How to Find Evictions on Your Credit Report

Understanding what information appears on your credit report and how to access it can provide clarity regarding your financial health and readiness for future housing applications.

Do Evictions Appear on Credit Reports?

An eviction itself, which is the legal process a landlord undertakes to remove a tenant from a property, does not directly appear on your credit report. The major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, do not track eviction filings or their outcomes in the same way they monitor financial accounts like loans or credit cards. Therefore, you will not find an entry explicitly labeled “eviction” on your credit report.

While the eviction action itself is not reported, the financial obligations associated with an eviction can certainly impact your credit. If unpaid rent, damages, or other fees were part of the eviction process, these financial liabilities can be sent to collections or result in a civil judgment. It is these financial consequences, rather than the eviction legal action, that may subsequently appear on your credit report and affect your credit standing.

Understanding Related Entries on Your Credit Report

Although an eviction order does not directly appear on your credit report, the financial fallout from such a situation can significantly impact your credit history. Unpaid rent, property damage charges, or other fees owed to a former landlord can be turned over to a third-party collection agency. Once a debt is placed with a collection agency, that agency will typically report the collection account to the major credit bureaus.

A collection account on your credit report indicates a debt that was not paid as agreed and was subsequently sold or assigned to a collection agency. These entries can remain on your credit report for up to seven years from the date of the original delinquency, significantly lowering your credit score and signaling a higher risk to potential creditors or landlords. For instance, an unpaid rent collection can cause a credit score to drop by a notable amount, potentially 50 to 150 points, depending on the individual’s credit profile.

Civil judgments, which are court orders to pay a debt, traditionally appeared on credit reports and could stem from an eviction if a landlord sued for unpaid amounts and won. However, in a significant change implemented in July 2017, the three major credit bureaus largely stopped including civil judgments and tax liens on credit reports. While bankruptcies are still reported, civil judgments are generally no longer found on current credit reports.

Accessing Your Credit Reports

To determine if eviction-related financial information is impacting your credit, obtaining a copy of your credit reports is an important step. Federal law grants you the right to receive one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three major nationwide credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

The official and most reliable way to access these free reports is by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also request your reports by calling 1-877-322-8228 or by completing and mailing the Annual Credit Report Request Form. Requesting your reports online typically provides immediate access, while requests made by phone or mail are usually processed and sent within 15 days.

Currently, the three credit bureaus have extended a program allowing consumers to check their credit report from each bureau weekly for free through AnnualCreditReport.com. Reviewing reports from all three bureaus is beneficial because not all creditors report to every bureau, meaning information on one report might not appear on another.

Reviewing Your Credit Report for Eviction-Related Information

Once you have obtained your credit reports from each of the three major bureaus, carefully examine each report for any entries that might be related to a past eviction. Focus your attention on sections detailing collection accounts. These accounts will typically list the name of the collection agency and the original creditor, which might be a former landlord or apartment complex.

Look for accounts that you do not recognize or that correspond to a period when you experienced housing issues. The details of these entries will include the original balance, the date the account was opened, and its payment status. Even if a collection account is marked as “paid,” its presence can still negatively affect your credit score for up to seven years from the date of original delinquency.

While civil judgments are largely no longer included on credit reports, you can still briefly review the “public records” section of your report. This section primarily lists bankruptcies, but a quick check can confirm that no outdated or incorrectly reported civil judgments appear.

Addressing Inaccuracies and Disputing Information

Upon reviewing your credit reports, if you discover any information you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or belongs to someone else, you have the right to dispute it. Gather any supporting documentation that validates your claim, such as lease agreements, rent payment receipts, or court documents showing resolved disputes.

You can initiate a dispute directly with each credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) that is reporting the inaccurate information. Most bureaus offer online dispute portals, but you can also submit disputes by mail or phone. Clearly explain what information you are disputing and why it is incorrect, attaching copies of your supporting documents. It is advisable to send physical mail via certified mail with a return receipt requested to maintain a record of your submission.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), credit bureaus are generally required to investigate your dispute within 30 days of receiving it. This period can extend to 45 days if you provide additional information during the investigation or if you accessed your report through AnnualCreditReport.com. If the investigation confirms the information is inaccurate or cannot be verified, the bureau must remove or correct it. If the dispute is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may also consider contacting the original creditor or collection agency that furnished the information, as they also have responsibilities under the FCRA to investigate disputes.