reminders. Turn them on and SignSolú reminds every signer who has not signed yet.
Your first ten documents are free and need no card.
What the law says
The federal Fair Housing Act forbids discrimination in rentals based on protected classes. Ask the same questions of every applicant and apply the same criteria.
Credit and background reports are consumer reports under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. The applicant must authorize them, and a landlord who denies an application based on a report must send an adverse action notice.
Many states and cities limit application fees, criminal history questions or the use of source of income. Check your state and city before you send the form.
The ESIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. 7001 gives an electronic signature the same legal effect as one on paper. A contract cannot be denied effect only because it was signed electronically.
How landlords use a rental application
1Send the application to every interested applicant after the showing.
2Collect the signed application and the fee, if your state allows one.
3Run the credit and background checks the applicant authorized.
4Call the previous landlords and the employer.
5Approve or deny using the same written criteria for everyone.
6Send the lease to the approved applicant.
One application per adult
Every adult who will live in the home fills in a separate application. Each one authorizes their own checks.
Couples and roommates often split rent. Their combined income is what you compare with the rent.
Send each adult a separate link. Each one signs from their phone, and you get every application in one place.
Screening criteria to write down
Write your criteria before you see the first application. That protects you if someone claims unfair treatment.
Income. Many landlords ask for gross income of about three times the rent.
Rental history. Positive references and no recent evictions.
Credit. A minimum score or no unpaid rental debts.
Occupancy. A maximum number of occupants per bedroom, following local rules.
Common mistakes
Charging fees above the state limit. Several states cap fees at the real cost of screening.
Asking questions the law forbids. Do not ask about religion, national origin, disability or plans to have children.
Keeping applications forever. Applications hold sensitive data. Store them securely and delete them when you no longer need them.
Skipping the adverse action notice. If a report led to a denial, the applicant must get the notice.
Taking applications from your phone
Good applicants apply to several homes the same weekend. The landlord who answers first often signs the best tenant.
Send the application link at the end of the showing. The applicant fills it in and signs on the spot or the same evening.
Each signed application keeps a certificate with the date and time. That record shows when each applicant authorized the checks.
Once you approve someone, send the lease the same way. The tenant signs it from the phone and the home is off the market that day.
Applications from co-signers
Students and first-time renters often need a co-signer. The co-signer fills in the same application and authorizes the same checks.
Add the co-signer to the lease or a separate guaranty after approval. Both are signed online like the application.
Screening usually takes one to three business days. Tell applicants when to expect an answer, and send it the same way to approved and denied applicants alike.
A consistent process is your best defense in a fair housing complaint. The signed applications and your written criteria show it.
Before you sign
Read every clause of the rental application with the other party before anyone signs. Change what does not fit your deal.
