# Rental application requirements: what landlords ask for, and who issues each paper

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By [Arthur Teboul](/authors/arthur-teboul), Founder, DokuTrak. Published 2026-10-30, updated 2026-10-30.

> **In brief:** Rental application requirements usually cover a completed application for each adult, a government photo ID, proof of income, recent bank statements, landlord and personal references, and signed consent to a credit and background check. Many landlords also charge an application fee, which some states cap, and may ask for a guarantor if your income falls short.

## What are the rental application requirements?

**Rental application requirements** are the papers and details a landlord or property manager wants before offering a lease. They answer three questions: who you are, whether you can pay the rent, and how you have treated past homes.

Each landlord sets its own list, so two buildings on the same street can ask for different things. The form itself is covered in our [rental application template](/blog/rental-application-template); this page is about the documents that go with it, and where each one comes from.

One part of the process is set by law rather than by the landlord. **A consumer report** is a credit, eviction or background report from a screening company, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act governs how a landlord gets and uses it ([FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/using-consumer-reports-what-landlords-need-know)).

## Who sends them, and when

You fill in and sign the application; every adult who will live in the unit usually signs their own. The supporting papers come from others: the DMV or the State Department for ID, your employer or payroll service for pay records, your bank for statements, and past landlords for references. The landlord or a screening company then pulls the credit and background report with your consent.

## Where to get the rental application requirements

1. Ask the leasing office for its written requirements and fee before you apply, so you gather the right set once.
2. Scan a current photo ID for each adult, front and back.
3. Download recent pay records and bank statements as PDFs from your payroll site and your bank.
4. Write down your current and past landlords, with phone numbers and the dates you lived there.
5. If your income is below the landlord’s ratio, line up a guarantor and their papers before you submit.

## Wrong files people send instead

- An expired ID, or a photo of it so blurry that the name and number cannot be read.
- A past landlord listed with a phone number that no longer works.
- Leaving a co-applicant off the form, so the landlord cannot screen everyone who will live there.
- Sending bank statements with balances hidden or pages missing.
- Paying a fee before asking what the landlord requires, then finding you cannot meet it.

## The documents, and who issues each one

This is the set landlords ask for most often. The middle column tells you where to get each paper if you do not have it yet.

| Requirement | Who issues it | What the landlord checks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Signed application | You, one per adult | Names, addresses and dates match your papers |
| Photo ID | State DMV, or the U.S. Department of State for a passport | Not expired; name matches the application |
| Pay records or offer letter | Your employer or payroll service | Income against the rent |
| Tax return transcript | The IRS, online or by mail ([IRS, Get your tax records and transcripts](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript)) | Income if you are self-employed |
| Benefit letter | Social Security, online through my Social Security ([Social Security Administration, Get a benefit verification letter](https://www.ssa.gov/manage-benefits/get-benefit-letter)) | Monthly benefit amount |
| Bank statements | Your bank | Deposits and savings |
| Rental history | Current and past landlords | Payment record, notice given, condition |
| Consent to a report | You sign; a screening company runs it | Credit, evictions, and where allowed, criminal records |

## When you have no regular pay stub

Plenty of good applicants are paid in other ways. Bring the paper that stands in for the stub, and say so in a short note.

The full breakdown by situation is on the proof of income for an apartment page. In short:

- Self-employed: an IRS tax return transcript shows last year’s income from the IRS’s own records ([IRS, Get your tax records and transcripts](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript)).
- Retired or on Social Security: the benefit verification letter, which SSA itself calls a proof of income letter ([Social Security Administration, Get a benefit verification letter](https://www.ssa.gov/manage-benefits/get-benefit-letter)).
- New job: a signed offer letter with the salary and the start date.
- Student: a financial aid award letter, or a guarantor.
- Voucher holder: the voucher and the housing agency’s paperwork on your share of the rent.

## What a guarantor or co-signer brings

**A guarantor** is a person who signs to pay the rent if you do not. Landlords screen them much like an applicant, often with a higher income bar. Ask the landlord for its guarantor form, and give the guarantor this list:

- A signed guarantor application or agreement.
- A government photo ID.
- Recent pay records, a W-2 form or a tax return transcript.
- Consent to a credit check, since the landlord will want the guarantor’s report too.

## Your rights while you apply

Some states cap the fee. New York, for example, limits it to the actual cost of the background and credit check or $20, whichever is less ([New York Real Property Law 238-A, Limitation on fees](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/RPP/238-A)). There, the landlord must also waive it if you bring a check done in the past 30 days ([New York Real Property Law 238-A, Limitation on fees](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/RPP/238-A)).

Federal fair housing law bars a landlord from refusing to rent, or setting different terms, because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin ([42 U.S.C. 3604, Fair Housing Act](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/3604)). Many states and cities add more protected groups, such as source of income.

A landlord may pull your credit report because you started the rental transaction yourself ([15 U.S.C. 1681b, Permissible purposes of consumer reports](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1681b)). The FTC says landlords may get consumer reports on people who apply to rent ([FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/using-consumer-reports-what-landlords-need-know)).

