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Free Washington DC Rental Application Form

To secure a reliable tenant, a Washington DC 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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Last Update April 8, 2026

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What Is a Washington DC Residential Rental Application?Washington DC Rental Application SampleWashington DC Rental Applications by TypeWhat to Include in a Washington DC Rental Application FormWashington DC Rental Application LawsOther Real Estate DocumentsFAQs About Washington DC Rental Application Form

What Is a Washington DC Residential Rental Application?

Landlords use Washington DC 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 DC'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

Washington DC Rental Application Sample

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.

Washington DC Rental Application Form
Create a Washington DC Rental Application
PDFWORD

Washington DC Rental Applications by Type

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 Washington DC, which can be seen below.

Standard/General Rental ApplicationDepartment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rental Application
Which landlords can use it? Private landlords Landlords with Section 8 housing
What kind of tenants is it designed for? Any Tenants eligible for subsidized housing

What to Include in a Washington DC Rental Application Form

When you fill in a simple rental application form for Washington DC 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

Washington DC Rental Application Laws

Washington DC state has various laws regarding the use of rental applications. If your document is not compliant with DC law, you may get sued by the applicant and face legal consequences.

Application Fee

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

Security Deposit

Landlords cannot charge more than 1 months' rent if they are renting out an apartment under Washington DC law (§ 14-308.2).

Housing Discrimination Law

Washington DC has no specific statutes policing housing discrimination. Nevertheless, the Fair Housing Act (FHA), is enshrined in federal law meaning that landlords may not refuse a tenant for discriminatory reasons.

Under the FHA you may not reject a tenant application for reasons such as their race, religion, sex, family status, or because they have any disabilities. You may also not discriminate against certain types of criminal history (whether a background check is carried out or not) or nationality.

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 (§ 42-3541.01). To show that this information has been shared, a signature of acknowledgment from the tenant is required.

Consent Credit Check

The Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) stipulates that potential tenants must agree to any credit checks you require. To show they consent, they must provide written acknowledgment on the application form.

Other Real Estate Documents

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:

FAQs About Washington DC Rental Application Form

Understanding what your Washington DC 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 Washington DC 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 aspects 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 Washington DC rental applications so that landlords can properly assess whether a potential tenant will be able to meet the rental payment schedule.

You cannot ask tenants a number of questions when you are vetting them with a Washington DC rental application document. You must not request any of the following information from the applicant during this process:

  • Race or ethnicity
  • Religion
  • Sexuality
  • Immigration or citizenship status
  • Arrest records
  • Marital or familial status
  • Whether they have children or not

Preview of your Washington DC Rental Application

RENTAL APPLICATION
The following sections must be completed by the Applicant. Please note that, except for married couples, each occupant who is 18 years of age or older has to complete a separate application to rent.

Shall the Applicant have any question regarding the rental unit, please contact _________ at:
Email Address: _________
Phone: _________
The Applicant is a: (check one)

(   ) Tenant
(   ) Tenant with co-tenant(s)
(   ) Guarantor/co-signor
PREMISES INFORMATION
Application to rent property at the following address:

_________ , _________, WA _________

Type of Property: House
Date of Availability: _________
Proposed Move-In Date: _________
APPLICANT'S INFORMATION

Please attach a copy of your Driver's License, State ID, Military ID, or Passport.
FULL NAME OF APPLICANT: ________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: _________________________ (Optional. For purpose of obtaining credit reports. Age discrimination is prohibited by state and federal law)
Driver's license number or any valid ID: _________________ State: ______________ Expires: _________________________
Email Address: ____________________________________________________
Home Phone: (______) ___________ Alternative Phone: (______) ___________
CO-APPLICANT'S INFORMATION (if applicable)
Please attach a copy of your Driver's License, State ID, Military ID, or Passport.

FULL NAME OF CO-APPLICANT: ________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: _________________________ (Optional)
Driver's license number or any valid ID: _________________ State: ______________ Expires: _________________________
Email Address: ____________________________________________________
Home Phone: (______) ___________ Alternative Phone: (______) ___________
OTHER OCCUPANTS' INFORMATION (if applicable)
Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Relation to Applicant: ______________________ Date of Birth: ______________ (Optional)

Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Relation to Applicant: ______________________ Date of Birth: ______________ (Optional)

Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Relation to Applicant: ______________________ Date of Birth: ______________ (Optional)

Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Relation to Applicant: ______________________ Date of Birth: ______________ (Optional)
EMERGENCY CONTACT

In case of emergency, please contact:

Emergency contact #1: ____________________________________________________
Relationship: _______________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________
Email Address: ____________________________________________________
Emergency contact #2: ____________________________________________________
Relationship: _______________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________
Email Address: ____________________________________________________
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Pets
Pets are not allowed in the rental property. However, as provided by RCW 49.60.222, a Service Animal(s) is not considered a pet, and every individual with a disability shall have a right to have a Service Animal(s) on the Property.
Waterbeds

The Landlord prohibits the use of waterbeds on the rental unit.
Smoking and Vaping

The Landlord does not allow smoking or vaping in the rental unit.
The Landlord does not allow smoking or vaping of marijuana in the rental unit.
Is the Applicant a medical or recreational marijuana user?Yes (   )     No (   )     
CONSENT & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By signing this Residential Rental Application, the Applicant accepts and agrees to the following:
(i)This is only an application to rent and does not guarantee that the Applicant will be selected as a tenant of the premises.
(ii)The Landlord or Manager or his/her authorized Agent could receive multiple rental applications for the premises and will only select the most qualified individual.
(iii)Applicant represents the above information to be true and complete and recognizes that such information is notified to be the selection criteria as required under RCW 59.18.257.
Applicant hereby authorizes the Landlord or Manager or his/her authorized Agent to do the following:
(i)Verify all of the personal information provided above.
(ii)Obtain a credit report, as well as other reports, on the Applicant.
(iii)Applicant further authorizes the Landlord or Manager or his/her authorized Agent to disclose information to the owners or agents of the premises with whom the Applicant intends to have a rental relationship.
Landlord Requirement of Disability and/or Medical Proof

In accordance to RCW 49.60.040(25), the Landlord may require the Applicant to provide documents from a doctor or qualified medical professional to prove that he or she requires a service animal for his or her disabilities. The Landlord may also require the Applicant to provide his or her medical marijuana patient authorization to accommodate his or her medical needs.
Potential Tenant's Right to Dispute Records

Pursuant to RCW 59.18.257, the Applicant may dispute or challenge the accuracy of consumer reports and ask the Landlord for all of the information regarding the screening process, including a copy of the screening report and the name, address and phone number of the screening business, if any, that processed the Applicant's application for tenancy.
Does the Applicant wish to receive a copy of the reports that we may obtain?Yes (   )     No (   )     
Notice of Non-Discrimination

Pursuant to RCW 49.60.224 the Landlord shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, disabilities, medical or service animal needs, or military status, in any approval/disapproval of this application.


__________________________________________
Applicant's SignatureDate
__________________________________________
Co-Applicant's SignatureDate
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