Tennessee Rental Application Form

Using a Tennessee Rental Application allows you to screen a tenant before formally signing a lease agreement with them.

Each renter over 18 that will occupy the residence must complete their own individual tenant form.

Having a prospective tenant complete a TN Rental Application is an important step for real estate owners when making a final decision on whom to rent a property to.

This legal document allows you to assess the income, background, and rental history of the applicant before entering a binding contract to ensure no issues arise once the tenancy begins.

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.

When you create a Rental Application in Tennessee, there are 2 types of templates that are most commonly used. Depending on the property, its designation, and the location it’s being rented in, you could need either of the following forms.

Standard/General Tennessee Rental Application

The most common form used by Tennessee landlords. These can be adjusted and modified to fit the precise needs of you or a property manager, as well as the data you want to acquire from the applicant.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rental Application

This is a type of Rental Application used by owners or managers of Section 8 Housing. The HUD Rental Application is designed and optimized to screen tenants who qualify for subsidized housing.

It is important to request the right data from a tenant when asking them to fill in a Tennessee 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

Application Fee

There is no limit in terms of what application fee can be charged by Tennessee landlords. Furthermore, the application fee is non-refundable regardless of its amount.

Security Deposit

Tennessee law sets no limit on security deposits but requires landlords to store them in a separate account, notify tenants, allow inspections, return deposits within 60 days, transfer them if the property is sold, and keep valid records (§ 66-28-301).

Housing Discrimination Law

In Tennessee, there is no specific state law relating to housing discrimination. However, the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) states that it is illegal to discriminate based on these characteristics:

• Race
• Color
• Nationality
• Religion
• Sex
• Familial status
• Disability
• Criminal history

Statistical Note: According to the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA), disability and race are the protected classes most frequently associated with housing discrimination complaints in the state. In recent years, data indicated that approximately 50% of Black and Hispanic renter households in Tennessee experience housing cost burdens, compared to 38% of White renter households. Additionally, the homeownership rate for Black Tennesseans remains roughly 27 percentage points lower than that of White residents.

Notice of Eligibility

Landlords must inform tenants of screening criteria and reasons for approval or denial, with a signed acknowledgement. If denial is based on a credit report, an Adverse Action Notice listing up to four specific factors must be provided.

Consent Credit Check

Within Tennessee, federal law is in effect that requires potential renters to provide written consent for a credit history check during the application process. This is known as the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

It is important to stay on top of your rented real estate. By using the right legal forms, this is a much easier task so that you can remain legally compliant with the rules in Tennessee.

Use one of our real estate legal forms below to make sure everything runs smoothly:

• Tennessee Residential Lease Agreement
• Tennessee Eviction Notice