Optimizing your landlord business begins with online property management software and a dialed-in Nebraska rental application. In this article, we’ll share tips to help you stay organized, simplify your decision-making, and even enjoy more free time, all while attracting top tenants.
First, let’s review the information every free application template should collect.
Information to Collect
Learn about the renters who are applying for your listing by asking for the following:
- Personal information: Applicant, co-applicant, and co-signer names, Social Security number, and date of birth
- Contact information: Phone number, email, and emergency contacts
- Rental history: Current address, past residences, and rental references
- Financial overview: Employment, income, and employer references
- Household details: Animals, smoking status, and vehicles
Note: Because a rental application form collects sensitive information, landlords must comply with the law when selecting tenants. For example, fair housing laws regulate the information landlords can collect and the questions they can ask.
In the following guide, we’ll explain the different federal and state laws all landlords must comply with.
Quick Guide to Screening a Tenant
Whether you’re a seasoned landlord or new to the business, here’s a step-by-step approach to optimizing tenant screening.
1. Pre-Screen
Pre-screeners gather information before the rental application stage, helping landlords qualify renters at a glance. Before you comb through an entire application to determine if someone’s a good fit, you can preview a renter’s:
- Contact details
- Move-in timeline
- Employment
- Income
- Credit score
- Household size
- Animals
You shouldn’t use a pre-screener to replace your Nebraska rental application, but you can use it to get to whittle down tenants beforehand.
2. Conduct Showings
Let renters see your home or apartment in person by showing it to them. When you have interested renters lined up, schedule private tours or host an open house to spark an influx of applications.
3. Distribute and Collect Applications
Simplify the process of sending and receiving your form by using an online rental application. A convenient online form keeps both you and renters organized.
It also ensures renters complete the application without leaving anything out, including the crucial consent and acknowledgment section.
Nebraska Application Laws
Next, let’s look at Nebraska rental application laws and the state’s landlord-tenant rights.
In Nebraska, you can consider a renter’s criminal history and eviction records.
Portable tenant screening reports: Nebraska law allows you to use portable tenant screening reports, but you’re not required to accept them.
Source of income: At the state level, Nebraska doesn’t prohibit landlords from denying applicants based on their income source. However, some local areas (including Lincoln) have regulations at the city level regarding where an applicant gets their income.
We recommend checking your local laws or speaking with a trusted legal professional to determine if you can consider Section 8 vouchers, child support, or Social Security when making a decision.
Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals
Your Nebraska rental application is your opportunity to ask about household animals, including pets, service animals, and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs). Add a section asking for the animal’s breed, size, name, and service status.
Have a strict no-pets policy? Under the Fair Housing Act, you can’t deny or discriminate against renters solely because they have a service animal or ESA. The FHA prohibits landlords from:
- Charging a pet fee, monthly pet rent, or one-time pet deposit for service animals or ESAs
- Denying renters based on their service animal or ESA’s weight, size, or breed (Fair Housing Act)
However, you can have renters pay for any damage caused by their pet, service animal, or ESA.
Federal Application Laws
Landlords in the Cornhusker State, listen up. Here are a few federal laws you must comply with:
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) prohibits landlords from discriminating against renters who receive public assistance. It also regulates how landlords assess rental applications and provides reporting guidelines for applicants (Equal Credit Opportunity Act).
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires landlords to get a renter’s written consent before conducting a credit check. It also requires landlords to notify any renters they deny based on their credit history (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits landlords from discriminating against renters based on:
- Race
- Color
- National origin
- Religion
- Sex
- Familial status
- Disability
Landlords can’t ask questions about these protected traits, engage in discriminatory advertising, or offer unequal rental terms (Fair Housing Act).
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires landlords to accommodate renters with disabilities. It prohibits landlords from discriminating against or denying renters solely because of their disability (Americans with Disabilities Act).
4. Use a Third-Party Screening Service
Take your tenant screening seriously by using a reputable tool like TurboTenant for your credit, eviction, and tenant background checks.
5. Check Application References
Speak with the renter’s past landlords or employers, asking your own questions and these sample inquiries:
- Did they ever miss rent?
- Did they damage the property?
- How much were they paying for rent?
- Did they break your lease, or come close to doing so?
- All things considered, would you rent to them again?
6. Approve or Deny Applications
After you’ve done your due diligence and fact-checked each application, it’s time to come to a decision. Use a first-come, first-served approach and accept multiple applications based on:
- Rental history (requiring a co-signer if they have less than 1 year of rental history available)
- Rent-to-income ratio (run the numbers for free using a rent-to-income ratio calculator)
- Credit score (set a minimum requirement at 600-670)
Denial Process
The most important part of your denial process is ensuring it’s handled consistently for every applicant. If your process varies, someone could file a discrimination claim.
Five reasons for denial in Nebraska:
- Rent-to-income ratio
- Adverse rental history
- Low credit score
- False information
- Criminal history
Some states require landlords to send denial notices (often called tenant rejection letters), but Nebraska law doesn’t.
Credit/background denials: Under the FCRA, if you deny an applicant based on their credit or criminal background check, you’re required by law to inform them by sending them an adverse action notice stating:
- The reporting agency’s name and contact information
- The renter’s right to dispute errors
Document storage: Don’t discard denied rental applications and tenant screening documents just yet. Store them for 2–3 years. If a renter files a discrimination claim, you’ll need these files.
Avoiding Fraud
What are the best ways to avoid fraud in today’s rental market? Take these five steps:
- Verify the applicant’s identity
- Conduct thorough credit, background, and eviction checks
- Confirm the renter’s employment and income
- Fact-check every application
- Look for signs of forged documents (inconsistent fonts, different background colors, and unofficial letterheads)
