Indiana Rental Application Form
Every landlord wants to have the best tenants in their building — residents who will take care of their property and avoid damaging it. The Indiana Rental Application Form is a useful tool for screening and selecting responsible tenants who have the capacity to make timely payments.
A rental application form is a document that a prospective tenant submits to a landlord. The template details the type of residential property the applicant is eyeing. More importantly, it contains vital information about the applicant. It has their name, address, social security number, and other personal information.
Moreover, the form allows the landlord to conduct a background check on the applicant. The standard form will include data about the applicant’s employment history, credit history, eviction history for the past seven years, and conviction history (if there is one). These can influence tenants’ ability to pay so landlords will naturally want to know about them.
The tenant should, therefore, be ready with all the information required by the rental application form and be willing to sign it.
The Federal Fair Housing Act protects the landlord’s right to conduct a background check and protects tenants from being discriminated against. Landlords in Indiana cannot deny leases to individuals based on their ethnicity, the color of their skin, gender, disability (whether physical or mental), religion, and familial status.
Rental Application Fee
When submitting a rental application form, expect to pay a rental application fee. Though there are no limits on how much landlords can charge for the application, fees usually range between $25 to $100. The non-refundable fee will cover the processing of the rental application and the background check.
Security Deposits
The state of Indiana does not impose a ceiling on security deposits, however, the city or county may set its own limits.
When the lease ends, the landlord will conduct a move-out inspection of the property. If there is damage beyond natural wear and tear, the landlord has the right to withhold part of the security deposit to fix the property. The landlord may also withhold the security deposit if the tenant fails to pay rent.
Unless it’s used to cover damages and unpaid rent, the security deposit should be returned to the tenant at the end of their lease. The deposit or its balance must be returned to the tenant within 45 days (IN Code § 32-31-3 (2021)).