New York Rental Application Form

What this New York rental application is

This is a one-page "New York Rental Application" template that a landlord, management company or broker gives to people applying for an apartment. It is a general form, not one issued by New York State or New York City, and state law does not require a specific application. Everything fits on a single page: the apartment and lease terms, your personal details, two years of residence history, current and previous employment, bank and emergency contact information, pets, and a consumer report authorization you sign at the bottom.

Who uses it

Tenants applying for an apartment anywhere in New York, roommates applying together, and guarantors backing an applicant. A checkbox at the top lets you mark whether you are completing the form as a Tenant or a Guarantor, so a guarantor can fill out a separate copy. Landlords use it as a tenant screening form to collect what they need to run a credit and background check.

What to have ready

• The apartment address with unit number, the monthly rent and security amount quoted to you, the lease term and your desired start date
• Number of adults, children and pets who will live there
• Your addresses for the past two years, rent or mortgage amounts, and your current landlord's name and phone
• Current and previous employer details, including annual income and supervisor names
• Driver's license number, state and expiration date, plus your bank name and account numbers
• An emergency contact, and pet type, breed, weight and age if you have a pet

How to fill it out online

Click "Fill Template Now," type into each field and tick the checkboxes, sign the authorization, and download your completed PDF. Here is the form from top to bottom, using its printed labels.

Apartment and lease

Fill in the application fee line if the landlord gave you an amount, then Address of prospective Apartment (street and unit #), Monthly Rent, Security, Occupants (Adults and Children), Pets, Lease Term and Desired Start Date. Check Tenant or Guarantor, answer "How did you hear about this apartment?", and choose a Moving Method: Self or Professional Movers.

Personal information

Last Name, First Name, Roommate(s), Social Security #, Date of Birth, E-mail, and home, work and cell phone. Name any guarantor(s), enter Annual Income, and answer two yes or no questions: whether you have ever been involved in a dispute with a prior landlord, and whether you have ever been convicted of a crime, each with space to explain briefly.

Prior residence

The form requires two years of history and says to use additional paper if needed. Enter Current Address, Apartment #, City, State, Zip, length of time at the residence (from and to), Current Rent or Mortgage, Present Landlord/Manager and phone, and Reason for Moving.

Employment history

Mark whether you are a Student and, if yes, name the college you attend or plan to attend. Then give your Employer, Position, Annual Income, Work Address, City, State, Zip, Work Phone, E-mail, Length of Employment and Supervisor's Name, followed by the same details for your Previous Employer.

Additional information and authorization

Enter your Driver's License #, State and Expiration Date; Bank Name, City and Phone with Checking Account # and Savings Account #; Emergency Contact Name, Relationship and Phone; and Pet(s) yes or no with Type, Breed, Weight and Age. The Consumer Report Authorization names the landlord or company allowed to obtain credit reports, housing court records, criminal background checks and rental verifications. Sign and date it.

Signing and submitting

Sign in the Applicant Signature field (see how to sign a PDF online) and send the PDF to the landlord or broker. Each applicant and guarantor normally submits their own copy.

New York rules on fees, deposits and screening

General information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Follow the links for the full text.

• Application fee limit: Real Property Law 238-a bars landlords from charging any fee to process, review or accept an application, with narrow exceptions such as co-ops. The only allowed charge is for a background and credit check, capped at the actual cost or $20, whichever is less. The landlord must give you a copy of the check and the receipt, and must waive the fee if you provide a background or credit check done within the past 30 days. The form's line that a fee applies to every applicant, including guarantors, is subject to these limits.
• Security deposit: under General Obligations Law 7-108, a deposit or advance generally cannot exceed one month's rent. Within 14 days after you move out, the landlord must give you an itemized statement and return any remaining deposit.
• Past housing court cases: Real Property Law 227-f says a landlord may not refuse to rent to someone because they were involved in a past or pending landlord-tenant case. This is relevant because the authorization covers housing court records.
• Source of income: the New York State Human Rights Law protects applicants who pay rent with any lawful source of income, including housing vouchers and public assistance (Division of Human Rights).
• Criminal history in New York City: since January 1, 2025, the city's Fair Chance for Housing Law bars most housing providers from asking about criminal history in applications. Those who run criminal checks may do so only after a conditional offer, and only for certain convictions. Landlords using this form for NYC units should review the conviction question against that law.

Common mistakes

• Listing less than two years of residence history.
• Leaving the landlord's name blank in the Consumer Report Authorization.
• Not marking Tenant or Guarantor at the top.
• Entering monthly pay where the form asks for annual income.

Not sure which documents to attach? See documents needed for a rental application.