In the Beaver State, it’s not hard to find scenic coastlines or mountain paths, and with a smart Oregon rental application, you’ll also find great renters for your listing. A free rental application template helps make the entire process easier, organized, and streamlined.
Here’s a helpful guide to your Oregon rental application covering best practices for tenant screening through to the denial process.
Information to Collect
Use your Oregon rental application form to collect:
- Applicant, co-applicant, and co-signer names
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Email and phone number
- Emergency contact
- Employment, rental, and income history
- References
- Current, previous, and past addresses
- Information on smoking, pets, and vehicles
Since rental application forms collect sensitive information, laws regulate the types of questions landlords can ask, the information they can gather, and how they use the form to make a decision.
We’ll review the federal and state laws related to your listing, but first, let’s discuss tenant screening best practices.
Quick Guide to Screening a Tenant
Just like the house or apartment you’re listing, every rental application is unique. Follow these six steps for a comprehensive and responsible tenant screening process, from start to finish.
1. Pre-Screen
Ensure a renter meets your baseline criteria by using a pre-screener before they apply. Once a renter finds your listing, a pre-screener asks for:
- Desired move-in date
- Contact information
- Employment and income details
- Occupants
- Self-reported credit score
- Smoking
- Pets
Prescreeners can help you swiftly sort through leads, but they can’t replace your online rental application form.
2. Conduct Showings
Show the rental by scheduling an open house and booking private tours, allowing renters to see the property in person.
3. Distribute and Collect Applications
Send your Oregon rental application to interested renters. Once the applicants have filled out their form, collect the documents along with any applicable fees and ensure they’ve signed the consent and acknowledgement section.
Oregon Application Laws
Oregon rental application laws and landlord-tenant rights are listed in the Oregon Fair Housing Act. Here’s what you need to know:
Oregon law lists race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, source of income, gender identity, national origin, marital status, age, and disability as legally protected characteristics, so you can’t discriminate against or deny applicants because of them (ORS 659A.421).
Criminal history: Landlords can consider criminal history within the past five years falling under specific categories, including drug-related crimes and financial fraud (ORS 90.303).
Eviction history: You can consider eviction history within the past five years, but only if it resulted in a judgment against the renter (ORS 90.303).
Portable tenant screening reports: Oregon law permits portable tenant screening reports, but doesn’t require landlords to accept them.
Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals
You don’t want to find out about an unexpected pet on move-in day, so ask about household animals in your application form.
Landlords can’t discriminate against applicants with ESAs or service animals, but tenants must cover the costs of any damages they cause.
Pet information: Ask about pets/ESAs/service animals, and collect the animal’s breed, size, and name for your records.
Fair Housing Act: This law protects applicants with ESAs/service animals from discrimination. Landlords can’t charge a pet deposit, pet rent, or pet fee for ESAs/service animals, or deny housing based on the animal’s breed, size, or weight.
Federal Application Laws
Landlords in this Pacific Northwest region must know (and follow) these four federal rental application laws.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Landlords must obtain an applicant’s written consent to conduct a credit check, and they are required to inform renters who are denied based on their credit history (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): This law protects individuals who have received public assistance, regulates how landlords evaluate credit reports, and provides guidelines for reporting to applicants (Equal Credit Opportunity Act).
Fair Housing Act (FHA): Landlords can’t discriminate against renters based on:
- Race
- Color
- National origin
- Religion
- Sex
- Familial status
- Disability
You can’t deny an applicant because of these traits. The FHA also bans advertising discrimination and unequal terms of renting. This law applies to all landlords, property managers, and employees responsible for selecting renters (Fair Housing Act).
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The ADA requires landlords to accommodate a renter’s condition and prohibits them from discriminating against an applicant solely based on a disability (Americans with Disabilities Act).
4. Use a Third-Party Screening Service
Need to perform a credit check or a criminal background check? Use a free digital tenant screening tool to simplify the process.
5. Check Application References
Contact the renter’s references and ask their past landlords/employers these sample questions:
- Would you recommend renting to this tenant?
- How much were they paying for monthly rent, and did they ever miss any payments?
- Did the tenant maintain the property in a clean and undamaged condition?
- Did they ever violate the lease or receive an official warning?
6. Approve or Deny Applications
It’s a best practice to accept multiple applications on a first-come, first-served basis. When deciding on an applicant, always consider:
- Credit Score: Many landlords set a minimum credit score requirement ranging between 600 and 670.
- Rent-to-Income Ratio: The ideal rent-to-income ratio is no more than 30% of the applicant’s gross income.
- Rental History: When renters have less than a year of rental history available, consider asking for a co-signer.
- Fact Check on Oregon Rental Application: Verify an applicant’s identity, documents, employment, and income to spot rental fraud.
Denial Process
Always handle denials in a legal, consistent manner across all applicants. In Oregon, you can deny renters due to:
- Income, credit, rental, or criminal history
- Incomplete/false information
Denial notice: Oregon landlords must send tenant rejection letters to all rejected applicants stating the reason for denial and the tenant’s right to dispute (ORS 90.304).
Credit/Background denials: If you deny renters due to a credit or tenant background check, the FCRA requires you to send the renter an adverse action notice stating the reporting agency’s name and contact details, as well as the renter’s right to dispute errors.
Document storage: While not required by law, keep denied applications and screening reports for at least two years to help defend against claims of discrimination.
Avoiding Fraud
Protect yourself from fraud and rental application scams by:
- Watching out for red flags
- Verifying the applicant’s identity, documents, employment, and income
- Running credit, background, and eviction checks
- Speaking to rental references
