Free Virginia Rental Application Form
To secure a reliable tenant, a Virginia Rental Application Form is an important document. It captures potential tenants' sensitive personal and financial details to help you assess any financial risk accurately. This document can help you handle applicant consent and data appropriately.
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What Is a Virginia Residential Rental Application?
Landlords use Virginia 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 VA'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
Virginia Rental Application Sample
It’s sensible to look over the template of a VA 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.

What to Include in a Virginia Rental Application Form
Both landlords and tenants need to provide specific information on a Virginia rental application. This is so it complies with state laws and allows an informed decision to be made. The details each party should provide can be seen below.
| Data the Tenant Can Be Asked for | Essential Disclosures from the Landlord |
|---|---|
| Personal data | The property's condition |
| Rental history | Potential hazards to the tenant |
| Employment details | Shared utility arrangements |
| Income information | Rent control rules |
| Credit history | Smoking policy |
| Personal references | The security deposit |
| Permission for background checks | Associated fees |
The information offered by either the landlord or tenant will vary from application to application. However, it is vitally important that both sides get the clearest picture possible about the nature of the lease before signing an agreement.
Virginia Rental Application Anti-Discrimination
During the application process, you must avoid anything that may be seen as discriminatory.
Following the NVAR K1008 form, there are guidelines you can use to make sure the rental application process is fair for all candidates.
The rules of the application process include:
- Maximum application fee: It cannot be more than 50 dollars.
- First and second months deposits: You cannot ask for more than 2 months deposit when a tenant enters.
The NVAR Rental Application also outlines the information that you should request from the applicant.
Virginia Rental Application Laws
Virginia 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
In Virginia, depending on the type of residence, there is a set application fee. No landlord can ask for more than $50 for any type of property (§ 55.1-1203).
Public housing on the other hand has a 32 dollar limit.
A landlord can make the application refundable or non-refundable.
Security Deposit
Landlords cannot charge more than 2 months' rent for a security deposit under Virginia law (§ 55.1-1226).
Once the tenancy has ended, the landlord is required to return the security deposit if there are no damages that need to be paid for by the tenant.
Housing Discrimination Law
In Virginia, 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 VA 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 Virginia, 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).
FAQs About Virginia Rental Application Form
Understanding what your Virginia 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.
Creating a Virginia 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 details such as security deposit and fees. Our template designer will help you add the data that must be added.
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 Virginia rental applications so that landlords can properly assess whether a potential tenant will be able to meet the rental payment schedule.
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