Rental Applications

A rental application is a standardized rental document form that landlords or property managers use to evaluate prospective renters searching for a room, apartment, or property. Typically, this document collects data like:

• Personal data
• Household information
• Residential history
• Employment and income
• Background information

Online rental applications are crucial for several reasons:

• Tenant Evaluation: By reviewing the applicant’s personal, financial, and residential history, property managers can determine whether a potential tenant is a good fit for the property.
• Reduce the Risk: Verifying the applicant's credentials with the help of background and credit checks minimizes the risks associated with renting properties.
• Property Safeguard: A thorough online rental application process helps protect rentals. With tenant application forms, you will reduce the risk of leasing to destructive or unreliable individuals.

Make informed decisions that protect property investments, provide legal adherence, and create a stable, peaceful, and financially secure rental environment.

TenantCloud treats online security as a top-tier priority. Here's why you can trust us:

• Encryption: We use 256-bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption to protect the data transmission process.
• Secure Data Centers: We store your information in highly secure AWS (Amazon Web Services) data centers.

So, when you fill out a free rental application through TenantCloud, your personal and sensitive data remains safe and protected.

TenantCloud simplifies the application process, saves time, provides safety and security, and makes it easy to scale up the business. Our rental application forms are easy to customize, including the addition of pre-screening questions. Our property management software also offers e-signatures, making the process faster and more efficient while ensuring document safety through secure storage. We provide a comprehensive system that streamlines tenant screening, enhances legal compliance, and creates a more secure rental environment.

Landlords using rental property management software have the flexibility to customize rental application forms. Such customization allows them to add unique criteria and streamline the tenant screening process.

When using the TenantCloud rental property management software, landlords can easily add, edit, or request additional information from applicants through the online rental application. Landlords can also incorporate up to 40 pre-screening questions into applications to vet tenants and help identify potential concerns.

Application fees are the costs associated with submitting a rental application. While application fees are usually non-refundable and vary between $20 to $100, some regulations apply to different states that a landlord should know about and adhere to.

Certain states may restrict a landlord's maximum screening fee and require landlords to provide an itemized receipt.

In most states, a landlord does not have to refund the rental application fee, but exceptions exist.

• Massachusetts prohibits charging an application fee.
• Minnesota mandates that you refund the applicants any surplus funds beyond the screening service costs.
• Vermont does not allow landlords to charge an application fee.
• Washington requires the application fee to match the exact cost of the screening service.
• Wisconsin limits landlords to charge a maximum of $20 for an application fee.

In some states, including additional expenses such as processing or administration fees is acceptable. For example, it is not uncommon for some landlords to charge $50 for a $40 screening. The additional fee of $10 in this scenario is typically an administrative fee.

Transparency and honesty are essential during the screening process. For example, charging application fees without the intention of conducting background checks could lead to legal issues. Application fees are not a source of profit but a tool to cover expenses related to tenant screening.

Electronic Signatures and Document Templates are crucial tools that simplify the rental management process. Here's a brief explanation of how they work:

E-Signatures: allow users to digitally sign documents, like leases, on electronic devices. It's a convenient way to confirm a person's agreement to the terms of a lease or any other document.

• Tenant Signatures: When creating a lease through TenantCloud, you can request e-signatures from your tenants. Digital signing makes the process faster and reduces paperwork.
• Secure Storage: Your e-signatures are stored securely, eliminating the need for physical document storage and improving security.

Document Templates: TenantCloud provides flexible tools for creating and managing documents.

Lease Builder:

• Fully Customizable: The Lease Builder feature allows landlords to personalize lease agreements by adding property-specific details such as the property address, rent amount, lease duration, and more.
• Specific Requirements: Landlords can include individual terms and conditions, such as pet policies, maintenance responsibilities, parking arrangements, and other details specific to the rental.

Landlord Forms:

• Versatile Selection: Our property management software offers a wide range of universal landlord forms, including pet addendums, move-in inspection reports, and notices to enter.
• Customization: Landlords can customize these templates and add property-specific information.
• Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like setting up lease renewal reminders to save time and strengthen tenant-landlord relationships.

Tenant screening goes beyond the basics of financials and rental history; it's about painting a complete picture of your potential tenant and avoiding future complications.

Our free online application forms allow users to include additional pre-screening questions. We recommend avoiding simple yes/no answers and encouraging tenants to provide detailed explanations.

• Move-In Date. When do you plan to move in?
  Gain insights into your potential tenant's moving plans. While it is essential to thoroughly vet all applicants, paying close attention to those who express a desire to move in "immediately" is especially crucial.
• Pets. Do you have any pets? If yes, please specify the type, weight, and breed.
  Whether you're pet-friendly or not, knowing the kind of pet is crucial; a dog is different from a lizard, and you want to make sure the applicant does not have a pet that's on your restricted list.
• Parking Requirements. How many parking spaces do you need?
  Make appropriate arrangements and prevent inconveniences. Ensure the applicant knows of any restrictions or limits associated with the rental.
• Background and Credit Check. Are you willing to proceed with background and credit checks as part of the application process?
  Confirm your applicant is open to these checks.
• Smoking. Does anyone in your household smoke?
  Clarify smoking rules as part of your property management policy.
• Monthly Income. What is your monthly income?
  Verify that your tenant's income meets the rental criteria.
• Security Deposit. Can you pay the first month's rent and a security deposit?
  Confirm the ability to cover the first month's rent and security deposit.
• Reason for Moving. Why are you moving?
  This question offers valuable insights into your potential tenant.
• Past Lease Agreements. Have you ever broken a rental lease agreement? If yes, please provide details.
  While a broken lease can be a red flag, considering the complete application may still be worthwhile.
• Evictions. Have you ever been evicted? If yes, please provide details.
  While it is natural for prior evictions to raise concerns, it is important to consider that pandemic-related circumstances might have influenced the situation. Gathering all the necessary details is crucial when making a decision about a rental applicant.

It's essential to ask for relevant information while respecting the Fair Housing Act's prohibitions. These include questions related to race (FHA, 42 U.S. Code §§ 3601-3619, 3631), religion, familial status, disabilities, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, income sources, and criminal history in some regions.