Washington Rental Application Form

What the Washington Rental Application is

This template is a one-page Washington rental application form for a prospective tenant and a spouse or second applicant. It collects identity details, the people and pets who will live in the unit, rental history, vehicles, employment, other income, banking and credit information, and outstanding debts, then asks both applicants to sign and authorize a credit check. It is a general template, not a form issued by the State of Washington.

Who uses it

Renters applying for an apartment or house in Washington, and landlords and managers who want a compact paper-style application. Because Washington requires specific screening disclosures, landlords using this form should pair it with their own written screening criteria notice, covered below.

What to have ready

• Social Security number, driver's license number and state, and date of birth for each applicant
• Names, relationships and ages of everyone else who will occupy the unit, and pet details (type, breed, weight, age)
• Present and former addresses, how long you lived there, and landlord names, addresses and phone numbers
• Present and former employers with address, phone, position, how long and take-home pay
• Bank and branch details, and a list of open accounts and debts with amounts owed and monthly payments

Our guide on filling out a rental application online walks through the general process.

How to fill it out online

Click "Fill Template Now", type into each field, have both applicants sign at the bottom, and download the PDF for the landlord. The form runs top to bottom in these blocks.

Applicant information

Enter the Application Date, Date of Occupancy, Unit Desired and Application Fee. Then fill in Applicant #1 and Spouse or Applicant #2: first name, middle initial, last name, Social Security number, driver's license number and state, and date of birth. List all other occupants with relationship and age, and list all pets.

History and residence

Answer whether you have ever broken a lease or been evicted, and whether you have been convicted of a felony. The form says to explain any yes answer on the back, so attach a short note if needed. Explain why you are leaving, then give your Present Address, how long, phone and present landlord details, followed by your Former Address and former landlord.

Furnishings and vehicles

Check whether you plan to use a waterbed, aquarium or piano or organ. List each automobile by year, make, model, color, license number and state, mark whether you want a garage if available and note the fee, and describe any other vehicles.

Employment, income and credit

Complete present and former employment for each applicant, including Take Home Pay, then other income and its source. The credit block asks for checking account number, bank name and branch, and a major credit card account. Under Credit References, list open charge accounts and loans with amounts owed and monthly payments.

Signatures

The closing statement says you forfeit the application fee if you do not rent the unit after approval, certifies the information is accurate, and asks yes or no on permission for a credit check. Both applicants sign. You can also sign a PDF online if the landlord emails a different form.

Washington screening, fee and deposit rules

These points come from the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (chapter 59.18 RCW), checked as of October 2026. They are general information.

• Screening criteria disclosure. RCW 59.18.257 requires the landlord, before obtaining any information about you, to tell you in writing or by posting what types of information will be checked, what criteria may result in denial, the consumer reporting agency's name and address if one is used, your rights to a free copy of the report and to dispute it, and whether the landlord accepts a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report.
• Screening charges. The landlord may charge for a screening report only after giving that notice. A landlord doing its own screening may charge actual costs, not more than the customary cost of a screening service in the area. A denial or conditional approval requires a written adverse action notice stating the reasons.
• Holding deposits. Under RCW 59.18.253, landlords may not charge a fee to be put on a waiting list, must give a receipt and written conditions for any holding fee, and may not charge more than 25 percent of the first month's rent to hold a unit.
• Source of income. RCW 59.18.255 generally bars refusing to rent to an otherwise eligible applicant based on source of income.
• Security deposits. State law sets no dollar cap, but RCW 59.18.260 requires a written rental agreement and a signed move-in condition checklist before a deposit can be collected. RCW 59.18.280 requires a full statement of any amount kept, with supporting documentation and any refund, within 30 days after the tenancy ends and you move out.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the application fee amount blank, so there is no record of what was paid.
• Answering yes to the lease or felony question without adding the explanation the form asks for.
• Entering gross pay where the form asks for take-home pay.
• Forgetting the second applicant's signature.