Washington DC state has various laws regarding the use of rental applications. If your document is not compliant with DC law, you may get sued by the applicant and face legal consequences.
Application Fee
There is no limit in terms of what application fee can be charged by Washington DC landlords. Furthermore, the application fee is non-refundable regardless of its amount.
Security Deposit
Landlords cannot charge more than 1 months’ rent if they are renting out an apartment under Washington DC law (§ 14-308.2).
Housing Discrimination Law
Washington DC has no specific statutes policing housing discrimination. Nevertheless, the Fair Housing Act (FHA), is enshrined in federal law meaning that landlords may not refuse a tenant for discriminatory reasons.
Under the FHA you may not reject a tenant application for reasons such as their race, religion, sex, family status, or because they have any disabilities. You may also not discriminate against certain types of criminal history (whether a background check is carried out or not) or nationality.
Notice of Eligibility
Tenants must be told about any specific screening criteria, as well as the reasons that they could be denied or approved by the landlord (§ 42–3541.01). To show that this information has been shared, a signature of acknowledgment from the tenant is required.
Consent Credit Check
The Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) stipulates that potential tenants must agree to any credit checks you require. To show they consent, they must provide written acknowledgment on the application form.