How to Get an Eviction Off Your Credit Report
Clear your credit report: Discover the actionable steps to remove an eviction record, whether it's inaccurate or legally resolved.
An eviction record can significantly impact housing and financial stability. While direct evictions rarely appear on traditional credit reports, related financial consequences often do. This article guides readers through methods to challenge or remove such records from credit reports, detailing specific circumstances and steps.
Understanding Eviction Reporting
An eviction is typically a court judgment, a legal ruling against a tenant for lease violations like non-payment of rent. While public records, evictions generally do not appear directly on standard consumer credit reports from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. However, financial consequences stemming from an eviction can impact one’s credit.
If a landlord refers unpaid rent, fees, or damages to a collection agency, this debt can be reported to credit bureaus as a collection account. Such accounts can remain on a credit report for up to seven years from the original delinquency and significantly lower credit scores.
It is important to distinguish between a credit report and a tenant screening report. Tenant screening reports, used by landlords, frequently include eviction history by accessing public court records. These reports provide a comprehensive rental history, including eviction filings, even if the eviction doesn’t appear on a credit report. While this article focuses on credit reports, eviction information exists in different reporting systems.
Identifying Grounds for Removal
Before initiating removal, identify if your eviction record falls under specific circumstances that allow for its removal from your credit report. One primary ground involves inaccuracies or errors in reported information, such as incorrect personal details, an inaccurate amount owed, or the reporting of an eviction that never legally occurred.
Other common errors that could warrant a dispute include duplicate entries, incorrect dates, or an inaccurate status (e.g., reported as unpaid when satisfied). The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides consumers rights to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information on their credit reports. If the original furnisher (e.g., landlord, collection agency) failed to adhere to FCRA guidelines, this could also be a basis for dispute.
Another pathway for removal is if the eviction judgment was legally vacated, dismissed, or overturned by a court. If a court nullified the original judgment, the record is no longer valid. Similarly, if a court order was issued to expunge or seal the eviction record, it effectively removes the record from public access. This legal action should lead to its removal from reporting agencies that draw information from public records, including credit bureaus.
Disputing Inaccurate Eviction Records
After identifying an inaccurate eviction record, formally dispute the information. Gather comprehensive evidence to support your claim. This evidence might include certified court documents proving a judgment was vacated or dismissed, proof of payment for incorrect amounts, or official identification for erroneous personal information.
Contact the major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) to dispute. Each bureau offers online dispute portals, or you can send disputes via mail. Your dispute should clearly state the item, why it is inaccurate, and include supporting documentation. Bureaus must investigate disputes within 30 days, extendable to 45 days.
If credit bureau disputes fail, or as a parallel approach, dispute directly with the information furnisher (e.g., collection agency, previous landlord). Sending a certified letter detailing the inaccuracy and providing documents requires them to investigate and respond. If the furnisher finds the information inaccurate or cannot verify it, they must notify credit bureaus to update or remove the entry. Monitor credit reports after disputes to ensure the record is updated or removed.
Removing Legally Expunged or Vacated Records
If an eviction record is legally overturned or sealed by a court, a distinct process ensures its removal from credit reports. This process relies on submitting official documentation of the court’s decision. Obtain certified copies of the court order that vacated, dismissed, or expunged the eviction. These documents serve as definitive proof of the record’s changed legal status.
Notify the credit bureaus directly with these certified court documents. This is a request for an update based on a new legal status, not an inaccuracy dispute. Send a letter to each credit bureau, explaining the eviction record is legally expunged or vacated, and provide the certified court order as evidence. The communication should explicitly request removal of the specific eviction-related entry.
While focusing on credit reports, it is also advisable to consider how this legal change impacts public record databases and tenant screening companies. The expungement or vacation order should lead to updates across all systems that draw from public court records. After submitting documentation, regularly monitor credit reports to confirm the eviction record’s removal. If it persists, follow up with the credit bureaus, referencing your previous submission.