How to Sign a Rental Application Online (Free, No Printing)

To sign a rental application online, fill in the application first, then open it in an online signer, add your signature and the date on the signature line, and download the signed PDF to send back to the landlord or letting agent. If the landlord uses their own tenant portal, sign there instead. If they emailed you a PDF or Word file and asked you to "sign and return it", you can do the whole thing from your phone in a few minutes without printing anything.

This guide covers the order of steps that avoids redoing the form, what to check before you sign, how to handle a co-applicant or guarantor, and what landlords usually expect to receive back.

First: how did the landlord send it?

Rental applications arrive in one of three ways, and each one is signed differently.

How you received it	How to sign it
A link to a tenant portal or e-signature request	Sign inside that portal. The landlord's system tracks the signature, so don't download and re-upload unless asked.
A PDF or Word file by email	Fill it in, sign it with an online signer, and email the signed PDF back.
A paper form or a scan of one	Ask whether a signed digital copy is acceptable. Most landlords accept one; if they do, scan or photograph it, convert it to PDF and sign it.

The rest of this guide is about the second and third cases, where you have the file and need to return it signed.

Step 1: Fill in the application before you sign

Sign last. A signature confirms that what's above it is accurate, so the form should be complete before you add it. Doing it in this order also saves you from having to sign twice.

• Fillable PDF: if you can click into the boxes, type your details directly in a PDF reader or your browser's PDF viewer and save the file.
• Word file (DOC or DOCX): type your answers in Word, Google Docs or Pages and save.
• Flat PDF with no fields: some landlords accept answers typed on a separate page; others want the form printed and completed by hand. Ask rather than guess.

Be honest about what Docsigns does here: it adds signatures and dates. It does not fill in text fields such as your name, address or employment history, so complete those first with one of the methods above.

Step 2: Sign the application

1. Open Docsigns on your phone or computer and upload the completed application (PDF, DOC or DOCX).
2. Create your signature: draw it with your finger or mouse, type your name in one of six cursive fonts, or upload a photo of your handwritten signature.
3. Drag the signature onto the applicant signature line and resize it to fit.
4. Add the date next to it, choosing the date format the form uses.
5. If the form asks you to sign or initial in more than one place, such as a consent to a background or credit check, add a signature on each of those pages too.
6. Download the signed document as a PDF.

Docsigns is free, needs no account and adds no watermark. The how it works page walks through the same three steps.

A note on privacy

Rental applications are full of sensitive details: your ID number, income, previous addresses and references. When you sign a PDF in Docsigns, the signing happens in your browser and the PDF itself is not uploaded. A Word file works differently: it is sent to a server to be converted to PDF before you sign. If you would rather keep everything in the browser, export the application to PDF from Word first (File > Save As > PDF) and sign the PDF. The privacy policy has the details.

Step 3: Check the signed file before you send it

Open the downloaded PDF and look at it the way the landlord will.

• Is the signature on the right line and not covering any printed text?
• Is the date correct and in the format the form asks for?
• Are all the pages there, including any consent or declaration pages?
• Are the answers you typed still visible? Occasionally a filled-in form loses its answers if it wasn't saved before signing. If so, fill it in again, save, and sign.

Co-applicants and guarantors

If two or more people are applying, or a guarantor needs to sign, each person should sign with their own signature. Docsigns has no request-and-track flow for sending one file around to several people, so pass the file along manually:

1. The first applicant signs and downloads the PDF.
2. They send that signed PDF to the next person.
3. The next person opens it in Docsigns, adds their own signature and date on their line, and downloads it again.
4. Whoever signs last sends the fully signed file to the landlord.

Never sign on someone else's behalf, even a partner or parent who is happy for you to do it. Their signature needs to come from them.

What to send back with the application

Landlords often ask for supporting documents at the same time. Common requests include:

• Photo ID
• Recent payslips, an employment letter or bank statements
• References from a previous landlord or employer
• A guarantor form, if one is needed

Send only what the application or the landlord asks for. You can black out details they don't need, such as account numbers on bank statements, if they only need to see income. Use a clear file name, such as Rental-Application-Smith-Signed.pdf, so your email doesn't get lost among others.

Is an online signature valid on a rental application?

For most everyday agreements, including rental applications, an electronic signature is generally accepted under laws such as ESIGN and UETA in the United States and eIDAS in the EU. Some documents, such as property transfers or anything requiring a notary, need more, and a small number of landlords or agencies insist on their own signing system or a wet signature. A signature from Docsigns is an electronic signature, not a qualified digital signature backed by a certificate. If you're unsure, ask the landlord which format they accept. This is general information, not legal advice.

Keep in mind that signing an application usually doesn't commit you to renting the property. The lease does that, and it comes later. Read both before you sign, and keep a copy of everything you send.

If the landlord only sent a paper form

When the application exists only on paper, ask the landlord or agent whether a signed digital copy is acceptable before you go digital. If it is, fill it in by hand, take a straight, well-lit photo or scan of each page, and turn the pages into one PDF. Then open that PDF in Docsigns, sign and date it where required, and download it. Check that every page is legible, especially the small print on consent sections, because a blurry scan can be rejected and slow your application down.

Quick checklist

• Fill in every field, save the file, then sign.
• Sign and date every place the form asks, including consent pages.
• Each applicant or guarantor signs for themselves.
• Check the downloaded PDF, then email it with any supporting documents requested.

More guides on signing specific documents are on the Docsigns blog.