Does an Eviction Go on a Credit Report?

A credit report serves as a comprehensive record of an individual’s financial history, detailing how they manage borrowed money. It includes information about credit accounts, payment histories, and credit limits. Lenders, insurers, and landlords use these reports to assess financial responsibility and determine eligibility for loans, services, or housing. This summary influences access to credit and the terms offered.

Eviction represents a formal legal process initiated by a landlord to remove a tenant from a rental property. This process involves a court filing and requires a judicial order to compel a tenant to vacate. It is a structured procedure landlords follow to regain possession, often due to lease violations like non-payment of rent or property damage.

How Evictions Affect Credit Reports

An eviction filing, the court record of legal proceedings, does not typically appear directly on a standard credit report from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. These bureaus primarily track financial accounts and payment behaviors. The impact on a credit report stems from financial obligations that often accompany an eviction.

When a tenant fails to pay rent, causes property damage, or incurs other financial liabilities leading to an eviction, these unpaid debts can negatively affect a credit report. Landlords may report outstanding balances to collection agencies, which then report the collection account to the credit bureaus. These collection accounts indicate a failure to meet financial commitments and can lower an individual’s credit standing. If a landlord obtains a civil judgment for unpaid rent or damages, this public record can also be included on a credit report.

Specific Information That Appears

Negative entries on a credit report following an eviction are financial, reflecting incurred debts. Unpaid rent or damages, for instance, are common liabilities. If a landlord refers these amounts to a collection agency, the agency reports the debt as a collection account to credit bureaus. This entry details the original creditor, the amount owed, and the date the account went into collection.

A civil judgment is another entry. If a landlord sues a former tenant for unpaid rent or property damage and wins, the judgment becomes a public record. These court-ordered debts can be reported to credit bureaus and appear in the public records section. Unpaid utility bills, such as electricity or water, if sent to collection agencies, will also appear on a credit report, contributing to a negative credit history.

Duration of Negative Information

Negative information stemming from an eviction, such as collection accounts or civil judgments, remains on a credit report for a specified period. Most collection accounts, including those for unpaid rent or damages, stay for up to seven years from the date of the original delinquency. This period begins from the first missed payment that led to the account going into default, not from when it was sent to collections.

Civil judgments also remain on a credit report for seven years from the date the judgment was filed. Even if satisfied or paid off, the entry may still remain on the report, updated to reflect payment. While these entries persist, their impact on credit scores diminishes over time.

Accessing Your Credit Report

To ascertain whether any negative entries related to a past eviction are present, individuals should regularly access and review their credit reports. The official source for obtaining free credit reports from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion is AnnualCreditReport.com. This website allows consumers to request reports from each bureau.

By federal law, individuals are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three bureaus annually. Consumers currently have access to these reports more frequently. When requesting a report, basic personal information such as name, current and previous addresses, date of birth, and Social Security number will be required for identity verification. Once obtained, it is important to review all sections, paying close attention to collection accounts, public records, and any listed past-due balances that might be linked to a former tenancy.

Addressing Negative Entries

If negative entries related to an eviction appear inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable, individuals have the right to dispute these errors directly with the credit bureaus. The dispute process involves contacting the relevant bureau, providing supporting evidence, and the bureau is required to investigate the disputed item within 30 days. If an error is confirmed, the item must be corrected or removed.

For valid debts, paying off collection accounts or civil judgments will update their status on the credit report to “paid” or “satisfied.” While payment does not immediately remove the entry, a paid status is viewed more favorably by lenders and can contribute to credit improvement over time. It may be possible to negotiate with the original creditor or collection agency for a settlement or a “pay-for-delete” agreement, though these are not standard practice. Consistent monitoring of credit reports is advisable to track changes and ensure accuracy.