Landlord forms
The paperwork around the lease itself: screening someone before they sign, documenting the unit when they move in and out, and giving notice when the tenancy is going to end.
Rental application
A blank application with your property, rent, and deposit printed at the top, ready to hand to anyone who wants to rent it.
- Applicant identity, other occupants, and an emergency contact
- Current and previous residences with landlord contacts
- Employment, income, references, vehicles, and pets if you allow them
- Consent to verify the information and pull credit and rental history reports
- A fair housing statement, and your application fee if you charge one
It leaves out criminal history questions on purpose. A growing number of cities and states restrict when a landlord can ask, so those checks belong in the screening report, under the rules where the property is.
Move-in / move-out inspection checklist
A room-by-room record of the unit's condition, filled in together at move-in and again at move-out. It is the best evidence either side has when a deposit deduction is disputed.
- Separate tables for each bedroom and bathroom, sized to your unit
- Kitchen appliances, fixtures, floors, walls, windows, and doors
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, utilities, and the exterior
- Keys, mailbox keys, and remotes handed over and returned
- Signature lines for both parties at move-in and at move-out
Some states require a written move-in inspection before a landlord can deduct from the deposit. Where your state's law does, the checklist cites it.
Notice of non-renewal
A written notice telling a tenant the lease or month-to-month tenancy will end on a set date and will not be renewed.
- The end date and a move-out deadline for returning possession and keys
- The minimum notice your state requires to end a month-to-month tenancy
- How many days of notice this one gives, counted from your dates
- A request for a forwarding address for the deposit
- A certificate of delivery to record how and when you served it
The form warns you before you pay if the dates give a month-to-month tenant less notice than your state requires.