Free Virginia Rental Application Form

Landlords use Virginia 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 VA’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

When you create a rental application in Virginia, there are two types of templates that are most commonly used. Depending on the property, its designation, and the location it’s being rented in, you could need either of the following forms.

1. Standard/General Virginia rental application: The most common form used by Virginia landlords. These can be adjusted and modified to fit the precise needs of you or a property manager, as well as the data you want to acquire from the applicant.
2. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rental Application: This is a type of rental application used by owners or managers of Section 8 Housing. The HUD rental application is designed and optimized to screen tenants who qualify for subsidized housing.

Both landlords and tenants need to provide specific information on a Virginia rental application. This is so it complies with state laws and allows an informed decision to be made. The details each party should provide can be seen below.

The information offered by either the landlord or tenant will vary from application to application. However, it is vitally important that both sides get the clearest picture possible about the nature of the lease before signing an agreement.

Virginia Rental Application Anti-Discrimination

During the application process, you must avoid anything that may be seen as discriminatory. 

Following the NVAR K1008 form, there are guidelines you can use to make sure the rental application process is fair for all candidates. 

The rules of the application process include:

• Maximum application fee: It cannot be more than 50 dollars.
• First and second months deposits: You cannot ask for more than 2 months deposit when a tenant enters.

The NVAR Rental Application also outlines the information that you should request from the applicant. 

Virginia has many rules and statutes regulating its housing market. These must be fully considered when preparing an application for rental properties in the state. 

Application Fee

In Virginia, depending on the type of residence, there is a set application fee. No landlord can ask for more than $50 for any type of property (§ 55.1-1203).

Public housing on the other hand has a 32 dollar limit. 

A landlord can make the application refundable or non-refundable. 

Security Deposit

Landlords cannot charge more than 2 months’ rent for a security deposit under Virginia law (§ 55.1-1226). 

Once the tenancy has ended, the landlord is required to return the security deposit if there are no damages that need to be paid for by the tenant. 

Housing Discrimination Law

In Virginia, there is no specific state law relating to housing discrimination. However, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) is in place. The FHA states that it is illegal to discriminate based on the following characteristics: 

• Race
• Color
• Nationality
• Religion
• Sex
• Familial status
• Disability
• Criminal history

As a consequence, you are not allowed to ask for any of these details on a VA Rental Application form nor to include them in the decision-making process. 

Notice of Eligibility

Potential tenants must be informed about the screening criteria and reasons for denial or approval. To prove that these facts were shared, a signature of acknowledgment must be provided within the application or alongside it. 

Consent Credit Check

Within Virginia, federal law is in effect that requires potential renters to provide written consent for a credit history check during the application process. This is known as the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). 

It’s sensible to look over the template of a VA 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.

There are various other legal documents that landlords must take into account when considering new tenants. Get expert guidance on preparing other personalized property forms with our other free printable templates for the following legal forms: 

Residential Lease Agreement

A Virginia Residential Lease Agreement outlines the terms and conditions of a tenancy in a residential rental property. It establishes the rights and duties of both the renter and the landlord.

Eviction Notice

When a tenant is in violation of their lease agreement, a VA Eviction Notice must be used to inform them of the breach. The tenant will then have different available remedies to rectify the situation or to leave the property within a specified amount of days.