5 Questions to Ask in Your Rental Application

After you’ve shown your rental property, you’re ready to have interested tenants complete your rental application. We’re here to make sure your rental application accomplishes everything it needs to. First, we'll go over the different sections you should include in your application. You should ask for:

• Contact information
• Rental history with landlords' contact information
• Employment history with employers' contact information
• Co-signer information if needed
• The five core questions

Below we’ve outlined the five core questions to ask in your rental application:

1. Have you ever declared bankruptcy?

A history of bankruptcy could indicate the tenant is financially irresponsible. If a tenant responds “yes” to this question, then we recommend following up with him or her to find out more information.

2. Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

Felonies are serious crimes that typically involve at least one year of jail time. They’re also typically violent crimes, which is why they need to be taken seriously. Renting to a criminal is dangerous for you, other tenants, and the neighborhood. There’s also the danger that you will be liable if the tenant commits a crime on your property. Sex offender crimes require that the individual not come near schools and parks, so keep this in mind in case your property is located near a school or park.

3. Have you ever been evicted?

A prior eviction indicates the tenant has probably refused to pay rent or significantly damaged a landlord’s property in the past. Evictions should be taken seriously and you should follow up with the tenant’s prior landlords to find out more. Check out our article on how to handle tenant references.

4. Have you ever refused to pay rent?

If a tenant replies “yes” to this question, you should follow up and ask why he or she refused. There is a strong chance the tenant will repeat the same bad behavior with you and you want to avoid tenants who might refuse to pay rent.

5. Do you smoke?

This is a question that you may have asked during the initial phone call or at the showing. But it’s an important question to ask because smokers can create a lot of problems. Smoking is a fire and health hazard to other tenants. A fire can create significant property damage. There's also the smoke odor and the risk of burn or scorch marks. It’s common for landlords to not allow smoking in the unit or building, and in more strict cases, anywhere on the property. If you want to create firm boundaries about smoking, we recommend writing a rule in your lease.

How a Tenant Replies to the Five Questions 

A “yes” to any of these five core questions should raise a red flag. You should investigate further. You may be skeptical if a tenant is being truthful when they fill out your rental application. Remember that bankruptcy, eviction, criminal history, and nonpayment of rent can all be verified by following up with tenant references and requiring a tenant credit report and background check. These questions will help you gauge whether a tenant will pay rent on time and take care of your property.

Next Steps

After reviewing the rental application, you should reach out to prior landlords and a tenant’s employer. Read our Complete Guide to Tenant Screening for more on how to contact tenant references, how to analyze tenant credit reports and background checks, and how to accept and deny tenants. Learn more about our online rental application, which already asks the five core questions.