Rental application asking for bank account information, is this normal?

I was looking for some temporary accomodation in the Bay Area as I'll be down there pretty regularly and having a pied-a-terre down there beats staying in bland corporate hotels. Plus, it's cheaper anyway and my employer appreciates that I'm trying to save them a bit of money at the same time.

Found a place that I liked this week and the landlady just sent me a rental application form. It's your typical one-size-fits-nothing form which I don't have a problem with, but it asks for my bank account information including account numbers and balances (and of course the SSN). That I do have a problem with, given that the form also asks for my employment information including salary. Oh, and information about my vehicles right down to the license plate.

While I understand that this information provides help to a landlord to recover unpaid rent, I'm not comfortable to give out information that is enough to both impersonate me and clean out my bank accounts. Is that a normal amount of information that's being asked for?

Doesn't sound normal to me and I sure as hell wouldn't give it out.

Have you seen the actual apt in person yet?

I understand why they would want an SSN (though i would be hesitant to even provide that) but the bank information does not seem reasonable at all. In fact, the only reason I could see for them requesting it is to try to make unauthorized withdrawals.

JohnRW1621 wrote: Have you seen the actual apt in person yet?

I have, and I have met the owner of the house (it's a M-I-L apartment). I wouldn't consider filling in an application otherwise. The form isn't one that she made up herself, it's from the Apartment Owners Association of California, whoever that may be.

WilD wrote: I understand why they would want an SSN (though i would be hesitant to even provide that) but the bank information does not seem reasonable at all. In fact, the only reason I could see for them requesting it is to try to make unauthorized withdrawals.

That's essentially my concern as well. Especially given that both my wife and I have already been victims of data breaches in the past few years.

That said, the rental application may be moot anyway as it'd be much easier for me to rent the apartment via AirBNB (which is an option).

Sounds like it could be legit. Probably just a non-pro, home owner trying to not get burned.

I would provide her with what might put her at ease.
For the bank info, pull a printed statement from the bank. It will look very official and seem very forthcoming but it will also not disclose your entire account number.
Add to that a copy of your state driver's license which then gives her a traceable ID number that is not your social security number but the added benefit of photo.

Don't give soc. Don't give account numbers.

Definitely a non-pro. From talking to her, I got the impression she bought the house last year, renovated the MIL apartment to get some extra money coming in to pay for the renovation of the rest of the place. It's one of those places that I'd hate to lose out on, but not at the potential risks with that application.

Oh, and I forgot that the application also asked for the driver's license number and all that jazz...

I just emailed her back suggesting to just run the rental via AirBNB (which she mentioned as an option) as that's easier for me anyway, plus it'll give her some rental history/feedback with them. Let's see what transpires. I have another option I know I can get in with a single phone call or email, but that would be a shared bathroom situation and I'm too old for that sort of E36 M3.

Saw this for the first time when I applied for the rental unit I'm in now. Not happy with it, did it anyway, seems to have been okay. I still watch my credit report and bank accounts on a regular basis.

Wish I could have seen the landlord's bank account information as I believe this is a shoe string operation and I sometimes wonder if they have money to really deal with 100% of legit maintenance items. Meh.

Been in that situation before. I called and explained I was uncomfortable giving out account numbers and balances due to privacy concerns, they said just leave it blank.

I did provide SSN for credit check and background check.

SSN is necessary. Liquidity checks are normal, although not inherently necessary. She'll eventually have your account number anyways if you're paying by check.

Still wouldn't give it out though.

Something to think about beyond why they ask and how the use it, is the huge risk inherent on putting all of that information together on a sheet of paper. Even if a landlord is 100% legit and honest, how seriously are they going to safeguard that piece of paper. A stack of "rental applications" with that data on it is a treasure trove for anyone interested in various types of criminal activity, and who knows what could happen to it and when.

Case in point, a buy-here-pay-here type used car lot was recently in the news because someone found piles (several years worth) of credit apps with that kind of information just dumped in a vacant lot in Detroit.

In reply to WilD:

You've pretty much summed up what I'm concerned about.

If your company I paying for it anyway can you put there information in the agreement?

If things go south job wise are you on the hook for the rental?

FWIW, asking for information about vehicles w/ license plate numbers is pretty standard for apartment complexes that enforce restricted parking. If a landlord of a private home is asking for that info I'd bet that she's just reusing an application or checklist that she found online... meaning there's easy opportunity to push back, if you'd like.

Pretty much every rental application I've ever filled out (all in the 90s) asked for bank account info. I don't remember if I included it or not, that was a long time ago. :)

License plates make sense, and the SSN is needed for the credit report.