Form questions

Tenant screening questions that stay within the rules

Ask 15 to 20 per adult applicant. Never skip identity, income against the rent, and rental history with a reference, because those are what a landlord may fairly weigh. Leave out bond claim history, past tenancy disputes, bank statements showing daily spending, and personal attributes such as marital status or race.

Tenant screening has to establish who the applicant is, whether they can pay the rent, and how they have looked after a rental before, without collecting anything a landlord is not allowed to ask. These questions stick to identity, income, rental history and references, and mark the lines state tenancy rules draw around each of them.

The questions

The property and household

  1. Property address you are applying forShort textRequired

  2. Preferred move in dateDateRequired

  3. Lease termDropdown

  4. Advertised weekly rent, as listedNumber

    Confirm the listed figure rather than inviting an offer. Victoria bans asking for rent above the advertised price.

  5. How many adults will live at the property?NumberRequired

  6. How many children will live at the property?Number

    Only for occupancy limits. Family status must never decide the application.

Identity and contact

  1. Full legal nameNameRequired

  2. Email addressShort textRequired

    Short text, since the email component renders nothing on a published classic form.

  3. Mobile numberShort text

  4. Identity documentsFile upload

    Two documents at most. Victoria limits identity documents to two from a set list.

Rental history

  1. Have you rented before?Single choice

    A first time renter needs another way to show suitability, not an empty table held against them.

  2. Rental history, most recent firstTable

    Columns: address, from, to, agent or landlord, their phone, weekly rent.

  3. May the agent contact your current agent or landlord for a reference?Single choice

  4. Why are you leaving your current home?Short text

    Optional. Victoria prohibits asking about past disputes with a rental provider or claims on a bond.

  5. Rent ledger from your current tenancyFile upload

    NSW guidance names a current rental ledger as fair evidence of ability to pay.

Income and employment

  1. Employment typeDropdown

  2. Your income per week before tax ($)NumberRequired

    Per applicant, so each adult's application stands on its own.

  3. Employer or main source of incomeShort text

  4. Proof of incomeFile upload

    Payslips or a Centrelink statement, two documents at most. Never a bank statement showing daily transactions.

  5. Any other regular incomeLong text

References, pets and consent

  1. Referee's nameName

  2. Referee's emailShort text

  3. How does the referee know you?Short text

  4. Will any pets live at the property?Single choice

  5. Pet detailsLong text

  6. ConsentMultiple choiceRequired

    Separate ticks for a tenancy database check and for reading the privacy notice.

Which questions to make required

Seven questions are required: the property, the move in date, the number of adults, the applicant's name, email and weekly income, and consent to checks. Each is needed to process the application or is the core test of ability to pay. Rental history stays optional so a first time renter is not blocked, and questions about children and reasons for moving stay optional because they must never be the basis of a decision.

The form built from these questions

A static copy of the finished form, from its own example page.

Residential rental application

One application per adult who will live at the property. Everything here is used to assess your application and nothing else.

The property

About you

Where you live now

Work and income

#EmployerPositionStartedGross income per year
1
2

Two recent payslips, a letter of employment, or your last tax return. PDF or images.

References

#NameHow they know youPhone
1
2

Consent and signature

I declare the information in this application is true and complete. I authorise the agent to verify it, to contact my employer, referees and previous agents, and to obtain a tenancy database and credit check about me. I understand a false statement may result in my application being refused.

Signature is required

Three ways to change this bank

In Victoria, use the prescribed rental application form rather than writing your own, because Consumer Affairs Victoria says a rental provider cannot ask questions that are not on it. Use this bank as a checklist of what that form covers and what to leave out. For a room in a share house, add the room being applied for, the weekly share of rent and bills, and a short question about how the applicant likes to share a kitchen and common spaces, and keep the same limits on personal attributes. For a commercial lease, replace the household and income sections with the business name, ABN, the proposed use of the premises, years trading and a guarantor, since a business tenancy asks different questions from a home.

Questions people ask

What can a landlord not ask on a rental application?

It depends on the state. In Victoria, a rental provider cannot ask about past disputes or legal action with a landlord, bond claim history, or bank statements showing daily transactions. NSW guidance says to avoid information beyond what is necessary and never to collect race, sex, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Does Victoria require a set rental application form?

Yes. Consumer Affairs Victoria says a rental provider or agent cannot ask questions that are not included on the prescribed rental application form. A landlord in Victoria should use that form, and a custom form built from this bank is better suited to other states, checked against the local tenancy authority's guidance.

How many documents can a landlord ask an applicant for?

In Victoria, no more than two identity documents from a set list, and no more than two documents to verify financial information. Other states give less specific limits, but NSW guidance still says to ask only for what is reasonably necessary to confirm identity and ability to pay, such as a rental ledger or information from an employer.

Can a rental applicant be charged for a background check?

Not in New South Wales. NSW Fair Trading guidance says charging a prospective tenant for a credit check or other background check is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010. Rules differ elsewhere, so check the state tenancy authority, and state plainly on the form that the application is free.

Should the household's other adults fill in the same form?

Each adult who will sign the lease should complete their own application. NSW guidance warns against collecting employment history for every adult in the household when they will not be listed on the lease. Ask for the number of adults on the main application, and send separate applications only to those who will be tenants.

How should a first time renter be assessed?

On income, identity and a character or employer reference, since there is no rental ledger to show. Ask whether the applicant has rented before, and if not, offer a question about other evidence, such as a reference from a boarding house, a parent's landlord or an employer, rather than scoring an empty history table as a fail.

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Other question banks

Move in inspection questions for a condition report

A move in inspection has to record the state of every room, fitting and key on the day the tenancy starts, so nobody argues from memory when the bond is claimed. These questions walk the property room by room and add the details usually missing at the end: meter readings, key counts, smoke alarm dates and photos.

Maintenance request questions for rental repairs

A maintenance request has to tell the property manager which trade to send, how fast, and how that trade will get in, all from one message. These questions pin down the fault, its urgency and the access details before anyone books a job, so the plumber arrives with the right part and a way through the gate.

Volunteer application questions from interest to checks

A volunteer application has to match a willing person to a role and a roster, and find out early whether that role will need a background check. These questions put interests and availability first, where enthusiasm is highest, and leave checks and referees for the end, where a short explanation keeps people from walking away.

On writing the questions themselves, read What to include in a rental application form. For everything the builder can do, see the form maker. Step by step: Create a form with AI, then Control who can fill in your form.

Sources

Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .