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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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Last Update May 22nd, 2023

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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

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