TurboTenant's rental application provides you with relevant information about a prospective renter’s housing history, employment & income, and living preferences, giving you all the information you need to find the best tenant possible! To make your experience even better, our tenant screenings are free for landlords. The fee is paid for by the prospective renter by default, however, we also offer the option for the landlord to pay if necessary!
Ready to send someone a rental application? Here's how to invite a renter to apply from TurboTenant.
TurboTip: Each individual applying to the property will need to submit their own application. Multiple applicants to the same property must use unique email addresses.
The application is divided into six sections:
You can use our Demo Application below to walk through the application just as a renter would!
You can also go through the application within this brief video, we walk you through the entire online rental application process in TurboTenant.
Basic Information:
To begin the application, the applicant must enter their email address and create a password for their tenant portal. If they already have a TurboTenant account, they can select the option to log in and go straight to the application.
Next, they'll select whether they are applying as a tenant or co-signing for someone else. From here, they'll enter important contact information, including:
Name
Phone number
Date of birth
From there, the applicant is taken to the next section of the application, where they provide additional information:
Desired move-in date
Additional co-applicants (if additional co-applicants are added during the application, these individuals receive a separate application link if their email address was provided)
Total number of people living on the property
Residential History:
Within the second section of the application, the applicant provides information about their residential history, including the following:
Current and past addresses
Monthly rent or mortgage
Reason for moving
Contact information of their previous landlord(s) (applicants who indicate they owned their last home will not be required to submit this information)
TurboTip: Applicants need to provide at least three years of housing history to move beyond this step. If they do not have a past address, they need to select "Not Applicable" to move forward.
Employment and Income:
In the third section, the applicant provides information about their current income situation, including the following:
Current and past employers, including compensation
Employer contact information
Other income sources (Social Security, alimony, parental assistance, etc.) if applicable
Current bank or financial institution
TurboTip: Applicants need to provide at least five years of employment history to move beyond this step. If they do not have a past employer, they need to select "Not Applicable" to move forward.
Other Income
We'll ask whether the applicant has any additional sources of income they'd like to include. Examples include:
Social Security
Parental assistance
Scholarships
Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) or other housing assistance
Note: If the applicant selects Housing Choice Voucher Program or other housing assistance, they'll be required to provide supporting documentation later in the application. During the Upload documents step, they'll need to upload a copy of their voucher or any other applicable housing assistance documentation.
General Information: Pets, Smoking, Vehicles, Background, and Emergency Contact:
In the fourth section, the applicant answers a few questions about their living habits and preferences/needs, including if they have pets, plan to have vehicles at the property, or smoke.
They can indicate their pet's breed, weight, and age, and even add additional pets as needed. They can also provide details about their vehicle as applicable, such as its make, model, color, and year.
The renter also has an opportunity to make you aware of any special needs or requirements in this section.
Next, the applicant answers a few standard background questions, making you aware of any criminal history, evictions, and other relevant housing histories such as foreclosures. These are yes or no questions.
TurboTip: You can choose what background questions to ask based on your property’s local laws. If you add any custom questions to the application, they will appear in this section as well.
Lastly, your renter will add their emergency contact, any additional comments, and how they found your property.
Document Upload:
In the fifth section, the applicant has the opportunity to upload a photo ID, proof of income/employment, and any other documents you request.
Make sure to reach out and let applicants know if you would like them to upload a particular document before they apply. Applicants can go back at any time to update their application, which includes adding more documents as applicable.
Screening Fee:
In the sixth and final section of the application, the renter is prompted to pay the application fee, which covers the payment for their screening report — keeping this step free for you, the landlord. The screening report consists of your applicant's credit report, criminal history, and past evictions and is provided through a top credit bureau.
We'll ask your tenant to provide their Social Security Number (SSN) as part of the background check process.
For your tenant's security and privacy, their SSN is encrypted and cannot be viewed by you or by TurboTenant. It is only securely transmitted to the credit bureau to complete the background check.
At this point, the applicant has successfully completed their application and created a TurboTenant account. From here, they can monitor the status of their application/screening report, purchase renters insurance, and edit their application info as needed.
TurboTips:
You can edit a renter's application after it has been submitted. To make changes, navigate to the renter's profile, open the Application tab, and click the blue pencil icon next to the section you want to update.
This is helpful if information is missing, needs to be corrected, or has changed since the application was originally submitted.
If you wish to receive an applicant's screening report instantly, make sure you enter your phone number and mailing address into your TurboTenant account. Learn more about instant screening reports here.
If you have your phone and mailing address entered, the applicant will have the option to approve the credit and background check and verify their identity right after completing the application.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: If I ask for additional documents, can the applicant upload the information you asked for? If so, where?
A: The renter can log into their renter portal, click View My Application, and scroll to the Attachments section to upload the requested documents. If they share the documents with you directly, you can edit their application in the Attachments section and upload the documents! This is also great if the applicant needs to make updates to their rental application!
Q: Can I deny an applicant if they are not moving in?
A: Click here to view our guide on how to Archive an applicant where you'll be able to select the best fitting option. Additionally, check out our blog on How To Accept Or Reject Rental Applicants
Q: Can a couple, family members, or co-signers use the same application and email address?
A: We highly recommend requiring an application for each person over 18 using a unique email address (even the co-signers). Credit reports, background checks, and eviction history in the US are tied to individual persons and not couples, groups, or families.
You can find out more about co-signers by clicking here, leases with multiple tenants by clicking here, and how to use the same email for two people (with Gmail) by clicking here.
Q: Can the applicant use their nickname?
A: We recommend they use their legal name when applying to avoid an error when they verify their identity for the screening report!
Not sure how to use rental applications and screening reports to evaluate prospective tenants? We've got you covered! Check out our free blog articles, which break down how to review applications, interpret screening results, and make informed decisions what a tenant screening report is and how to use screening criteria to find a good tenant.