Setting Up Your Online Rental Application Form

Rentec Direct property management software allows you to conveniently collect and organize rental applications and quickly approve the most qualified applicants. Any data collected with the online rental application is securely stored within your software. 

This article reviews how to customize your online rental application and application fees, ensuring you can manage your data with confidence.

Customize Your Online Rental Application

With Rentec Direct property management software, you can create an Online Rental Application that perfectly suits your company's needs. The ability to add Custom Questions and Required Fields ensures that only complete applications are received. 

Rentec Direct's online application includes several Default Questions that are standard for property management and provide the information needed to run Tenant Screening Reports. When an applicant completes an online application, they must fill in all required fields before submitting. Applicants social security numbers are the only mandatory default question, indicated with a red '*.' If there are any other questions that you'd like to make mandatory, set the default to "No" and add the question to your "Custom Questions," where you can check the "Required" box.

Important Note: Please ensure your rental application and fees comply with federal, state, and local landlord-tenant laws.

The following steps walk through how to create an Online Rental Application

In your Rentec Direct account:

1. Click on Settings
2. Under Program, click on Rental Applications
3. Enable Online Applications by checking the Yes radio button 
4. Select the preferred Default Questions to show on the application. If the question is to be required, indicate "No" and add it to Custom Questions
5. Add any Additional Instructions you would like to have displayed on the application
6. Add Custom Questions  (i.e., additional occupants, vehicle information, etc.)   
   1. Select from the option of a single or multiple line response
   2. Indicate if a response is required. (Applications with unanswered required fields will not be submitted.)
   3. Click on +Add Question as needed to add additional custom and required questions
7. If you have a merchant account and would like to require an application fee, continue to the next step, otherwise Click on SAVE
8. Under Application Fees, enter:
   1. The Amount of the Fee
   2. Indicate if the fee received is to be Applied to the Property Ledger as Income
   3. If the Application Fee is to be applied to the property ledger, select the Income Category to be used

Check out how easy it is to order Tenant Screening Reports directly from Online Rental Applications received here: Managing Rental Applications.

Pro Tips:

• If you are set up with PetScreening, set "Ask primary applicant to list pets?" to:
  • Yes, If you would like Pet Screening to be required of only the primary applicant If they indicate they have a pet
  • No, If you would like all applicants to complete Pet Screening even if they indicate they don't have a pet
    • PetScreening allows you to establish legal documentation of applicants indicating they don't have a pet and that they are aware of your pet policy if they acquire a pet at a later date. There is no additional fee for applicants with "No Pet".

Learn more about PetScreening.com and add Pet Screening to your Rentec Direct application process Getting Started with Pet Screening

Collecting Application Fees Online

Application fees can be required and received with online applications through your Rentec Direct property management software. A merchant account is required for all online financial transactions, including application fees.

Important Note: Please ensure your rental application and fees comply with federal, state, and local landlord-tenant laws.

If you're not yet setup with a merchant account to receive application fees and other online payments, here's some helpful links to get started:

• Learn more about online payments with your Rentec Direct software using a Merchant Account
• Application fees received will need to be assigned to a category. Learn more about Setting Up Categories | Chart of Accounts

• It's common to allow the application fee to show on the property ledger and then post a management fee to expense the income out for full transparency.
• Online application fees will be deposited into the merchant account indicated as the income account in the property

How to Send Links to Applicants

Once your Online Rental Application is set up, send a link to your  Custom Website or Link to Your Application to prospective tenants.

Blank Rental Application Form

A blank, generic rental application is available to print out and provide to rental applicants here: Rental Application Form

Important Note: The example document may need to be modified to meet your state requirements before use.