**An adverse action** is any unfavorable step based on that report, such as a denial, a co-signer demand or a larger deposit ([FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/using-consumer-reports-what-landlords-need-know)). When that happens, the landlord must tell you, name the reporting company, and tell you about your right to a free copy and to dispute errors ([15 U.S.C. 1681m, Requirements on users of consumer reports](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1681m)). It must also say the reporting company did not make the decision, and give the credit score if one was used ([15 U.S.C. 1681m, Requirements on users of consumer reports](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1681m)). The FTC adds that the free copy is yours if you ask for it within 60 days ([FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/using-consumer-reports-what-landlords-need-know)).

## For property managers: writing your requirements

A written list protects you as much as the applicant. Use the same list for every applicant at the property.

1. Write down the income ratio, the credit standard and the rental history you need, and post them with the listing.
2. List the accepted documents for each income type, so a freelancer or retiree knows what replaces a pay stub.
3. Collect a signed consent before ordering any report; screening companies and some states require it.
4. Check each ID and pay record against the application, and call references on numbers you found yourself.
5. If a report played any part in a denial or extra condition, send the adverse action notice ([15 U.S.C. 1681m, Requirements on users of consumer reports](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1681m)).

## The template: Rental application document list for an applicant

Send this after a showing, when someone asks how to apply. State your written screening criteria and your fee before sending, and check your state’s fee cap. Say who to contact if the applicant uses a housing voucher.

Subject: How to apply for [unit address]: documents to send by [date]

```text
Hi [Client name],

Thanks for touring [unit address]. To apply, please send by [date]:

1. The signed application, one per adult who will live there.
2. A current photo ID for each adult.
3. Income papers: recent pay records, or a tax transcript, benefit letter or offer letter.
4. Bank statements for the last [number] months.
5. Landlord contacts for the past [number] years, and two references.
6. The signed consent to a credit and background check, and the $[fee] fee.

We ask for income of [number] times the rent. A guarantor can apply with you if needed.

Best,
[Your name]
[Property management company]
```

## Questions people ask

### What do you need for a rental application?

Bring a photo ID, proof of income such as pay records or a benefit letter, recent bank statements, your rental history with landlord contacts, references, and the application fee. You also sign consent for a credit and background check.

### Do I have to give my Social Security number on a rental application?

Landlords and screening companies usually ask for it to match credit records. If you have no Social Security number, ask before you pay the fee whether the landlord accepts an ITIN, a passport or other records instead.

### Can a landlord deny me because of my credit report?

Yes, but if a report played any part, the landlord must send an adverse action notice naming the reporting company ([15 U.S.C. 1681m, Requirements on users of consumer reports](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1681m)). You can then get a free copy and dispute any errors ([FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/using-consumer-reports-what-landlords-need-know)).

### What can disqualify a rental application?

Usually a gap against the landlord’s written criteria: income below its rent ratio, a rental history or identity it cannot verify, or a file left incomplete. If a credit or background report played any part, you get an adverse action notice ([15 U.S.C. 1681m, Requirements on users of consumer reports](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1681m)).

### Can a landlord turn away an applicant with a housing voucher?

Federal fair housing law does not list source of income ([42 U.S.C. 3604, Fair Housing Act](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/3604)). Some states and cities do, so check your state’s civil rights agency before you apply.

**Not advice.** This page is general information, not tax, legal or HR advice. Rules change: check the cited source and ask your own professional before you rely on it. Last reviewed October 25, 2026.

## Sources

- [42 U.S.C. 3604, Fair Housing Act](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/3604): It is unlawful to refuse to rent, or to set different terms, because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
- [15 U.S.C. 1681b, Permissible purposes of consumer reports](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1681b): A consumer report may be furnished to a person with a legitimate business need for it in connection with a business transaction initiated by the consumer.
- [15 U.S.C. 1681m, Requirements on users of consumer reports](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1681m): A person taking adverse action based in whole or in part on a consumer report must give notice, disclose any numerical credit score used, give the reporting agency’s contact details and a statement that the agency did not make the decision, and give notice of the right to a free report and to dispute it.
- [FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/using-consumer-reports-what-landlords-need-know): Landlords may get consumer reports on rental applicants; denying an application, requiring a co-signer or a larger deposit are adverse actions that call for a notice with the free-report right within 60 days.
- [IRS, Get your tax records and transcripts](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript): Individuals can get transcripts of past tax returns and wage and income statements online through an IRS Individual Online Account or by mail.
- [Social Security Administration, Get a benefit verification letter](https://www.ssa.gov/manage-benefits/get-benefit-letter): The benefit verification letter, also called a proof of income letter, can be downloaded from a my Social Security account and is often used for housing.
- [New York Real Property Law 238-A, Limitation on fees](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/RPP/238-A): A New York landlord may charge for background and credit checks no more than the actual cost or twenty dollars, whichever is less, and must waive the fee if the applicant provides a check done within the past thirty days.

## More on this topic

- [Rental application template](/blog/rental-application-template)
- [Tenant document collection](/blog/tenant-document-collection)

## About the author

Arthur Teboul (Founder, DokuTrak) is building DokuTrak after watching professionals lose hours chasing clients for documents over email. [Arthur Teboul](/authors/arthur-teboul).

How this page was made (methodology): it is built from the primary sources listed under Sources, and every rule and figure on it links to the source it comes from. Last updated October 25, 2026. Spotted an error or a rule that changed? [Contact us](/contact).

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