Free · No signup · Updated July 2026

Free Washington, D.C. Rental Application Form - Fill Online, Sign & Download the PDF

This Washington, D.C. rental application reflects the District's tenant-screening rules, including the annually adjusted application-fee cap, mandatory deposit interest, and the Fair Criminal Record Screening for Housing Act (so it contains no criminal-history question). Fill it out below with plain-English help on every field, then sign and download your completed PDF free.

Fill it out online, free Download the blank PDF

✓ Field-by-field help
✓ Sign electronically
✓ Instant PDF download
✓ Nothing stored on our servers

Washington, D.C. rental application rules to know

•Application fees are capped and adjusted for inflation each year: the 2026 maximum is $54 (base $50 under D.C. Code § 42-3505.10, added by Law 24-115). The application fee is the only payment a landlord may take before you sign a lease, and if no screening is actually done the fee must be refunded within 14 days.
•Before screening you, the landlord must tell you in writing the amount and purpose of every fee and what will be checked. If you are denied, they must give the specific reasons plus a free copy or summary of any report they relied on (D.C. Code § 42-3505.10).
•Security deposits are capped at one month's rent and must be held in an interest-bearing escrow account at a District financial institution (14 DCMR § 308).
•Your deposit earns interest at the prevailing statement-savings rate, paid to you at move-out for any tenancy of at least 12 months (14 DCMR § 311). The landlord has 45 days after you leave to return it or give written notice of a claim, and withholding in bad faith can cost treble (triple) damages.
•Source of income is protected under the D.C. Human Rights Act, and Section 8 vouchers count as a source of income, so a landlord cannot refuse you or advertise 'no vouchers' (D.C. Code § 2-1402.21).
•The D.C. Human Rights Act has one of the longest protected-class lists anywhere. Beyond the federal classes it covers age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, and status as a victim of an intrafamily offense (D.C. Code § 2-1402.21).
•Under the Fair Criminal Record Screening for Housing Act (D.C. Code § 42-3541.01 et seq.), a landlord may not ask about or consider your criminal record before making a conditional offer, so this form leaves the question off. After a conditional offer they may weigh only pending cases or certain serious convictions from the last 7 years, with an individualized assessment. Blanket bans can also create Fair Housing Act disparate-impact liability.
•Many older D.C. buildings are under rent control (the Rental Housing Act), and tenants get a right of first refusal to buy before a landlord sells the building (Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, D.C. Code § 42-3404.02).

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.

Filled in by the applicant based on the listing, or pre-filled by the landlord.

Property address*

Desired move-in date*

Monthly rent ($)

Free forever. No signup. Your information is never uploaded or stored.

Frequently asked questions

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in Washington, D.C.?

The cap is set each year for inflation, and for 2026 it is $54 (the $50 base in D.C. Code § 42-3505.10 adjusted for the CPI). It is the only payment a landlord may collect before lease signing, and if the landlord never actually runs a screening, the fee must be refunded within 14 days.

How big can a security deposit be in Washington, D.C.?

No more than one month's rent (14 DCMR § 308). The money must be kept in an interest-bearing escrow account at a District bank, separate from the landlord's own funds.

Do I earn interest on my security deposit in Washington, D.C.?

Yes. Your deposit earns interest at the prevailing statement-savings rate, and for any tenancy of 12 months or more the interest is paid to you at move-out (14 DCMR § 311). The landlord has 45 days to return the deposit or give written notice of a claim, and bad-faith withholding can trigger triple damages.

Can a D.C. landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher?

No. The D.C. Human Rights Act treats a housing voucher as a protected source of income, so a landlord cannot turn you down for using Section 8 or post a 'no vouchers' listing (D.C. Code § 2-1402.21). Enforcement runs through the Office of Human Rights.

Why doesn't this D.C. form ask about criminal history?

The Fair Criminal Record Screening for Housing Act (D.C. Code § 42-3541.02) bars a landlord from asking about or considering your record until after a conditional offer of housing. Any review then is limited to pending cases or certain serious convictions from the past 7 years, with an individualized assessment, so a criminal-history question does not belong on the application.

What is the D.C. application-fee refund rule?

If the landlord does not actually conduct a screening for any reason, they must refund your application fee within 14 days (D.C. Code § 42-3505.10). A landlord also may not charge any other fee or deposit before you sign the lease.

More free landlord & tenant forms

For landlords: the tenant application form and the rental verification form.