Application Form for a Residential Tenancy (England)

This Application Form for a Residential Tenancy is for use by a residential letting agent in England to collect essential information about a proposed tenant and, where applicable, any proposed guarantor. 

The form enables letting agents to assess suitability, carry out referencing, and comply with key legal and regulatory obligations before a tenancy is granted.

Why You Need This Application Form 

Using a comprehensive tenancy application form helps letting agents and landlords to:

• Assess whether a tenant is suitable for the property
• Carry out required Right to Rent checks
• Obtain employment, credit and landlord references
• Comply with data protection and immigration legislation 
• Reduce the risk of disputes, arrears, or failed tenancies 

What Information Does the Form Collect 

The proposed tenant is required to provide key personal and financial details, including:

• Full name and current address
• Income offered for a fair affordability assessment, from employment, self-employment, pensions, benefits or other lawful sources, with reasonable evidence
• Bank details
• Previous landlord or letting agent details 

Where a guarantor is required, similar information will be collected from the proposed guarantor. 

The proposed tenant (and guarantor, if applicable) may provide an email address and may (optionally) confirm that this email address can be used for the service of notices and other documents. 

This confirmation allows the letting agent to supply statutory documents electronically, including the DCLG guide “How to rent: the checklist for renting in England", rather than providing hard copies. 

Right to Rent Checks - Legal Requirement

For accommodation within the Right to Rent Scheme in England, every adult who will be authorised to occupy must be checked before the tenancy agreement is entered into (for a written agreement, before it is signed), using the prescribed route available in that person's circumstances: a Home Office online check, a manual check of acceptable original documents, a digital verification service provider registered for right to rent checks, or the Home Office Landlord Checking Service. The form does not insist on a passport or share code where another prescribed route applies, and checks should be carried out consistently, without using nationality or how a person proves their status to rank applicants.

Tenant Consent and Authorisations

By completing and signing the form, the proposed tenant (and guarantor where applicable):

• Authorises the letting agent to carry out right to rent checks
• Consents to credit checks and reference checks
• Confirms receipt of the Privacy Notice for Tenants, Residents and Guarantors

The Agent’s Privacy Notice to Tenant, Resident or Guarantor should be provided alongside this Application Form. Agents should also refer to Data Guidance Notes for Residential Lettings Agencies for more information on GDPR regulations. 

When is  a Guarantor Required?

If the letting agent has concerns about a proposed tenant’s financial position, employment status, or credit history, the landlord may require one or more guarantors as a condition of granting the tenancy. This application form allows guarantor details to be collected and assessed as part of the referencing process. 

Tenant Fees Act 2019

Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 ( England only), landlords and letting agents are prohibited from charging tenants fees for setting up new tenancies, including the cost of:

• Referencing
• Credit Checks
• Right to rent checks

These costs must be met by the landlord. 

This Application Form for a Residential Tenancy is in open format. Either enter the requisite details in the highlighted fields or adjust the wording to suit your purposes.

Once you have purchased access to the appropriate document folder click on the “Download Document” button below. You will be asked what you want to do with the file. It is recommended that you save the document to a location of your choice prior to viewing.

Application Form for a Residential Tenancy (England) is part of Property. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Property for 1 year.