Are you looking forward to creating a Washington rental application? Landlords may require tenants to fill this rental application form before they choose to go ahead with leasing their property to a tenant.
Here are downloadable Washington rental application templates that you can edit as per your requirements. Keep reading to find out more about Washington rental applications.
What Is a Washington Rental Application?
A Washington rental application is a document that a landlord or real estate broker provides to an applicant seeking to rent the landlord’s property.
The purpose of a Washington rental application is to ask for information from an applicant, including their rental history, employment history, credit history, along with other personal data.
Additionally, through a Washington rental application, an applicant will provide the landlord with signed permission that they can investigate and cross-check all the information that the tenant has provided them.
Why Is It Important to Have a Washington Rental Application?
Washington rental applications are quite important for the screening of potential tenants for several reasons. These include:
- A Washington rental application assures the landlord that the tenant is good with their credit history as well as employment history. This means that the tenant will pay the rent on time and in full amount, giving the landlord financial security.
- It provides signed permission to the landlord that they can investigate the information provided by the tenant. Without this permission, the landlord will not be able to verify the personal details of tenants due to privacy laws.
- When there are multiple potential tenants applying to rent a property, a Washington rental application allows the landlord to screen and choose the best option.
What Is Included in a Washington Rental Application?
Some basic information that is present in a Washington rental application includes:
Applicant Information
The applicant needs to provide in-depth information about themselves, which should include:
- Applicant’s name (including first name, middle name, and last name)
- Social Security Number
- Any government ID (such as driving license number)
- Email address
- Contact number
- Current Address
- Work phone number
Current Address Information
There should be information provided about the current address where the applicant is living. The information can include the address details, reason for leaving, expected move out date, current rent, etc.
Employment Details
Employment details are required to make sure that the applicant can pay the rent on time. These details should include the company name, job title, monthly gross income, and any other relevant information.
Motor Vehicles
The applicant may state the number of motor vehicles they have that they will be parking on the premises. They should also include details such as the type of motor vehicle, the number plate number, etc.
Animals
If the applicant owns any pets, they need to provide information about it in the application form. Keeping pets in a property requires the permission of the property owner. Washington rental application may also need to include the pet tag number.
Emergency Contacts
The application form should state any emergency contacts for the tenant, along with their name and contact information.
Criminal History
If there are any criminal cases against the applicant or any felonies that they committed, the application should state so.
Application Fee
The landlord may also ask for an application fee from the tenant. The application form should state the amount of this non-refundable fee.
Regulations in Washington Governing Rental Applications
Some of the regulations that concern Washington rental applications are:
- Washington laws permit the landlord to require an application fee along with the application form. However, it is important to keep in mind that the application fee is only limited to the costs incurred in verifying the information provided by the applicant.
- There are no limits on the refundable security deposits that a landlord may demand from the tenant.
- The tenant should sign the application form and provide permission to the landlord for verifying the information.
- In case the landlord does not choose to rent the premises to an applicant, they have no liability to return the application fee.
Endnotes
Washington rental application forms are not hard to create. However, it is important for them to abide by Washington’s landlord-tenant laws and to be clear in its purpose. Therefore, the best way ahead is to download and edit the Washington rental application template provided by CocoSign.
You can also check other agreement templates that CocoSign offers. All templates are created by legal professionals to be legally valid.