Free Alabama Rental Application Form

If you are a landlord leasing residential property, you must file an Alabama Rental Application Form. This document is necessary to verify both the credibility and eligibility of any potential tenants.

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Table of Contents:

What Is an Alabama Residential Rental Application
Alabama Rental Applications by Type
What to Include in an Alabama Rental Application Form
Alabama Rental Application Laws
Alabama Rental Application Sample
Related Documents
FAQs About Alabama Rental Application Form

What Is an Alabama Residential Rental Application

Landlords use Alabama rental applications to screen and assess potential tenants before committing to an official lease. This legal real estate form allows you to safely and confidentially collect this data from the applicant to make an informed decision on if they are the right option for your rental property.

Rental applications are also sometimes known as:

Applications for a rental property
Lease applications
Rental Lease applications
Tenant applications

The rental application document you use must be designed with AL’s statutes in mind. Nevertheless, you can use a rental agreement to collect the following information:

The tenant’s rental history
Information about their income
Details on criminal record and credit history
Personal references for the applicant.

Alabama Rental Applications by Type

You will need to choose the correct type of rental application template depending on the people you are renting to and your property’s designation. There are two options to choose from in for AL landlords, which can be seen below.

	Standard/General Rental Application	Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rental Application
Which landlords can use it?	Private landlords	Landlords with Section 8 housing
What kind of tenants is it designed for?	Any	Tenants eligible for subsidized housing

What to Include in an Alabama Rental Application Form

When you fill in a simple rental application form for Alabama you’ll need to ask for some crucial data from the tenant to make the vetting process as effective as possible.

When you create your own application for a rental property, you should request the following information:

Personal data
Rental history
Employment details
Income information
Credit history
Personal references
Permission for background checks

Furthermore, landlords must make a number of important disclosures on a standard rental application form. This information might include:

The property’s condition
Potential hazards to the tenant
Shared utility arrangements
Rent control rules
Smoking policy
The security deposit
Associated fees

Alabama Rental Application Laws

Alabama state has various laws regarding the use of rental applications. If your document is not compliant with AL law, you may get sued by the applicant and face legal consequences.

Application Fee

You can charge as much as you wish as a rental application fee. There are no laws in Alabama providing a set limit, although it is recommended to only charge enough to cover the costs of any background checks. The average AL application fee is between $10 and $25. Any amount charged to the tenant is also non-refundable.

Security Deposit

Landlords cannot charge more than 1 months’ rent if they are leasing an unfurnished apartment under Alabama law (Section 35-9A-201). The deposit must then be returned within 60 days of the tenant vacating the property.

Housing Discrimination Law

In Alabama, there is no specific state law relating to housing discrimination. However, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) is in place (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). The FHA states that it is illegal to discriminate based on the following characteristics:

Race
Nationality
Religion
Sex
Familial status
Disability
Criminal history

As a consequence, you are not allowed to ask for any of these details on an AL Rental Application form, nor to include them in the decision-making process.

Notice of Eligibility

You must disclose the screening criteria used during the application process, as well as anything that could lead to a refusal. To make sure individuals understand this in advance of the application, they must provide a signature of acknowledgment on the application.

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 (15 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1681x).

Alabama Rental Application Sample

Before starting your own Alabama rental application, it’s a good idea to look over a sample document first. Use our example rental application below to get a clearer idea of what you should include and how the final form will appear.

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FAQs About Alabama Rental Application Form

Understanding what your Alabama rental application can and cannot do is vital before you create your own from scratch. Find out more about how these screening documents work and what you need to know when writing them.

How to fill out an Alabama rental application?

Creating an AL rental application can be easily done with the help of our contract maker and template tools. When you fill out a rental application form, you will usually request the following information from the tenant:

Personal data
Rental history
Employment details
Income information
Credit history
Personal references
Permission for background checks

You must also include important legal disclosures on the property and the lease agreement being proposed. This will outline details on the condition of the property, any hazards, and information on aspects such as security deposit and fees. Our template designer will help you add the data that must be added.

What is the screening process in Alabama?

When you wish to rent out your property to a tenant, you can use an AL rental application to check the potential resident before they move in. This allows you to get important background information from the applicant.

