Free Kentucky Rental Application Form
Prepare a printable, free Kentucky rental application form to verify potential tenants. Tailor your application to Kentucky’s statutes now, with all the critical details required by law.
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Last Update November 30th, 2023
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What Is a Kentucky Residential Rental Application
Landlords use Kentucky rental applications to screen and assess potential tenants before committing to an official lease. This legal document 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 KY’s statutes (KRS Chapter 283) 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
Kentucky Rental Applications by Type
There are two main types of rental applications in Kentucky. You must select the most relevant one depending on the type of property being rented, local laws, and the type of leasing agreement that will be used.
Standard/General Kentucky Rental Application
The most common type of vetting document used by KY landlords is the Kentucky Standard Rental Application. This form can be customized according to the specific necessities of the property owner or manager.
Department of Housing And Urban Development (HUD) Rental Application
Landlords of low-income tenants or those offering Section 8 Housing should use a HUD rental application. It is specifically designed to only include information that is allowed under subsidized housing rules.
What to Include in a Kentucky Rental Application Form
It is important to request the right data from a tenant when asking them to fill in a Kentucky rental application and to make sure they are properly informed about the contract. This will be essential to make sure you get the right tenant into your property.
Almost all application forms for rental properties request some or all of the following information:
Personal data
Rental history
Employment details
Income information
Credit history
Personal references
Permission for background checks
Additionally, landlords must provide vital disclosures to ensure that potential residents can safely use the property. They must provide details about:
The property’s condition
Potential hazards to the tenant
Shared utility arrangements
Rent control rules
Smoking policy
The security deposit
Associated fees
Kentucky Rental Application Laws
There are a few laws that must be followed in Kentucky when you create a rental application for tenants. Failure to comply with these rules could lead to serious legal consequences and allow the tenant to sue.
Application Fee
You can charge as much as you wish as a rental application fee (No Statute). There are no laws in Kentucky providing a set limit, although it is recommended to only charge enough to cover the costs of any background checks. Any amount charged to the tenant is also non-refundable.
Security Deposit
Kentucky doesn’t set any limits on how much you can charge as a security deposit (No Statute). However, it is recommended not to charge more than 1-2 months rent for this amount.
Housing Discrimination Law
In Kentucky, there is no specific state law relating to housing discrimination. However, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) is in place. 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 a KY 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 (900 KAR 10:120).
Consent Credit Check
Under the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), tenants being screened in Kentucky must consent to any credit checks you wish to carry out. To make sure you comply with the law, the applicant must provide written acknowledgment of the screening on the application form.
Kentucky Rental Application Sample
Looking over a readily prepared template of a rental application can make it much easier to create your own. Review our document sample below to get more familiar with what your application form will look like when it’s completed.

Other Real Estate Documents
There are various other legal documents that landlords must take into account when considering new tenants. Get expert guidance on preparing other personalized property forms with our other free printable templates for the following legal forms:
Residential Lease Agreement
A Kentucky Residential Lease Agreement outlines the terms and conditions of a tenancy in a residential rental property. It establishes the rights and duties of both the renter and the landlord.
Eviction Notice
When a tenant is in violation of their lease agreement, a Kentucky Eviction Notice must be used to inform them of the breach.
FAQs About Kentucky Rental Application Form
Understanding what your KY 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 a Kentucky Rental Application
Creating a Kentucky 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 Kentucky?
When you wish to rent out your property to a tenant, you can use a KY rental application to check the potential resident before they move in. This allows you to get important background information from the applicant.
In Kentucky 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 Are Credit References on a Kentucky Rental Application?
A credit reference is a document that provides information on the credit history of an applicant for a rental property. This may be requested on Kentucky rental applications so that landlords can properly assess whether a potential tenant will be able to meet the rental payment schedule.

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