Free Utah Rental Application Form

Using a Utah 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 UT rental application is an important step for real estate owners when making a final decision on whom to rent a property to. 

This real estate 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 Utah, 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 Utah rental application: The most common form used by UT 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

When you fill in a simple rental application form for Utah 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, security deposit regulations, and associated fees.

There are a few laws that must be followed in Utah 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 UT landlords. Furthermore, the application fee is non-refundable regardless of its amount.

Security Deposit

Similar to the application fee law, there is no Utah statute defining a limit on the amount landlords can charge tenants for security deposits (UT Code § 57-17-2). 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 Utah, there is no specific state law relating to housing discrimination. However, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) is in place (UT Code § 57-21-1). 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 UT Rental Application form, nor to include them in the decision-making process. However, in Utah, certain exemptions from fair housing laws exist. These are as follows:

• Housing for older persons: it is allowed to ask for an applicant’s age for age-restricted communities (such as senior housing).

• Familial status: landlords may ask whether children will occupy the premises for two-family owner-occupied buildings.

• Private clubs: clubs that do not operate publicly and do not rent for commercial purposes can give preference to certain applicants.

• Religious organizations: religion can be used as a basis for giving priority to certain applicants for properties that are owned or managed by a religious organization that does not rent with commercial intent.

• Mrs. Murphy exemption: dwellings with four units or fewer, in which one unit is occupied by the owner, and where the landlord is not represented by a real estate agent, are exempt from fair housing requirements.

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.

Consent Credit Check

Under the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), tenants being screened in Utah 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.

It’s sensible to look over the template of a Utah rental application before starting your own. This can help to give you a better idea of what your final form will look like and the kind of information you’ll need to add to it.

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:

• Utah Residential Lease Agreement

• Utah Eviction Notice