Illinois 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 15 U.S.C. § 1681m · Cook County Code § 42-38; 775 ILCS 5/3-102.5 · 775 ILCS 5/1-103

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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 Illinois 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

Illinois rules that this document follows

Application fee limit	No statutory capSource: No statutory cap; landlord may not charge an application fee to an applicant who provides a reusable tenant screening report meeting statutory requirements (765 ILCS 705/25, P.A. 103-0840, eff. 1/1/2025)
Refund rule	No refund requirement statewideSource: No statutory cap; landlord may not charge an application fee to an applicant who provides a reusable tenant screening report meeting statutory requirements (765 ILCS 705/25, P.A. 103-0840, eff. 1/1/2025)
Must give applicant a copy of screening report	Not required by state law (FCRA adverse-action notice still applies)Source: 15 U.S.C. § 1681m
Criminal-history questions	Prohibited before a conditional offer in: Cook County incl. Chicago (Just Housing Amendment, Cook County Code § 42-38). No statewide limit. Cook County Just Housing Amendment (Human Rights Ord. § 42-38, 2020): no criminal inquiry before prequalification; 3-year lookback; individualized assessment. Illinois Human Rights Act bars discrimination based on arrest records not leading to conviction and sealed/expunged records in real estate transactions.Source: Cook County Code § 42-38; 775 ILCS 5/3-102.5
Source of income protected	Yes — vouchers and other lawful income must be consideredSource: 775 ILCS 5/1-103(Q); 5/3-102 (P.A. 102-0896, eff. 1/1/2023)
Additional protected classes	ancestry, age, marital status, order of protection status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, unfavorable military discharge, pregnancy, source of income, immigration status, arrest record
Reusable screening reports	Landlord chooses whether to accept; if accepted, no fee may be chargedSource: 765 ILCS 705/25

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

How to use this Rental Application in Illinois

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 Illinois 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 Illinois?

Yes; Illinois has no statutory cap (765 ILCS 705/25), but the fee must be disclosed and applied uniformly.

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. Illinois adds: ancestry, age, marital status, order of protection status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, unfavorable military discharge, pregnancy, source of income, immigration status, arrest record. Criminal-history questions are barred before a conditional offer in Cook County incl. Chicago (Just Housing Amendment, Cook County Code § 42-38). This form omits those questions automatically.

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

Federal law requires an adverse-action notice naming the reporting agency; Illinois does not separately require a copy of the report.

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.