New York Rental Application
Fill out a New York rental application below and download a print-ready PDF — identity, rental history, employment, references and screening consent. Free, no signup.
Maintained by the SealForms editorial team · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified July 2026 · Not legal advice.
New York application-fee rule · as of July 2026
Capped: $20 (or actual cost, whichever is less)
RPL §238-a — The application fee itself is banned; only background/credit cost up to $20 — waived if the applicant brings their own report ≤30 days old.
Source: NY Senate — Real Property Law ↗. Laws change — confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
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Know your New York rules
Application-fee rules come from state law, not the form: in New York, capped: $20 (or actual cost, whichever is less) (RPL §238-a). Cities can add their own caps. Check the currentNew York screening rules before charging or paying a fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in New York?
New York caps application fees at $20 (or actual cost, whichever is less) under RPL §238-a. The application fee itself is banned; only background/credit cost up to $20 — waived if the applicant brings their own report ≤30 days old. Source: NY Senate — Real Property Law.
Is the application a lease?
No. The application only collects information for screening. If approved, landlord and tenant then sign a lease — see our New York lease agreement template, which reflects New York's deposit and notice rules.
How does New York compare? See application-fee limits in all 50 states, every rule cited to statute.
How New York compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of July 2026). Source for New York: NY Senate — Real Property Law ↗.
- New York is one of 8 of 51 jurisdictions that cap the application fee by statute (33 set no statutory limit on application fees; 6 limit the fee to the landlord's actual screening cost; 4 ban application fees outright).
The rest of what New York requires
The figures below are New York's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full New York page for that document.
- Security deposit cap· as of 2026
- 1 month's rentN.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108 ↗
- Deposit return deadline· as of 2026
- 14 days after move-outN.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108 ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy· as of 2026
- 30 daysN.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108 ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent· as of 2026
- 14 days to pay or quitN.Y. Real Prop. Acts. Law § 711(2); N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c ↗
- Small claims limit· as of 2026
- $10,000NYC Civil Court Act § 1801; UCCA § 1801; UJCA § 1801 ↗
- Where you file· as of 2026
- Small Claims Part of NYC Civil Court / City Court / Town or Village Justice Court · filing fee NYC Civil Court and City Courts: $15 for claims of $1,000 or less, $20 over $1,000 (CCA § 1803; UCCA § 1803). Town and Village Courts: $10 up to $1,000, $15 over (UJCA § 1803).NYC Civil Court Act § 1801; UCCA § 1801; UJCA § 1801 ↗
- Bill of sale notarization· as of 2026
- Not requiredNew York DMV (Form MV-912) ↗
- Power of attorney signing· as of 2026
- Notarization required · 2 witnessesN.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §5-1501B (form §5-1513) ↗
- LLC operating agreement· as of 2026
- Required by statuteN.Y. LLC Law § 417 (written operating agreement required; 90-day window) ↗
- Recording a deed· as of 2026
- County Clerk (in the four NYC boroughs other than Staten Island, the NYC City Register) · no witnessesNY Real Property Law § 291 ↗
Rental application in other states
More New York legal forms
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