A tenant background check form is the signed permission a rental applicant gives a landlord to look up their credit and criminal history. Landlords want to know an applicant is reliable before they offer a lease. However, running any background checks without the applicant’s consent is impossible as federal authorities gather and manage all personal data. Download the free fillable PDF below, fill it in, and keep a signed copy.
A tenant background check form is a binding document where the applicant grants permission to a landlord or their property managers to get the tenant’s credit history or criminal history. This information helps the landlord evaluate the prospective tenants’ reliability and, based on the given information, offer or refuse the leasing contract.
A landlord usually orders the report once the applicant has signed the authorization form. Upon the background check, the landlord will obtain the public records and details about the applicant’s history, including the following:
In general, not all restrictions based on the credit and background check results can be considered lawful. Thus the landlord must provide an apparent reason for refusal to rent to avoid getting the discrimination claims. A landlord has the right to decline the applications from a past sex offender or for criminal history that shows the tenant’s ability to jeopardize property safety or safey of other tenants.
A rental background check may seem a tedious process. However, it drastically reduces the risk of getting an unreliable or disastrous tenant on your premises. The process of accessing background check can be simply divided into three stages:
Open the downloaded PDF and work through it from the first line to the signature, one part at a time. Each step below follows one part of the template. Follow this manual to get the proper binding document.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Tenant Background Check template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.
Step 1. Authorization, rental details and personal information
In the first section, you need to indicate the date when this document is written and the proposed landlord’s full name to receive the right to run the background check. Then add the address of the proposed unit, the proposed lease start date, the rental term and the rent amount.
The person that gives consent to undergo the credit/criminal background check must indicate contact and personal details, including:
Step 2. Employment information: self-employed
Tick Yes or No for Self-employed. If Yes, describe the name and nature of the business and how you are self-employed.
Step 3. Current employer
Give your current employer and supervisor, the supervisor’s phone number and email, your job title, the dates of employment and your salary or wage.
Step 4. Past employer, first entry
Fill in the first past employer with the same lines: employer, supervisor, supervisor phone and email, job title, dates of employment and salary or wage.
Step 5. Past employer, second entry
Repeat the same lines for a second past employer, or leave the block empty if you have none.
Step 6. Other sources of income
Tick Yes or No for other sources of income. If Yes, describe each source and the amount.
Step 7. Homeownership and leasing history: bankruptcy and proceedings
Answer the Previous bankruptcy question and the question about an unlawful detainer, eviction, foreclosure, trustee sale or other proceeding over breach, default or nonpayment of a lease or mortgage. Tick Yes or No and describe it on the lines provided if the answer is Yes.
Step 8. Current address
The form asks for ten years of address history and lets you add pages. Start with your current address. Tick Own or Rent, then enter the rent or mortgage payment and how long you have lived there. Add the dates occupied, the reason for leaving and the contact for the lender, landlord or property manager.
Step 9. Previous address, first entry
Enter the first previous address and tick Own or Rent. Add the payment amount, how long you lived there, the dates occupied, the reason for leaving and the lender, landlord or property manager contact.
Step 10. Previous address, second entry
Fill in the second previous address with the same lines: Own or Rent, payment, length of stay, dates, reason for leaving and contact.
Step 11. Previous address, third entry
Fill in the third previous address the same way. Attach extra pages if your ten years of history are not covered yet.
Step 12. Additional occupants
List each individual who will live on the premises, minors and non-family members included. Give the full legal name of each person and their relationship to you. The form has four lines.
Step 13. References
Give two references who are not family members. For each one, enter the name, phone number, email address and relationship to you.
Step 14. Add the required disclosures
Not all information is necessary for disclosure. You have a right not to share some sensitive information with a landlord if Fair Housing Laws protect it. You are encouraged to discuss what details they require with a landlord and check only the boxes that apply.
Next, read the Proposed Tenant’s Authorization and Release on the same page. Print your name in the name block and sign on the signature line. By signing this document, a tenant gives a landlord or their legal representatives authority to order background and investigative reports on the potential tenant. The tenant must provide their current full name and previous legal names (as maiden) if any exist and are used.
Step 15. Date
On page 6, enter the date next to the signature line.
Gather these details before you start filling in the form. The authorization covers your personal data, employment history, addresses, occupants and references, so having them nearby makes the whole task quicker:
Yes. The template is fillable, so you can type your answers in the FormsPal PDF editor or any other PDF tool. Print it afterward and sign it by hand.
Tenant screening is the full review of a rental applicant, including income, rental history and references. A background check is one part of that screening and looks at credit and criminal records. Landlords often combine these checks to compare potential tenants side by side.
No. A rental application collects details about the applicant, such as employment and rental history. The authorization is the separate signed permission for the landlord to run the check, and many landlords hand both to potential tenants together. If you also need a credit-focused permission, see the credit report consent form, and browse the background check consent forms for other situations.
Landlords commonly review credit history, criminal records, rental history, income and references when screening tenants. What each landlord weighs most varies, so ask which checks apply to your rental application and keep your answers consistent across every page of the form.
The form lists tax returns, current bank statements, a brokerage account statement and pay stubs. Talk with the landlord about which ones fit your situation, then tick only those boxes and attach the matching papers.
Read the authorization text so you understand what you are agreeing to. Check that your name matches your ID, that every address and date is complete, and that you ticked only the enclosures you plan to attach. Then sign on the signature line and add the date on page 6.
Keep a signed copy for your records and give the original to the landlord or property manager. If your address or job changes before the check is run, tell them so the information stays accurate.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
