A California rental application is the form a prospective tenant fills out to ask a landlord for a home. It collects your contact details, jobs, past addresses, vehicles, references and credit information on two pages. This form differs from a lease agreement, which sets the terms of the tenancy. Create the application online or download the PDF below.
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 If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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Before letting the premises, the landlord may require the tenant to complete a rental application. The form works like the written questionnaire a job applicant fills out. The difference is that you are asking to rent a home, not to join a company. It gives the landlord your history in one place, and it lets you present your information in an organized way.
Following the California Guide to Residential Tenants’ and Landlords’ Rights and Responsibilities, the landlord may require:
data that proves one’s ability to pay rent regularly
the number of potential dwellers
Credit Checks and Screening Fees
Under the state’s law, the landlord has the right to use the rental application to verify the applicant’s credit background and previous landlord-tenant relations. This data is vital for rendering a decision on whether or not to consent to the tenant. As a rule, the landlord is free from giving reasons for refusal. Nonetheless, if they refuse based on the credit background, they must notify the tenant.
On the other hand, the lessee can challenge the landlord’s decision if the reasons given are non-consistent. They are also free to provide a paid bill to prove the inspection results wrong. Sometimes it works, and the landlord confirms the individual as their lessee.
The landlord can collect a maximum of $52.46 Screening Fee to cover expenses while examining the applicant’s credit background and references. The landlord must present the research copy at the applicant’s request.
Applicant’s Protection
Applicants should be aware of several things to protect themselves from harassment. Keep a copy of every application you send and note the date you sent it. Following California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and Unruh Civil Rights Act, any below-listed decisions are illegal:
any judgment by sex, race, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, color, income stream, or national origin is considered discrimination
judgments on citizenship rank
decisions relying on age and health-care condition
children issues
The landlord has no legal right to reject applicants with children if the landlord tends to potentially approve an equal number of adults.
California Rental Application Form Details
This table lists the main facts about the template at a glance. It shows the other names for the form, the typical time to complete it, the number of fillable fields and the file format.
Document Name
California Rental Application Form
Other Names
CA Rental Application, California Application to Rent
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How to Fill Out a California Rental Application Template
These steps follow the FormsPal California Rental Application template this page hands out, in the same order as the form. Page 1 covers you, your jobs, your homes, your vehicles and your references. Page 2 covers credit information, general questions and the signature. You can use our form-building software to fill it in online or complete the PDF on your own device.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal California California Rental Application template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.
Fill in the applicant details. Under PLEASE PRINT, enter your first, middle and last name, date of birth, Social Security number and driver's license number. On the next row add other names used in the last 10 years, home phone, cell phone and email. The form says each applicant over 18 completes their own application. Step 1: sample entries, not a real document.
List additional occupants. Under ADDITIONAL OCCUPANTS, write the name and relationship to you of everyone who will live with you. Step 2: sample entries, not a real document.
Enter your employer details. In the EMPLOYMENT block, fill the Current Employment and Prior Employment columns: employer, address, employer phone, job title and name of supervisor. Step 3: sample entries, not a real document.
Add employment dates and monthly income. On the Dates of Employment row enter the From and To dates for each employer. On the Income Per Month row enter the dollar amount for each. Step 4: sample entries, not a real document.
Complete the residence history. In the RESIDENCE block fill the Current Residence and the two Previous Residence columns: street address, city, state and zip, dates of stay, owner/manager and phone, reason for leaving and last rent paid. Step 5: sample entries, not a real document.
List your vehicles. Under VEHICLES, enter make, model, color, year and license number for each automobile on the Automobiles rows and for any motorcycle on the Motorcycles row. Step 6: sample entries, not a real document.
Add personal references. Under PERSONAL REFERENCES, fill the three rows: In Case Of Emergency Notify, Close Friend and Nearest Relative Living Elsewhere. Give address/city, phone and relationship for each. Step 7: sample entries, not a real document.
Fill in the credit information. On page 2 under CREDIT INFORMATION, list all your financial obligations. Check that the bank name, branch or address, account number and balance are filled in on the Checking and Savings rows. Then list your credit accounts with account number, address/city, phone, balance and amount due monthly. Step 8: sample entries, not a real document.
Answer the smoking and pets questions. Under GENERAL INFORMATION, check YES or NO for 'Do you smoke?' and 'Do you have any pets?'. Step 9: sample entries, not a real document.
Answer the bankruptcy and musical instrument questions. Check YES or NO for 'Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?' and 'Do you have any musical instruments?'. Step 10: sample entries, not a real document.
Answer the water-filled furniture question. Check YES or NO for whether you have or intend to use water-filled furniture in the apartment. Step 11: sample entries, not a real document.
Answer the conviction question. Check YES or NO for the question about convictions for selling, possessing, distributing or manufacturing illegal drugs, or any other crime. Step 12: sample entries, not a real document.
Answer the eviction question. Check YES or NO for whether you have ever been evicted for non-payment of rent or any other reason. Step 13: sample entries, not a real document.
Explain answers and complete the rental details. Explain any YES answers on the lines provided, then say why you are leaving your current residence. In the paragraph below, enter the apartment number, address, monthly rent and the application fee amount. Step 14: sample entries, not a real document.
Sign and date the application. Sign on the Applicant line at the bottom of page 2 and enter the date next to it. Step 15: sample entries, not a real document.
A complete, tidy application is easier for a landlord to read. Gather your addresses, employer details and reference phone numbers before you start, then work through the form from top to bottom.
Check that your name, date of birth and ID numbers match your photo ID. Write N/A on any line that does not apply to you so the landlord can see you did not skip it.
Print clearly in dark ink if you fill in the PDF by hand, or type your answers if you complete it on a device.
Give phone numbers and email addresses you check often, so references and the landlord can reach you.
Explain any YES answer briefly and honestly on the lines the form provides.
Keep a signed copy of the finished application for your records.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to fill out a California rental application?
Plan on about 20 minutes. It goes faster when you have your past addresses, employer details and reference phone numbers at hand before you begin. The time shown in the form details table is an average, so expect a little longer if you have several past addresses or jobs to list.
Can I fill out the California rental application online?
Yes. Use the Create My Document button above to answer a few questions and build the application online. You can also download the PDF and complete it with the FormsPal PDF editor or by hand after printing.
What information does the template ask for?
The template asks for these details:
your contact details and other names used
additional occupants
employment and monthly income
residence history
vehicles and personal references
credit information
YES or NO questions about smoking, pets, bankruptcy, musical instruments, water-filled furniture, convictions and evictions
Does each person fill out their own copy?
The template is set up for one applicant per copy, so each adult who is applying creates their own. Co-applicants can each use the same unit address and rent amount on page 2.
Where do I sign the California rental application?
Sign on the Applicant line at the bottom of page 2 and enter the date beside it. If you complete the PDF by hand, print the pages first and sign the second page in ink.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
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