If you are a landlord leasing residential property, you must file a Rhode Island Rental Application Form. This document is necessary to verify the credibility and eligibility of potential tenants.
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Table of Contents:ARhode Island rental application is a legal document used by landlords and property managers to assess and choose an appropriate tenant for a rental property. They are sometimes known by other common names, such as:
Having a rental application can prove highly important to make sure you get the right tenant into your property. The process of screening prospective residents in this way allows you to discover any issues such as their inability to pay rent or the likelihood to cause a nuisance before signing a contract.
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 Rhode Island, which can be seen below.
| Standard/General Rental Application | Department 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 |
It is important to request the right data from a tenant when asking them to fill in an RI 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 information from the tenant,this usually includes their personal data, rental history, employment details, income information, credit history, personal references, and 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:
There are a few laws that must be followed in RI 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.
You can charge as much as you wish as a rental application fee. There are no laws in Rhode Island providing a set limit, although it is recommended to only charge enough to cover the costs of any background checks. Any amount charged to the tenant is also non-refundable.
Landlords cannot charge more than 1 months’ rent if they are leasing an apartment under Rhode Island law (§ 34-18-19).
There are no set laws in Rhode Island that specifically limit housing discrimination. However, all states must adhere to the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The FHA is a federal law that prevents landlords from discriminating against tenants based on their:
As a consequence, you are not allowed to ask for any of these details on an RI Rental Application form, nor to include them in the decision-making process. However, in Rhode Island, certain exemptions from fair housing laws exist. These are as follows:
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.
Under the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), tenants being screened in Rhode Island 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 anRI 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.