Nebraska Rental Application

What information should landlords collect?

Landlords can learn a lot about a potential renter from a detailed application form. When analyzing results, you’ll quickly see whether an applicant will make rent collection easy, what their past rental experience looks like, and much more.

A free rental application template with standard questions can do the heavy lifting for you, ensuring your applications comply with state law and follow the screening industry’s best practices.

Use your rental application form to collect:

• Personal information: Names of applicants, co-applicants, and co-signers, date of birth, Social Security numbers, email, phone number, vehicle details, smoking status, and emergency contact
• Financial information: Income history, employment status, and supporting documentation
• Rental history: Details on an applicant’s current, previous, and past residences
• References: Professional references and rental references
• Pets: Inquire about the number of pets and their size and type, along with service animals

Because rental applications handle sensitive personal information (like income and Social Security numbers), laws limit the questions a landlord can ask and how they use these forms to make rental decisions.

Next, we’ll discuss all legal considerations as we review pre-screeners, state and federal laws, pets, denials, and more.

Pre-Screener

Spotting red flags early sets the foundation for a smooth rental application. A pre-screener helps landlords find the right fit for their properties, whether they’re renting out a single-family home in Ralston or a condo in Lincoln’s Haymarket District.

Here’s how it works: Applicants answer a few questions before receiving an official application. If the tenant meets a landlord’s criteria and the pre-screener checks out, the landlord will typically proceed with a complete application form, knowing the renter meets their pre-set requirements.

A pre-screener usually asks for:

• Contact information,
• Employment details,
• Income,
• Self-submitted credit score,
• Move-in date,
• Household size,
• Pet information, and
• Smoking status.

Even with a pre-screener in place, you’ll still need all qualified parties to submit a standard Nebraska rental application to rent your property. Pre-screeners are simply the first step to filtering out unqualified applicants.

Federal Application Laws 

Before landlords begin sending out their online rental application to renters who pass their pre-screener, familiarizing themselves with federal application laws can help keep them compliant. Here are the federal laws every Nebraska landlord needs to know:

Fair Housing Act (FHA): Landlords can’t discriminate against applicants based on the following FHA-protected characteristics:

• Race,
• Color,
• National origin,
• Religion,
• Sex,
• Familial status, or
• Disability.

Landlords, property managers, and employees responsible for processing renter applications can’t ask questions or deny an applicant based on these traits. The FHA also bans advertising that discriminates or offers unequal rental terms (42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619).

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): Landlords can’t discriminate against applicants who have received public assistance or have lived in public housing of any kind. The ECOA also outlines how landlords assess credit reports and provides guidelines for reporting to applicants (15 U.S.C. §§ 1691–1691f).

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Landlords can’t discriminate based on an applicant’s disability, and must accommodate their condition (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101–12213).

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Landlords must obtain an applicant’s written consent to conduct a credit check and must inform the candidate if they deny the application based on the applicant’s tenant screening credit check (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.).

Civil Rights Act of 1866: Landlords must treat all applicants equally and can’t discriminate based on race or color (42 U.S.C. § 1981).

Nebraska Application Laws 

In addition to federal housing laws, the Nebraska Fair Housing Act and Nebraska landlord-tenant laws are also in effect. Here’s what you need to know to stay compliant:

Source of income: As of 2026, Nebraska state law doesn’t prohibit landlords from denying applicants based on source of income. However, some cities, such as Lincoln, have their own local regulations regarding the use of Section 8 vouchers, child support, and other public assistance programs.

With that in mind, there are no laws in Nebraska limiting landlords from considering:

• Criminal history (including housing vouchers and government assistance),
• Eviction records, or
• Sexual orientation & gender identity.

Portable tenant screening reports: Nebraska permits portable tenant screening reports, but doesn’t require landlords to accept them as part of their residential rental application process.

Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals 

Don’t forget to include a section for pets and service animals in their Nebraska rental application form. A few simple questions can help landlords get a complete picture of an applicant’s household (four-legged friends included).

Landlords can’t deny an applicant because they have an emotional support animal (ESA) or a service animal. However, the tenant is still responsible for any property damage caused by the animal.

Pet information: Ask applicants to detail their pets, ESAs, and service animals in the rental application form. You’ll want to know the number of pets, their types, and sizes.

Fair Housing Act: This law ensures that applicants with ESAs and service animals have equal access to housing. The FHA prohibits:

• Applicant discrimination based on an ESA/service animal,
• Charging a pet fee, pet rent, or monthly pet deposit, and
• Denial based on the breed, size, or weight of an ESA/service animal.

Denial Process 

All denials must follow a consistent, non-discriminatory process, which means landlords must treat all applicants equally and comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Nebraska landlords can legally base denials on:

• Insufficient income,
• Credit history,
• Rental history,
• Tenant background check results, or
• Incomplete or false information.

Denial notice: In Nebraska, landlords aren’t legally required to notify applicants whom they deny.

Credit/Background denials: If a landlord denies an application based on a credit or background check, they must send an adverse action notice to the applicant. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the notice must include the name of the credit/background check provider, the reporting agency’s contact details, and an explanation of the applicant’s right to dispute errors (15 U.S.C. § 1681m).

Document storage: Nebraska doesn’t require landlords to retain denied applications or screening reports, but it’s always a great idea to keep them on file, as they’re the strongest defense against discrimination claims. Use TurboTenant to store your documents online (for free).