Idaho Rental Application

What information should landlords collect?

Rental applications do more than gather applicant details. Each document you receive tells a story about an applicant’s life, circumstances, and ability to be a good tenant. The more information you have, the more confident you’ll feel when it comes time to select a tenant and sign a lease.

Your free Idaho rental application form will help you collect:

• Applicant, co-applicant, and co-signer names,
• Social Security numbers,
• Dates of birth,
• Email and phone numbers,
• Emergency contacts,
• Employment, rental, and income histories,
• References,
• Smoking statuses,
• Current, previous, and past addresses, and
• Information on pets and vehicles.

Since fillable rental application forms collect sensitive information, federal and state laws govern what landlords can ask and how they can use the information they receive.

Next, we’ll review federal and state application laws, pre-screeners, Idaho landlord-tenant laws, pets, denial processes, and more.

Pre-Screener 

Protect your free time and your peace of mind with a pre-screener.

This brief set of questions precedes the official application. It allows you to weed out potential tenants before going through the traditional tenant background check process. A pre-screener typically asks for:

• Contact information,
• Employment details,
• Income and self-reported credit score,
• Move-in timeline,
• Household size,
• Pet details, and
• Smoking status.

Pre-screeners help you identify renter leads with potential before sending them a standard rental application. While it’s not a replacement for the full application form, a solid pre-screener does ensure every applicant meets your property’s basic requirements.

Federal Application Laws 

Whether you’re new to landlording or have been renting out properties for years, you’ll need to follow federal laws concerning rental applications. Here’s what landlords need to know:

Fair Housing Act (FHA): This law prohibits landlords, property managers, and employees responsible for selecting renters from denying housing based on:

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

Landlords can’t ask about FHA-protected characteristics, use discriminatory advertising, or offer unequal renting terms. Every Idaho rental application must comply with FHA guidelines and be evaluated based on objective criteria (42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619).

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): This law reinforces FHA-protected characteristics and adds applicants who have received public assistance to the list of protected characteristics. The ECOA also regulates how landlords can handle credit and rental applications (15 U.S.C. §§ 1691–1691f).

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Landlords can’t discriminate against an applicant based on a disability or deny housing based on this protected characteristic. The ADA requires landlords to accommodate renters with disabilities (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101–12213).

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Landlords can’t run a credit check without the applicant’s written consent. And, if you deny an applicant based on their credit history, you must send them an adverse action notice (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.).

Civil Rights Act of 1866: Landlords can’t discriminate based on race or color. This longstanding federal law requires landlords to treat all applicants equally (42 U.S.C. § 1981).

Idaho Application Laws

Idaho has state-level housing laws that reinforce and expand federal application laws. The Idaho Human Rights Act outlines these laws, which apply to all rental properties in Idaho, from high-rise apartments in Boise to single-family homes in Garden City.

Here’s what all landlords need to know:

Source of income: Idaho has no laws prohibiting landlords from considering an applicant’s source of income during the denial process, including child support, Section 8 vouchers, and/or disability benefits.

Criminal history: As of 2026, landlords may consider an applicant’s criminal history; there are no Idaho laws prohibiting this practice.

Eviction history: Landlords in Idaho can review an applicant’s eviction history. However, some eviction records may be sealed and unavailable if all of the following apply:

• The case was filed on or after January 1, 2025.
• The eviction case was dismissed.
• At least 3 years have passed since the filing.
• There are no pending appeals.
• The tenant paid all rent due after receiving the eviction notice.

If the eviction case is sealed, landlords can’t use it to make a rental decision (Idaho Senate Bill No. 1327).

Sexual orientation & gender identity: In Idaho, an applicant’s sex is considered a protected characteristic, but the law does not explicitly mention sexual orientation or gender identity (Idaho Human Rights Act).

Portable tenant screening reports: Idaho permits landlords to use portable tenant screening reports and does not regulate their use.

Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals

58.9% of households in Idaho own at least one dog, meaning pets need to be factored into your renter application, too.

Landlords can’t legally deny an applicant because they have an emotional support animal (ESA) or service animal. They can, however, hold the tenant responsible for pet-caused property damages.

Pet information: Use your application form to collect pet information. Ask whether they have a pet, an ESA, or a service animal, and request details about it, such as its type and size.

Fair Housing Act: This law prohibits discrimination based on a pet’s service status. Landlords can’t charge a pet deposit, pet rent, or pet fee for ESAs/service animals or deny an applicant because of their ESA/service animal’s breed, size, or weight.

Denial Process

Keep your Idaho rental application process compliant from start to finish, with consistent, legally compliant denials for all applicants. Inconsistent denial processes put landlords at risk for discrimination claims.

In Idaho, the following applicant details are all legal grounds for denial:

• Insufficient income (signaling a difficult rent collection process),
• Results of a tenant screening credit check,
• Rental history,
• Criminal background, and
• Incomplete/false information.

Denial notice: In Idaho, state law doesn’t require landlords to inform applicants of a denial.

Credit/Background denials: If a landlord denies an applicant based on credit history or background checks, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires them to send an adverse action notice that includes the reporting agency’s name and contact information, and explains the renter’s right to dispute errors (15 U.S.C. § 1681m).

Document storage: Idaho doesn’t legally require landlords to retain denied applications and screening reports, but it is advisable to keep them on file in case someone makes a discrimination claim. Store your documents with TurboTenant for free, and never misplace physical paperwork again.