California Rental Application (2026)

A landlord's tenant application with lawful screening questions, fee disclosure and FCRA consent, adjusted to your state's rules.

Updated September 2026≈ 10 minReviewed against Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.6 · Cal. Code Regs. tit. 2, §§ 12264–12271 · Cal. Gov. Code § 12955

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What you'll get

Sample first page of the Rental Application. Your answers fill in the blanks; the clauses required in California are added automatically.

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What this document covers

Property, rent and desired move-in date
Application fee within the state cap and receipt
Pre-screening notice where the state requires it
Applicant identity and co-applicants
Residence history for 3 years
Employment and income, including lawful sources
Eviction and bankruptcy questions where allowed
Fair-chance criminal-history rules
Tenant selection criteria and equal-housing statement
FCRA consent and adverse-action notice

California rules that this document follows

Application fee limit	$65.86 maximum — $30 base adjusted annually by CPI; the 2026 figure used here is the last published DCA figure — confirm the current amount before charging. Fee may not exceed the landlord's actual out-of-pocket screening cost.Source: Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.6(b)
Refund rule	Fee may be charged only if the landlord screens in order received and rents to the first qualified applicant, accepts reusable reports, or refunds all fees to non-selected applicants within 7 days of selecting a tenant or 30 days of application (AB 2493, eff. 1/1/2025); unused portion always refundable; no fee if no unit is or will be availableSource: Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.6(b)
Must give applicant a copy of screening report	Yes
Criminal-history questions	Prohibited before a conditional offer in: Oakland; Berkeley; San Francisco; Richmond; unincorporated Los Angeles County. Blanket bans on criminal history are unlawful; landlord may not consider arrests not leading to conviction, sealed/expunged/juvenile records, or infractions, and must conduct an individualized assessment of directly related convictions (FEHA regulations, eff. 1/1/2020). Local fair-chance ordinances (Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, Los Angeles County unincorporated) go further.Source: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 2, §§ 12264–12271
Source of income protected	Yes — vouchers and other lawful income must be consideredSource: Cal. Gov. Code § 12955(p)(1) (includes Section 8 vouchers, SB 329, eff. 1/1/2020)
Additional protected classes	gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, source of income, genetic information, citizenship, primary language, immigration status, military or veteran status, medical condition, age
Holding deposit	Holding deposit must be applied to the security deposit or first month's rent when the tenancy begins; if applicant withdraws, landlord may retain only actual damages (lost rent/re-advertising); if landlord withdraws, full refund (Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5; common law)
Reusable screening reports	Landlord chooses whether to accept; if accepted, no fee may be chargedSource: Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.1

Rules current as of 2026-10-27. Statutes change; verify before relying on them.

How to use this Rental Application in California

Use one application per adult. Collect the Social Security number only on the signed paper copy, never by email. Apply the same written criteria to every applicant and keep denied applications for at least two years in case of a fair-housing inquiry.

Charge only a fee that California permits, give a receipt, and if you deny based on a consumer report send the FCRA adverse-action notice within a few days.

Frequently asked questions

Can a landlord charge an application fee in California?

Yes, up to $65.86 (Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.6). $30 base adjusted annually by CPI; the 2026 figure used here is the last published DCA figure — confirm the current amount before charging. Fee may not exceed the landlord's actual out-of-pocket screening cost.

What questions are illegal on a rental application?

You may not ask about race, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or disability, nor about arrests without conviction. California adds: gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, source of income, genetic information, citizenship, primary language, immigration status, military or veteran status, medical condition, age. Criminal-history questions are barred before a conditional offer in Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, Richmond, unincorporated Los Angeles County. This form omits those questions automatically.

Do I have to give the applicant a copy of the screening report?

Yes — California requires it on request or with a denial, in addition to the federal FCRA adverse-action notice.

Other names

tenant application form
apartment application
lease application
rental application form
tenant screening form
renter application
housing application

Other states

FormsByState provides self-help document templates and general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. For advice about your situation consult a licensed attorney in your state.