Arizona Rental Application

What information should landlords collect?

Since tenant screening is a landlord’s first opportunity to evaluate a potential tenant, it should gather as much information as possible.

Landlords use the information to decide who will fill their vacant properties. However, federal and state laws dictate what information landlords can collect and how they can use it to approve or deny an applicant in 2026.

Be sure to get the following:

• Personal information: Applicant name (and co-applicant or co-signer), date of birth, email, Social Security Number, emergency contact, smoking status
• Financial details: Employment status, income history, self-reported credit score
• Personal and professional references: Professional references to confirm employment and previous landlord references to verify rental history
• Vehicle information: Year, make, model, and number of vehicles
• Pets: Type, size, breed, and number

Free resource: Property management software like TurboTenant offers free rental application templates to help landlords send and receive applications digitally.

Pre-Screener

Landlords may ask applicants to complete a quick pre-screener before moving forward with a full application and screening process. This step can save time for both parties by helping determine whether there’s a potential fit early on.

Residential pre-screeners often cover the basics, like:

• General contact info,
• Employment status,
• Current income,
• Self-reported credit score,
• Desired date of move-in,
• Number of occupants,
• Smoking status,
• Pets,
• And more.

You can review applicants at a glance with a TurboTenant pre-screener, included free with every comprehensive rental application.

Federal Application Laws

Several federal anti-discrimination laws ensure all U.S. residents have equal access to housing. Arizona landlords must follow these laws throughout the tenant screening process.

Fair Housing Act (FHA): Federal law prohibits landlords from discriminating against applicants based on protected characteristics, including:

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

Not only is it illegal to deny an application based on one of the above characteristics, but it is also illegal to inquire about any of them. Asking questions on an application like, “What is your religion?” or “What country were you born in?” is strictly against the law.

This law applies to landlords, property managers, and any employee who works on the property or in the property management office (42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619).

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): Landlords must evaluate applicants without discrimination on the same basis as the FHA. They also cannot discriminate against anyone who has received public assistance or lived in public housing. The law sets guidelines for how landlords assess credit reports and outlines reporting requirements for applicants (15 U.S.C. §§ 1691–1691f).

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Landlords can’t deny an application based on an applicant’s disability and must also provide renters with reasonable accommodations for their disability. This requirement may include allowing a service animal in a pet-free unit or allowing the tenant to install a wheelchair ramp in the unit (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101–12213).

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Landlords must obtain written consent from an applicant before running a credit or background check and must also notify tenants if they deny housing because of information in the tenant’s credit history (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.).

Civil Rights Act of 1866: Landlords must make housing decisions without considering race or color, and must treat all applicants equally under the law (42 U.S.C. § 1981).

Arizona Application Laws

Federal law sets baseline rules for rental applications, and Arizona adds its own requirements. Online rental applications must follow the same rules as paper forms.

The Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act governs most aspects of rental housing in the state. Like the federal FHA, it requires landlords to treat all applicants equally and prohibits discriminatory rental decisions (Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 33-1301 et seq.).

Source of income: While no statewide law currently bans landlords from denying an application based on source of income (including Section 8 housing vouchers), some cities, including Tempe and Phoenix, have passed local protections.

Criminal history: Arizona has no specific law prohibiting or permitting landlords to deny an application based on criminal history. However, landlords must apply all screening policies consistently to every applicant.

Eviction history: Since Arizona law does not specifically address the use of eviction history as a screening factor, landlords can generally consider it when making a decision.

Sexual orientation & gender identity: The Arizona Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from considering a tenant’s sexual orientation or gender identity during the application process (Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 41-1491 et seq.).

Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals

If a landlord allows pets in their rental units, it’s wise to include a section in the Arizona rental application to collect information about the animal(s).

Landlords cannot discriminate against an applicant who has an emotional support animal (ESA) or a service animal. However, the tenant may still be held liable for any damage the animal causes to the unit.

Pet information: Landlords can ask applicants if they have pets, including ESAs or service animals. For pet-friendly units, they should gather details such as the animal’s type, size, and breed.

Fair Housing Act: The FHA prohibits discrimination against applicants with ESAs or service animals. Landlords cannot charge pet rent, deposits, or fees for these animals, and they cannot deny housing based on breed, size, or weight (42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619).

Denial Process

To avoid potential issues, landlords should process all applications consistently. While they can legally deny applications based on insufficient income, poor credit history, adverse rental history, criminal background, or incomplete or false information, they should apply the same standards to every applicant.

Denial notice: As of 2026, Arizona does not require landlords to deliver a formal denial notice to applicants.

Credit/background denials: If an applicant is denied based on a consumer report, the FCRA requires landlords to notify the applicant with:

• The name of the firm that ran the credit or background check,
• An explanation of the tenant’s right to review and dispute the report, and
• Contact details of the reporting agency (15 U.S.C. § 1681m).

Document storage: Arizona law requires landlords and property managers to store documents containing tenant-specific information, including Arizona rental applications, for at least 1 year after the expiration of the rental agreement or from the application date if the applicant is denied (Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 32-2175).