In Alabama you might use a rental application to find out any of the following about a prospective tenant:

Whether they can afford rent or not
If they have a positive or negative rental history
If they are employed
Their credit history
Whether they have committed any crimes or felonies

What cannot be asked on rental applications in Alabama?

You cannot ask tenants a number of questions when you are vetting them with an Alabama rental application document. You must not request any of the following information from the applicant during this process:

Race or ethnicity
Religion
Sexuality
Immigration or citizenship status
Arrest records
Marital or familial status
Whether they have children or not

You are only a few steps away from your own Alabama Rental Application!

Download our professional examples

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Preview of your Alabama Rental Application

RENTAL APPLICATION

The following sections must be completed by the Applicant. Please note that, except for married couples, each occupant who is 18 years of age or older has to complete a separate application to rent.

Shall the Applicant have any question regarding the rental unit, please contact _________ at:
Email Address: _________
Phone: _________

The Applicant is a: (check one)

( ) Tenant
( ) Tenant with co-tenant(s)
( ) Guarantor/co-signor

PREMISES INFORMATION

Application to rent property at the following address:

_________ , _________, AL _________

Type of Property: House
Date of Availability: _________
Proposed Move-In Date: _________

APPLICANT'S INFORMATION

Please attach a copy of your Driver's License, State ID, Military ID, or Passport.

FULL NAME OF APPLICANT: ________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: _________________________ (Optional. For purpose of obtaining credit reports. Age discrimination is prohibited by state and federal law)
Driver's license number or any valid ID: _________________ State: ______________ Expires: _________________________
Email Address: ____________________________________________________
Home Phone: (______) ___________ Alternative Phone: (______) ___________

CO-APPLICANT'S INFORMATION (if applicable)

Please attach a copy of your Driver's License, State ID, Military ID, or Passport.

FULL NAME OF CO-APPLICANT: ________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: _________________________ (Optional)
Driver's license number or any valid ID: _________________ State: ______________ Expires: _________________________
Email Address: ____________________________________________________
Home Phone: (______) ___________ Alternative Phone: (______) ___________

OTHER OCCUPANTS' INFORMATION (if applicable)

Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Relation to Applicant: ______________________ Date of Birth: ______________ (Optional)

Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Relation to Applicant: ______________________ Date of Birth: ______________ (Optional)

Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Relation to Applicant: ______________________ Date of Birth: ______________ (Optional)

Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Relation to Applicant: ______________________ Date of Birth: ______________ (Optional)

EMERGENCY CONTACT

In case of emergency, please contact:

Emergency contact #1: ____________________________________________________
Relationship: _______________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________
Email Address: ____________________________________________________

Emergency contact #2: ____________________________________________________
Relationship: _______________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________
Email Address: ____________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Pets

Pets are not allowed in the rental property. However, as provided by law, a Service Animal(s) is not considered a pet, and every individual with a disability shall have a right to have a Service Animal(s) on the Property.

Waterbeds

The Landlord prohibits the use of waterbeds on the rental unit.

Smoking and Vaping

The Landlord does not allow smoking or vaping in the rental unit.

CONSENT & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By signing this Residential Rental Application, the Applicant accepts and agrees to the following:

(i)	This is only an application to rent and does not guarantee that the Applicant will be selected as a tenant of the premises.
(ii)	The Landlord or Manager or his/her authorized Agent could receive multiple rental applications for the premises and will only select the most qualified individual.
(iii)	Applicant represents the above information to be true and complete.

Applicant hereby authorizes the Landlord or Manager or his/her authorized Agent to do the following:

(i)	Verify all of the personal information provided above.
(ii)	Obtain a credit report, as well as other reports, on the Applicant.
(iii)	Applicant further authorizes the Landlord or Manager or his/her authorized Agent to disclose information to the owners or agents of the premises with whom the Applicant intends to have a rental relationship.

Does the Applicant wish to receive a copy of the reports that we may obtain?

Yes ( ) No ( )

Notice of Non-Discrimination

The Landlord does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any approval/disapproval of this application.

_______________________________	___________
Applicant's Signature	Date

_______________________________	___________
Co-Applicant's Signature	Date