Apartment Rental Application:
Simply filling out the form with your information and a list of past apartments you’ve rented isn’t enough. Your potential landlord needs more information to show whether you’ll be a reliable tenant.
What do you need to rent an apartment?
Some landlords will ask for everything, and others will only ask for a couple, so preparing for any situation is your best bet.
apartment rental application
- Pay stubs
Landlords ask to see your pay stubs to make sure you’re employed and are truthful about the amount of money you’re making. (Remember, the landlord’s first concern is whether you’ll pay your rent). If you don’t earn enough money, letting you move in is a terrible financial decision on their part: Landlords typically only accept tenants for whom the rental price is 30% or less of their income.
You may have heard this 30 percent rule before, as in, you don’t want to spend more than 30 percent of your gross income on rent. It’s not a hard and fast rule — developed way before crushing student loan debt came into the picture for many people. Do the math before you start your search and determine what is going to work for your budget.
Most of the time, landlords will ask for your two most recent pay stubs. If you have direct deposit, you can likely still find your pay stub online, or ask your boss for a copy. If you do get a physical stub with your paycheck, only provide a copy, not the original.
With so many gig workers and independent contractors, a lot of people don’t have a steady paycheck. If this is you, be prepared with client contracts, 1099s, tax returns — whatever shows that you’ve got some sort of regular income.
- Bank statements
Whether or not you’ve got a traditional pay stub, you can show bank statements. Both are the way that you show that you actually will have the money to pay your rent.
Bring along two months’ worth of bank statements, showing how much money you have and how much you get paid. It can help to highlight the entries showing your pay; this saves the landlord the trouble of having to process everything on a long list of transactions.
- Proof of identification
You will need a photo ID of some sort as part of a list of items that can prove that you are who you say you are. Bring your driver’s license or other identification with you when you tour apartments or when you go to fill out an apartment rental application.
Some landlords are stricter than others about needing this documentation to rent an apartment. If you don’t have a driver’s license, a state ID, passport, or green card can show you are who you say you are and can legally live there.
But even if you are not a U.S. citizen you can still rent an apartment. You may have to bring other forms of documentation such as a 1040-NR, nonresident alien income tax return. When it comes to renting out living space, landlords can set their conditions for tenancy, but they cannot violate anti-discrimination laws.
- Recommendations
A recommendation shows that you were a good tenant in a previous apartment community. You don’t usually have to get an actual letter. Most landlords will accept basic information about your last apartments, such as the property manager’s contact information so that they can call. Still, having a letter ahead of time can save them the work.
It’s a good idea to get one of these letters before moving from your current apartment building. A referral letter that you were confident enough to ask for — and received — says a lot to a manager.
- Vehicle registration and proof of insurance
If you’re bringing a car with you, the landlord needs to know what cars to expect on the property full time.
Some buildings have a limited number of parking spaces per unit, so landlords want to make sure only the approved vehicles are in the lot. It can also help to tell if a car seems abandoned — they can check with you to make sure you’re just out of town for a while, not leaving your car abandoned.
- Social Security number
You know not to give out this precious nine-digit identification code to just anyone, but you do have to provide your social security number to a potential landlord. Property managers use this number to perform credit and background checks to help determine whether you’ll be a good tenant. You shouldn’t have to provide a copy of your social security card, so memorize your number instead.
As long as you’ve been paying your bills on time and keeping your debt low, your credit will remain in good shape. Check with the three credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to know where you stand before you go apartment hunting.
Don’t fret, though, there are ways to rent an apartment even if your credit is less than impeccable. If this is your very first apartment and you’re new to the credit game, or you know our credit is low, you might bring a co-signer application with you. This lets a prospective landlord know that if you need help, you have a safety net to cover the rent.
As for the background check, landlords and property managers have seen their share of scammers and criminals. They need to protect their property and the other tenants and are only doing their due diligence by checking you out.
Tip: Do not store your social security number on your phone or leave it visible in your apartment.
Empty apartment.
- Rental history
You’ll need to provide your rental history, listing all apartments you’ve lived in. This should include addresses, the phone number of the property manager, how long you lived there, how much you paid, and why you left.
If you’ve rented in several locations, it might be a good idea to go ahead and create a file of this information for yourself, so that you can take it with you when you apply. You can always update it with each move. That way, you can make your application quickly, by copying the information, or simply providing a copy of the document with your application, instead of filling out that section.
- References
Most applications have a section for references other than previous landlords. You should have a mental list of both professional and personal references, in case the landlord wants both. Just make sure to ask the people you plan to use as references for their permission since they’ll be receiving a phone call.
These references can come from businesses where you’ve worked, non-profits where you’ve volunteered, even your church. Choose established and responsible adults as your references; your 20-year-old college dorm mate isn’t as reliable in the eyes of a landlord as your 40-year-old boss.
- Job history/resume
Someone who can hold a job is more likely able to pay the rent. Include a resume, with your current job and a few previous ones. Keep this information on hand so you can reference it when you apply for apartments.
More than just the salary, this shows how stable the money coming in is. If you leave every three months, your income isn’t stable and thus isn’t reliable. If, however, you’ve had a job for five or more years, the 12 months you’ll be at this apartment will likely be a financially stable time.
- Pet information
If you’re looking at apartments that allow pets, the property manager or landlord may ask for information on the rental application. The application will likely outline rules regarding the number and type of pets allowed, their weight and size.
Be prepared to show that your pet is a good animal citizen and would fit into your apartment community. Bring along references as well as proof of vaccinations (often required). The landlord may even do a pet screening.
Know that pet security deposits usually require upfront or possibly annual payments. Not all states have a separate fee; for example, in California, landlords may only charge a general security deposit. Check with your state to find out if this fee is refundable depending on any damage your pet might inflict on the apartment. If you have a service or emotional support animal, you should not have any pet security fees according to the Fair Housing Act.
For rent sign outside of an apartment.
- Checkbook
Finally, bring your checkbook when applying for apartments. You may have to pay a fee to apply or to take the unit off the market until you sign the lease.
Rental application fees typically run from $35 to $75 per person and they go to background and credit screens. There may also be a separate processing fee. Find out beforehand if any of these fees are refundable if you don’t get the apartment.
Once you jump these hurdles and you settle on an apartment, keep the checkbook handy. You also will have to put down a security deposit, which is usually one month’s rent. And you will need to pay the first — and possibly — the last month’s rent in advance.
Check your state’s most updated laws, however. COVID-19 upended many rental regulations. For example, in New York State a renter’s relief plan allows renters to use their security deposit toward a month’s rent