Rental Application
A Rental Application is a form that a potential tenant must complete when they are interested in renting a property. The purpose of the Rental Application is to gather information about the tenant, including personal information, employment history, and financial information, to determine if they are a good candidate for tenancy.
The Rental Application generally consists of several parts, including:
- Personal Information of the Applicant: The applicant's name, address, telephone number, social security number, and emergency contact information.
- Employment and Income: The applicant's current and previous employers, employment duration, job title, and salary.
- Rental History: The applicant's previous rental history, including the name of the landlord or property manager, the address of the property, the rent amount, and lease duration.
- Financial Information: The applicant's current debts, credit score, bank balance, and other financial information.
- References: Personal and professional references of the applicant.
A Rental Application is drawn up by the landlord or property manager, typically when a potential tenant expresses interest in renting a property. The Rental Application is designed to help the landlord assess the tenant's eligibility by evaluating their past rental history, employment information, and financial situation.
When compiling a Rental Application, it is important to take into account that some regions may have specific laws governing what information can be asked of tenants, so it's crucial to comply with those laws. It's also important to ensure that the rental application is fair and doesn't discriminate against certain groups of tenants, including race, religion, gender, age and others.
The advantages of a properly executed Rental Application are that it provides a comprehensive overview to the landlord or property manager to determine the tenant's eligibility for the rental property. Additionally, a Rental Application can help prevent future disputes, as it outlines the details of the rental agreement and is considered a legal document.
If the Rental Application is filled out incorrectly, or missing important information, it can present problems for both the landlord and the tenant. The landlord might accidentally discriminate against tenants, leading to legal problems, while tenants may not provide accurate information, leading to difficulties with the lease or eviction. Therefore, both landlords and tenants should take care to ensure that the rental application is accurately and completely filled out, and that everything is properly documented.