Free New Mexico Rental Application Form

Landlords use New Mexico rental applications to screen and assess potential tenants before committing to an official lease. This real estate 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 NM’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 

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 NM, which can be seen below.

When you fill in a simple rental application form for New Mexico 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

There are a few laws that must be followed in New Mexico 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

There is no limit in terms of what application fee can be charged by New Mexico landlords (No statute). Furthermore, the application fee is non-refundable regardless of its amount.

Security Deposit

New Mexico landlords may charge up to 1 month’s rent as a security deposit for rents of less than a year (§ 47-8-18). There is no limit when the lease is 1 year or longer, but the landlord must pay the tenant annual interest.

Housing Discrimination Law

In New Mexico, 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 an NM Rental Application form, nor to include them in the decision-making process.

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. To show that this information has been shared, a signature of acknowledgment from the tenant is required (NM Stat § 7-1-4.4)

Consent Credit Check

Under the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), tenants being screened in New Mexico must consent to any credit checks you wish to carry out (NM Stat § 56-3A-4). To make sure you comply with the law, the applicant must provide written acknowledgment of the screening on the application form.

Before starting your own New Mexico 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.

Managing real estate can be tricky and it is essential to ensure that your activities are legally compliant at all times. Take advantage of the full range of property management legal documents below whenever you need to perform crucial tasks:

• New Mexico Residential Lease Agreement

• New Mexico Eviction Notice