Connecticut Rental Application

What information should landlords collect?

A Connecticut rental application is your first opportunity to get to know potential renters, so collecting the correct details is essential to finding the right fit for your property.

Connecticut rental applications should include:

• Names of applicants, co-applicants, co-signers, and their contact info
• Social security numbers of applicants
• Employment status and income verification
• Smoking status
• References from employer and past landlords, if applicable
• Pets
• Vehicle information

TurboTenant, a property management platform for landlords, offers free rental application templates and online applications for landlords who want to save time and energy.

Pre-Screener

Saving time and money is often a top priority for landlords, so many start the application process with a pre-screener before requesting a complete application. A pre-screener can quickly help determine if an applicant is qualified by asking for details such as:

• Name and contact info
• Employment status
• Income verification
• Self-reported credit score
• Desired date of move-in
• Number of occupants
• Smoking status
• Pets

But, while pre-screeners are a helpful way to assess an applicant quickly, they aren’t a substitute for a complete Connecticut rental application.

Federal Application Laws

Multiple federal laws aim to keep the rental process fair, equitable, and discrimination-free.

Fair Housing Act (FHA): The Federal Fair Housing Act helps prevent discrimination in housing decisions by protecting specific classes and characteristics, including

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Sex
• Disability
• Familial status
• National origin

In short, landlords cannot reject an application based on the protected categories listed above or advertise rentals using language that favors or discriminates against those characteristics.

Landlords, property managers, and their employees must follow the Fair Housing Act, as violations can result in significant penalties and potential damage to their reputation (Fair Housing Act).

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): The ECOA prohibits landlords from discriminating against the same protected classes as the FHA. However, it adds an important distinction: landlords cannot reject an application based on the applicant receiving public assistance, such as housing vouchers. The law also regulates how landlords can evaluate an applicant’s financial status and credit report (Equal Credit Opportunity Act).

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Under the ADA, landlords cannot deny an applicant based on a renter’s disability status. Landlords must treat all applicants equally and consistently. The ADA also requires landlords to provide reasonable accommodations for renters with disabilities (Americans with Disabilities Act).

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): The FCRA regulates how landlords can use credit reports in rental applications and requires them to get the applicant’s consent before running a background check. If the credit report leads to a rental rejection, landlords must notify the applicant of the adverse decision and explain why (Fair Credit Reporting Act).

Civil Rights Act of 1866: To help maintain an equitable rental market, landlords are prohibited from making housing decisions based on race (Civil Rights Act of 1866).

Connecticut Application Laws

Just as federal laws guide how landlords can handle and decide on a Connecticut rental application, the state also has its own laws that govern the process.

For example, while the Federal Fair Housing Act sets the baseline, Connecticut’s Fair Housing Act adds local requirements and nuances to landlords’ handling of rental application forms (CT Gen Stat § 46a-64c).

Source of income: Connecticut landlords cannot deny a rental application based on the applicant’s source of income, including current or past use of public assistance or Section 8 housing vouchers (CT Gen Stat § 46a-64c).

Criminal history: Landlords in Connecticut may consider an applicant’s criminal history, but they should avoid blanket denials based solely on that history, as outlined in the Fair Housing Act. They should review each case individually and apply standards consistently to all applicants.

Eviction history: Landlords in Connecticut can consider eviction history during the application process, but they must treat all applicants fairly and equally. State law seals eviction records after seven years, and landlords are not allowed to request that those records be unsealed or use sealed records as a reason to deny an application.

Sexual orientation & gender identity: In Connecticut, it is explicitly illegal to deny housing to an applicant based on sexual orientation or gender identity (CT Gen Stat § 46a-81e).

Portable tenant screening report: Portable tenant screening reports enable tenants to submit their screening reports, which they pull on themselves, to landlords when applying to a property. Check your local laws to understand your obligations.

Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals

Many renters have pets, and if you allow them in your rentals, it’s a good idea to include a section for pets within the application.

Landlords should remember that they cannot discriminate against applicants with an emotional support animal (ESA) or service animal.

Tenants are still responsible for any damage those animals cause, but landlords must not consider the presence of an ESA or service animal when evaluating the application.

Pet information: A section of the Connecticut rental application should ask whether the applicant has a pet, service animal, or ESA. Here, you can request details about the type of animal, breed, and size, and, if applicable, outline any pet rent collection or deposit requirements.

Fair Housing Act: The FHA prohibits landlords from rejecting an application because the applicant has an ESA or service animal. Landlords cannot charge a pet deposit, pet rent, or any additional pet fees for these animals.

Denial Process

When denying an applicant, it’s essential to apply your criteria consistently across all applicants, regardless of their background or membership in any protected class.

That said, it is entirely legal to deny an application based on factors like insufficient income, poor credit history, adverse rental history, criminal background (within legal guidelines), or if the applicant provides incomplete or false information.

Denial notice: Connecticut law does not require landlords to issue a denial notice when rejecting a rental application, unless the landlord bases the decision on the applicant’s credit history. In that case, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires a formal notice.

Credit/background denials: If a landlord rejects a Connecticut rental application based on poor credit history, the FCRA requires an adverse action notice, which must include the following information:

• Name of the provider that conducted the credit or background check
• An explanation of the applicant’s right to dispute or refute the findings
• Contact information for the reporting agency that supplied the report

Document storage: Connecticut landlords are not legally required to keep denied rental applications, but maintaining those records is a good practice. It can help protect against potential claims of discrimination or inconsistent application of screening criteria.