The tenant application is the foremost step in the screening procedure of a prospective tenant and on the basis of this, the landlord is able to judge his tenant. It is imperative that relevant questions be asked in the tenant application. It is a general practice to ask the tenant to fill out the questions in the tenant application, prior to taking a decision on renting out the unit to him.

The tenant application form usually comprises of inquiry on the subject of the tenants' present and past employers. It will also contain questions about previous landlords, and other people who can give references about the tenant. The tenant application form desires the tenant's social security number, driver's license number, bank account numbers and credit account numbers. It is common for the landlord to ask for a copy of the tenant's credit report to determine the way in which he maintains his finances. The landlord holds the right to ask the tenant about his occupation and earnings, which can help him to determine how he will pay the rent. It is illegal for the rental application to include questions of race, skin color, gender, marital status, faith or medical conditions.

The tenant application also contains questions about the number of people who will live in in the rental unit. The landlord uses the information supplied in the tenant application to finally choose to the most favorable tenant. In most cases, the landlord chooses a tenant with a history of prompt bill payments.