Guide · Printable form

Rental application and screening consent form (printable)

A blank rental application with a consent section the applicant signs. Print it or save it as a PDF and hand it to the applicant. Landlord Pilot does not store anything you write on it.

General information, not legal advice. Privacy, human rights and tenancy laws differ by province. Have a lawyer or licensed paralegal review this form for your province before you use it.

Before you hand it out

Screen only with written consent. Credit checks and reference calls need the applicant's consent. The signed section in Part 5 records it.
Collect only what you need. The form asks about the tenancy, not about the person's background. Do not add fields for things you have no need for.
Keep it secure. Store completed forms in a locked place or a password-protected account, and let only the people named on the form see them.
Destroy unsuccessful applications once you no longer need them. Fill in a destruction date in Part 5 before you hand the form out.

For the full rules on what you may and may not ask, read How to screen tenants legally in Canada.

Rental application and consent to screening

One form per adult applicant. Please print clearly. You do not need to give your Social Insurance Number (SIN).

For the landlord to fill in

Landlord or property manager name
Landlord phone and email
Rental unit address
Monthly rent	$

Part 1. About you

Full legal name
Current address
How long at this address
Phone
Email
Desired move-in date
Total number of people who will live in the unit

Part 2. Rental history (contacts you provide)

Current landlord name
Current landlord phone
Dates you have rented there (from / to)
Previous landlord name
Previous landlord phone
Previous rental address and dates
Other reference, if you have no rental history (name, phone, how you know them)

Part 3. Income (optional)

This helps show you can pay the rent. Your source of income, for example a job, pension, student funding, social assistance or a rent subsidy, will not be used to refuse you.

Employer or source of income
Monthly income	$
Contact who can confirm it (optional)

Part 4. Pets (optional)

Pets that would live in the unit (type and number)

Part 5. Consent to screening

Tick each box you agree to. The landlord will use this information only to decide on this application and, if you become the tenant, to manage the tenancy.

Credit check: choose one

☐ A. I consent to the landlord named above getting my consumer credit report from ______________________________ (credit bureau or tenant screening company) to assess this application. My date of birth, for this check only: ____________________
☐ B. I prefer to give the landlord a recent copy of my own credit report instead. I can get it free from Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada online, by phone or by mail.

No SIN required. A credit check can be done with your name, address and date of birth. Giving a SIN to help match your credit file is entirely your choice, and you will not be refused for leaving it out.

References

☐ I consent to the landlord contacting the landlords and references I listed above, and my income contact if I listed one, to confirm the information on this form and ask about my rental history.

How your information is handled

Who will see it	The landlord named above and:
How it is kept	Paper copies in a locked place; electronic copies protected by a password.
If your application is not accepted	This form and any credit report will be shredded or securely deleted by:
If you become the tenant	Kept in your tenant file for the tenancy, and no longer than needed after it ends.
Seeing your information	You may ask the landlord in writing to see the information held about you. The landlord will respond within the time privacy law requires.
Withdrawing consent	You may withdraw this consent at any time by telling the landlord in writing, subject to legal or contractual limits. If you withdraw before the checks are done, the landlord may not be able to finish reviewing your application.

Applicant signature
Applicant printed name
Date
Received by (landlord) and date

What you must not ask

Human rights codes ban discrimination in renting, for example the Ontario Human Rights Code (housing) and the BC Human Rights Code (tenancy). Other provinces have similar laws. Do not add questions about:

Race, colour, ancestry, ethnic origin, place of origin, citizenship or immigration status
Religion or creed
Marital or family status, children, plans to have children, or pregnancy
Age (the date of birth in Part 5 is for the credit check only)
Disability or health conditions
Sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression
Whether income comes from social assistance or another lawful source. You may confirm the amount, not judge where it comes from.

Also avoid requiring a SIN, checking social media, or using private "bad tenant" lists. In Ontario, a lease term that bans pets is void under the Residential Tenancies Act, although condominium rules can restrict pets. A service or support animal may be part of a disability accommodation. In BC, you cannot charge a fee to accept or process an application.

Keep completed forms secure

Keep paper forms in a locked drawer or cabinet. Do not leave them in a car or a shared office.
If you scan them, use a password-protected account, not your phone's photo roll or a shared email inbox.
Do not photocopy ID unless you have a clear need. Looking at it is usually enough.
Shred or securely delete forms and credit reports from unsuccessful applicants by the date written in Part 5.
Which privacy law applies depends on the province: the federal PIPEDA in most provinces, and provincial private-sector laws in BC, Alberta and Quebec.

FAQ

Do I need the applicant's consent to run a credit check or call references?

Yes. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada says a landlord needs the applicant's consent to share their information with a credit bureau or other third party, and should get consent before checking references. A signed consent section like the one on this form is the simplest way to show you have it.

Should the form ask for a Social Insurance Number?

No. The Privacy Commissioner says a SIN is not needed for a basic credit check, and that if an organization asks for one for identification it must be optional. This form does not ask for a SIN. Name, current address and date of birth are enough for a credit check.

Can the applicant give me their own credit report instead?

Yes, and this form offers that choice. Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada let people get their own credit report free online, by phone or by mail. Ask for a recent copy and compare the name and address with the applicant's ID.

Why does the form ask only for the number of occupants?

Family status, marital status and age are protected grounds under human rights codes. The number of people who will live in the unit is enough to check occupancy limits, so there is no need to ask about children, a spouse or anyone's age.

How long should I keep applications from people I did not rent to?

Only as long as you need them. Privacy guidance says not to keep personal information longer than necessary and to destroy it so it cannot be reconstructed. Write a destruction date on the form, then shred paper copies and securely delete files once your decision is final.

Related tools and guides

How to screen tenants legally in Canada
Ontario standard lease guide
Ontario tenant deposits: last month's rent
Landlord Pilot workspace: keep tenant records and documents in one place

Official sources

Last checked: 2026-11-01.