A landlord, the person whose property is being rented, will generally ask questions to determine if an applicant would be a good tenant. (See Appendix A for a sample rental application.) The application will provide information to help the landlord collect rental money or money owed for property damage if the tenant fails to uphold the lease terms.
Typical questions a landlord might ask to determine whether to accept the tenant’s application include:
• Full name, including middle
• Date of birth
• Driver’s license/legally accepted ID card (number and state)
• Social security number (Landlord may request it to run a credit check.)
• Name, date of birth and relationship of all people who are going to occupy the premises
• Name, address, and phone number of tenant’s past landlords
• Income/employment history including income/salary, contact/supervisor’s name, phone number and address. If the tenant is self-employed, the landlord could ask for a copy of business license, tax returns, bank records, or client references.
• Additional income – it is only necessary to list income that the applicant wants included for qualification
• Credit and loan references including automobile payments, department store and other credit cards, and other loans
• Bank references including bank name and account number
• Contact information of a relative to call in case of emergency
• Information about pets and deposit rules
• Other information required for the application