Free · No signup · Updated July 2026
Free California Rental Application Form - Fill Online, Sign & Download the PDF
This California rental application follows state rules on screening fees, credit reports, and fair housing, including the questions California landlords are not allowed to ask (it contains no immigration-status or blanket criminal-history questions). Fill it out below with plain-English help on every field, then sign and download your completed PDF free.
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California rental application rules to know
- •Application screening fees are capped at $65.86 per applicant in 2026 (Civil Code § 1950.6, adjusted annually for inflation), and can never exceed the landlord's actual cost of screening you (out-of-pocket costs plus the reasonable value of time spent).
- •Landlords must give you an itemized receipt for any screening fee.
- •Since 2025 (AB 2493), landlords who charged you a screening fee must automatically send you a copy of your credit report within 7 days of pulling it, no request needed.
- •If a landlord accepts reusable (portable) screening reports, they cannot charge you a screening fee. Accepting them is voluntary, so ask before paying.
- •Security deposits are capped at one month's rent (AB 12, since July 2024; small landlords may charge up to two months).
- •Source of income is protected statewide, landlords can't refuse you for using a Section 8 voucher, and income requirements must be based on your share of the rent (SB 329).
- •Landlords may not ask about your immigration or citizenship status (Civil Code § 1940.3).
- •Arrests that didn't lead to conviction can't be considered, and blanket 'no felons' policies are unlawful under state fair-housing regulations. Oakland and Berkeley ban most criminal-history questions entirely.
Last reviewed 2026-07-15. General information, not legal advice.
Fill out your application online
One section at a time. Nothing you type leaves your browser; the PDF is generated on your device. Hover any ? for plain-English help.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in California?
In 2026 the maximum screening fee is $65.86 per applicant under Civil Code § 1950.6 (the cap adjusts with inflation each year). The fee also can't exceed the landlord's actual screening costs (out-of-pocket plus reasonable time spent), and you're entitled to an itemized receipt.
Do I get a copy of the credit report the landlord pulls?
Yes. Under AB 2493 (effective 2025), if you paid a screening fee, the landlord must deliver a copy of your credit report to you within 7 days of receiving it, automatically, by mail, email, or in person.
Can a California landlord reject me for having a Section 8 voucher?
No. Source of income, including housing vouchers, is protected statewide. Landlords also must apply income requirements to your share of the rent, not the full rent.
Can a landlord ask about my immigration status?
No. California Civil Code § 1940.3 prohibits landlords from asking about the immigration or citizenship status of applicants or tenants. This form does not include any such question.
Why doesn't this California form ask about criminal history?
California fair-housing regulations bar landlords from considering arrests without conviction and from blanket criminal-history bans, and cities like Oakland and Berkeley prohibit most criminal-history questions entirely. To keep the form safe to use statewide, we omit the question; landlords who screen must do an individualized assessment.
How big can a security deposit be in California?
One month's rent for most landlords (furnished or not), under AB 12 since July 2024. Small landlords, a person owning no more than two rental properties with four or fewer total units, may charge up to two months, but only one month if you're a service member.
More free landlord & tenant forms
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- General US form
For landlords: the tenant application form and the rental verification form.