What forms or authorizations does a first-time landlord need to screen a prospective tenant?

Landlord-Tenant

Hello, I am leasing a property and need help (first-time landlord).

January 26, 2026

Barrister

65,716 satisfied customers

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A good rental application like the one I just posted will give you the authority to do everything that you require. There aren’t any separate “forms” for that. You have the authorization from the tenant, so you would just forward copies of that to any agency you want to use for a background check.

Residential Rental Application

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Hello, I am leasing a property and need help (first-time landlord).

Lexi, Chatbot

I understand that being a first-time landlord can be overwhelming. What specific issues or concerns are you facing with your lease?

I need forms to obtain a credit report, employer verification, income verification, and personal references.

Lexi, Chatbot

Are you currently experiencing any disputes or challenges with your tenants?

No, they have not moved in yet.

Lexi, Chatbot

Is there anything else the Landlord-Tenant Lawyer should know before I connect you? Rest assured they’ll be able to help with your tenant screening forms.

That’s it. Thank you!

Barrister

Hello! My name is Barrister, and I am a licensed attorney. I am here to help with your situation. I know your question is important, but there may be a short delay in my responses as I am typically working with several customers at once. I have read your post, and I understand this can be frustrating and confusing.

So you are basically looking for a tenant rental application?

I think I got the rental application. I used the one on this website.

Barrister

Understood. This is a link to a pretty comprehensive rental application form that will get you everything you need:
https://esign.com/wp-content/uploads/Residential-Rental-Application.pdf

But I need the forms that one would use to run a background check, employer verification, income verification, and references, etc.

Barrister

What about a credit report? How do we obtain that? Just using the information on the form you sent?

Barrister

You contact a credit reporting agency like Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion and provide the tenant’s information along with a copy of the application, and you pay them for the report. If you go through an online tenant screening service, they do all of that for you. Some even have the tenant pay for their own background and credit check as part of the application process.

Oh, I didn’t know that was a thing. Is there any one in particular you would recommend?

We have a prospective tenant, so I don’t really need a full service. I’m just trying to figure out the best, smartest, most efficient way to do this.

Barrister

Any of those three credit agencies have their own tenant screening services. They all do the same thing, so there really isn’t much difference.

Okay great, thank you! I think that is all I need. I appreciate your help!

Barrister

You are very welcome. Glad I could help. It was my pleasure to work with you.

Barrister

65,716 satisfied customers

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