Ultimately, it is up to you as the landlord to determine whether or not you want to require a Social Security number on your rental application. Is it possible to rent an apartment (from professional landlords) in the USA without providing social security number?The good news is that you do not need an SSN on an apartment rental application to screen a prospective tenant. A complete guide to creating a rental application form in Ohio. We'll also explain how tenant screening works and introduce an online template you can use. The landlord can ask for your SSN and run a credit check in order to make a decision about renting to you. If you don't want to give it, rent someplace else. Yes, what you did was illegal. It would be considered fraud - basically lying about your identity. Since the SSN is a required field, have them temporarily enter any 9-digit number so they can continue filling out their rental application and complete it.