I am trying to apply for an apartment but they say there is an eviction on my record. Where would I find this information and how do I dispute it? I have talked to the place where they say the eviction is from, and they show nothing on their records. How do I take care of this so I won't be denied due to eviction?
- NCE
Dear NCE,
An eviction will not be reported to your Experian credit report, so it will not automatically impact your credit scores.
The apartment landlord you are applying with most likely obtained a rental history report from a tenant screening company. That report, rather than a credit report, may be where they saw the eviction information.
Does an Eviction Show Up on Your Credit Report?
While positive rental payment history may be included in your Experian credit report, your report will not show eviction information. Eviction records can be found via a separate rental history report, which can be obtained through a tenant screening company.
Your landlord or apartment complex may also file a civil suit and win a judgment against you for the unpaid debt. Judgments are not part of a credit report, but they are a matter of public record and may be included in other kinds of consumer reports, so they could affect personal and business decisions.
Although your credit report will not show an eviction, it could include a collection account for any unpaid rent and fees, if the apartment complex felt that you owed them money and sold the past-due debt to a collection agency. The collection account should show the name of the original creditor who sold them the debt.
Collection accounts remain on your credit report for seven years from the original missed payment date that led up to the collection status. Collection accounts are considered derogatory and can have a substantial impact on credit scores, especially if left unpaid.
Although a paid collection account is still considered negative, some newer credit scoring models don't include paid collection accounts in the score calculation, so paying off an outstanding collection account could help improve certain credit scores.
How to Find Out Where the Eviction Record Comes From
The leasing office that notified you of the eviction should be able to give you the name and contact information of the tenant screening company that reported the information.
Can an Eviction Be Disputed?
If you've already spoken to the landlord that reported the eviction and they have no record of it or state that the debt is no longer owed, you should then contact the tenant screening company to find out how to dispute the information in their file.
If you haven't already done so, you can request a free copy of your Experian credit report to see if there is a collection account for any eviction-related debt on your report. You can also obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major reporting companies at AnnualCreditReport.com. You can order your free report from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax once a week.
If you find inaccurate information on your credit report, you can dispute the information immediately online with Experian.
Thank you for asking.
Jennifer White, Consumer Education Specialist
