How to Get Bad Rental History Off Credit

Negative rental history impacts an individual’s ability to secure future housing. Landlords review past rental behavior, which includes unfavorable reports about a tenant’s conduct or payment habits. This article guides readers through identifying, disputing, and managing negative rental entries.

Understanding Rental History Reporting

Bad rental history encompasses issues signaling risk to future landlords: late rent payments, property damage, and lease violations. More serious entries involve unpaid rent or damages sent to collection agencies, or formal eviction proceedings. These indicate a tenant may not adhere to lease agreements or financial obligations.

This information appears in two primary locations landlords access. First, collection accounts for unpaid rent or damages can be reported to the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. These entries appear on an individual’s credit report, affecting their credit score, and are viewed similarly to other unpaid debts.

Second, specialized tenant screening companies compile comprehensive reports. Companies like LexisNexis, CoreLogic, and TransUnion SmartMove gather data from various sources, including court records and landlord-tenant databases. These reports offer a detailed history of an applicant’s rental past.

Accessing Your Rental and Credit Reports

Individuals are entitled to free annual credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus via AnnualCreditReport.com. Review these reports for collection accounts or judgments related to former landlords or property management companies.

Beyond standard credit reports, access reports from specialized tenant screening companies. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) grants individuals the right to request a copy of their file from any consumer reporting agency. Many prominent companies provide instructions on their websites for requesting a personal copy. Seeking reports from companies like LexisNexis, CoreLogic, or TransUnion SmartMove can provide a clearer picture of your rental history.

Obtaining these reports allows for a thorough review of all reported rental-related information. Examine each entry for accuracy, completeness, and timeliness to identify discrepancies or errors. This helps understand the full scope of information potential landlords may review.

Disputing Inaccurate Rental Entries

Dispute any rental entries that appear inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable. Gather supporting documentation, such as cancelled checks, bank statements, lease agreements, or written communications with a former landlord. Stronger evidence increases dispute success.

To dispute inaccurate information on your credit reports, contact each of the three major credit bureaus directly. Submit disputes online, by mail, or phone. When filing, identify the specific entry and provide supporting documentation. Credit bureaus are required by the FCRA to investigate disputes within 30 to 45 days. If inaccurate, the entry must be removed from your credit report.

You also have dispute rights with tenant screening companies under the FCRA. These companies must investigate disputed information. Contact the specific tenant screening company that issued the report and follow their instructions. Provide reasons for your challenge and relevant supporting documents. If incorrect, they must correct or remove it from your tenant screening file.

Additionally, consider sending a dispute letter directly to the original furnisher of the information, such as your former landlord or the collection agency. This can lead to a quicker resolution. State that you are disputing the accuracy and include copies of your evidence. This approach can increase the chances of the inaccurate entry being corrected or removed from all reporting sources.

Addressing Legitimate Negative Rental Entries

For accurate negative rental entries, options for removal are limited, as truthful information remains on reports for a specific duration. Accurate adverse information, such as an eviction or a collection account for unpaid rent, stays on reports for about seven years from the date of activity or judgment. This retention period is standard for most negative financial information and cannot be circumvented unless factually incorrect.

One strategy for legitimate, outstanding debts is to negotiate a “pay-for-delete” agreement with the former landlord or collection agency. This involves paying the outstanding balance in exchange for removal of the negative entry from your reports. Obtain this agreement in writing before making any payment. Without a written agreement, there is no guarantee the reporting entity will delete the entry after payment.

If a pay-for-delete agreement is not feasible or successful, or if the negative entry is an eviction, you can add a consumer statement to your credit report. The FCRA allows individuals to include a brief statement explaining the circumstances. This statement provides context for potential landlords or creditors.