Rental Application Form for Landlords

The risk in a rental application is not missing information, it is collecting the wrong information. Provincial human rights codes prohibit screening on citizenship, place of origin, family status, receipt of public assistance, age, and several other grounds, and Ontario additionally restricts how income information can be used. This form collects what a landlord can legitimately assess — identity, income, rental history, references — with written consent for the credit check, and leaves out the questions that create liability.

What this template is for

A draft built around the details you need

Use this to give prospective tenants a consistent application form that collects identity, income, rental history, references, and consent for a credit check.

Human rights codes, privacy law, and screening rules are provincial and change. Using this form does not make a screening decision lawful. Ontario in particular restricts refusing a tenant based on income information alone.

How to use it

  1. Select the province so the correct consent and human rights note appears.
  2. Enter your details as the landlord and the unit being applied for.
  3. Print or send the form to every applicant. Using the same form for everyone is your best defence against a discrimination complaint.
  4. Store completed applications securely and destroy them once the unit is filled.

A completed example

Example shown for Ontario

An Ontario landlord's application form, including the credit check consent block and the Ontario screening note.

Rental Application

Unit: 44 Gerrard Street West, Unit 812 Toronto, ON M5G 2K2 Monthly rent: $2,150 Available from: 2026-10-01 Landlord/agent: Hartley Property Group [email protected] 416-555-0140 Form date: 2026-08-06

Applicant

Full name: ______________________________________________ Date of birth: ____________________ Phone: ____________________ Email: ______________________________________________ Government photo ID seen (type only, do not record the number): ____________________

Occupants

Number of occupants: ______ Names of additional adult occupants: ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pets (type and number): ______________________________________________

Employment and income

Current employer or income source: ______________________________________________ Position: ____________________ Start date: ____________________ Gross monthly income: ____________________ Supervisor or contact for verification: ____________________ Additional income sources (optional): ______________________________________________

Rental history

Current address: ______________________________________________ From: ____________ To: ____________ Monthly rent: ____________ Current landlord name and phone: ______________________________________________ Reason for leaving: ______________________________________________ Previous address: ______________________________________________ From: ____________ To: ____________ Monthly rent: ____________ Previous landlord name and phone: ______________________________________________

References

Reference 1 — name, relationship, phone: ______________________________________________ Reference 2 — name, relationship, phone: ______________________________________________ Emergency contact — name, relationship, phone: ______________________________________________

Consent and declaration

I authorize the landlord or agent named above to obtain a consumer credit report about me from a consumer reporting agency, and to contact the employers, landlords, and references listed above, for the sole purpose of assessing this rental application. I understand this consent applies to this application only. Applicant signature: ______________________ Date: __________

I certify that the information in this application is true and complete. Applicant signature: ______________________ Date: __________ Applicant signature: ______________________ Date: __________

Note to applicants: provincial human rights law prohibits refusing a tenancy on grounds including place of origin, citizenship, ethnic origin, religion, family or marital status, receipt of public assistance, age, disability, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. You are not required to provide a social insurance number. In Ontario, income information may be considered alongside credit checks and references, but a landlord may not refuse an applicant on the basis of income information alone.

Make your own

Fill in your details, then download a PDF or an editable Word file.

  • Landlord/property manager is required.
  • Landlord contact details is required.
  • Unit being applied for is required.

Common questions

What can a Canadian landlord legally ask on a rental application?

Identity, income and employment, rental history, references, and consent for a credit check. What you cannot screen on is set by provincial human rights codes: citizenship, place of origin, ethnic origin, religion, family or marital status, receipt of public assistance, age, disability, and sexual orientation, among others.

Can I refuse an applicant because rent would be more than 30% of their income?

In Ontario, no — not on income information alone. The regulation allows a landlord to consider income together with credit checks and references, but rent-to-income ratios cannot be used as the sole reason to refuse. Several other provinces take a similar view.

Can I ask for a SIN or a copy of ID?

You can ask, but an applicant can refuse and there is no obligation to provide a SIN for a tenancy. Recording SINs and ID numbers creates a privacy liability you gain little from. Note that you sighted photo ID rather than copying it.

Do I need written consent for a credit check?

Yes. Consumer reporting legislation in every province requires the applicant's consent before you pull a credit report. That is why the consent block on this form is separate and separately signed.

What do I do with applications from people I do not select?

Destroy them once the unit is filled. Keeping unsuccessful applications creates privacy obligations and no benefit, and holding one applicant's file while renting to someone else is exactly what gets produced in a human rights complaint.

How this template is maintained

Last reviewed
Reviewed by
Thomas TremblayFounder and editor, Canooq

Sources

See also

Practical pathways

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