Free Tennessee Rental Application Form

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

The document is also known as a “tenant application,” “rental lease application,” “lease application,” or an “application for rental property”. Furthermore, each renter over 18 that will occupy the residence must complete their own individual tenant form.

Having a prospective tenant complete a/an {statecode} 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.

When you create a rental application in Tennessee, there are two 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.

1. 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.

2. 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

Tennessee has many rules and statutes regulating its housing market. These must be fully considered when preparing an application for rental properties in the state. 

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

Similar to the application fee law, there is no Tennessee statute defining a limit on the amount landlords can charge tenants for security deposits. 

Apart from this, there are 6 other basic pieces of information for landlords regarding security deposits, these are: 

• Separate account: It must be stored in a separate account and does not have to earn interest.

• Notice: Provide notice to the tenant that the deposit is in a different account.

• Deposit retention: It may be kept due to damages, nonpayment of rent, or violations of the lease agreement. 

• Inspection: A walk-through inspection is permitted (§ 66-28-301).  

• Giving back the deposit: It must be returned within 60 days.

• Sold property: If you sell the property, you must transfer the deposit to the new owner.  

There is also no requirement for the provision of receipts or holding requirements. 

However, the landlord is obligated to keep valid records of any security deposits they are sent. 

Housing Discrimination Law

In Tennessee, 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

• Color

• Nationality

• Religion

• Sex

• Familial status

• Disability

• Criminal history

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

Notice of Eligibility

Potential tenants must be informed about the screening criteria and reasons for denial or approval. To prove that these facts were shared, a signature of acknowledgment must be provided within the application or alongside it. 

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).

If you deny a tenant based on information found in a credit report, you must notify them of this decision with a description of up to 4 factors. 

This is known as an “Adverse Action Notice”. Generalized terms such as “poor credit history” do not meet the criteria for this type of notification.

Generally, statements given by consumer reporting agencies meet the standards of the notice.

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.

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