A pet application is how a landlord decides about a specific animal before it moves in. Done properly it is short, factual and about the animal rather than the person, and it results in a pet agreement naming that animal. Done carelessly it becomes a vehicle for questions that have nothing to do with the animal, and for refusing a request that was never a pet request in the first place.
Ask about the animal
Type, breed, age, weight, whether it is spayed or neutered, vaccination and licensing status where required locally, how long the applicant has had it, whether it has been in rented accommodation before, and who cares for it when the applicant is away. Those answers are relevant to a decision about damage, noise and welfare. They are also all verifiable, which matters if the answer later turns out to be wrong.
Say what the decision is based on before you take one
Write down your criteria: permitted types, any weight or number limit, and what would make you decline. Apply them the same way to every applicant. A published, consistent standard is easier to explain than a case by case judgement, and it stops the pet question from becoming a proxy for a decision about the applicant.
An assistance animal request is not this form
Under federal fair housing law an assistance animal for a person with a disability is a reasonable accommodation rather than a pet. It is not subject to pet applications, pet fees, deposits, rent, breed restrictions or weight limits, and it should be handled through your accommodation process. Routing such a request through a pet application, and charging for it, is the mistake this page exists to prevent.
What happens after approval
A pet agreement naming that specific animal, signed and attached to the lease, setting out any deposit or fee within the state's limits, responsibility for waste and noise, and how permission may be withdrawn. Approval of an application is not the agreement; it is the decision that leads to one.
Questions people ask about pet application
Can I refuse a pet for its breed?
For a pet, generally yes if your criteria are stated and applied consistently, subject to local rules and your insurer. For an assistance animal, no, breed restrictions do not apply.
Can I charge a fee to process a pet application?
Several states limit what may be charged around a tenancy. Check the state rule, and never charge anything in respect of an assistance animal.
What if the animal changes?
A new application and a new agreement. Permission is for the specific animal, which is the point of naming it.