How Long Will an Eviction Stay on Your Credit Report?
Every time someone talks about record during evictions, what they are actually referring to is background check and your credit check. Basically, an eviction stays on your credit report for up to 7 years.
Yes, you have read that right. It will be lingering there not for 7 months but for as long as 7 years. This is the reason why eviction is definitely a serious big deal here. Landlords in particular don’t really like to rent to those tenants with an eviction history. If you ever get evicted, this fact is going to follow you wherever you go for the next 7 years.
There are actually two ways for landlords to see that you were evicted before.
- If the cause of your eviction was nonpayment of rent, the landlord might have sent this account to the collection agency that will then appear on your credit report.
- When courts were involved during your eviction, the case judgment is considered public record and landlords using tenant-screening services can see this once they perform a background check.
Can Eviction Be Removed from Your Credit Report?
Anything on your credit report that is true will remain there for 7 years. However, you will be to dispute you if ever there is a mistake.
If you can show a proof to the agency that reports the error that a mistake was made, they will remove this error from your credit report. If you won after being served with an eviction notice, this should also be shown to the reporting agency. There are landlords that try evicting people if they don’t have any valid or acceptable reason to do so.
How Can You Rent with Eviction on Your Credit Report?
Now, just because there is an eviction on your credit report doesn’t necessarily mean that you will no longer be able to rent for the next 7 years. While you will find it more challenging to look for a place to rent if your report contains an eviction, there are still several ways for you to do it.
- Be proactive.
Inform the property manager or landlord regarding your eviction before they check your application and explain your situation. If it was already years since the eviction happened, for instance, and you became a good tenant from then, there is a chance for the landlord to rent to you.
- Look for someone who can cosign for you.
If your parent or anyone with good credit can be your co-signer who can vouch for you, it is possible for you to get a rental unit. However, if a payment is missed, your landlord can and will probably end up asking for the money from your cosigner.
- Pay in advance.
If the landlord sees your willingness to pay upfront the rental worth good for 3 to 6 months, there is a high chance for you to get a rental unit.
The Bottom Line
To ensure that you won’t have any eviction details on your credit report, it is best to avoid getting evicted in the first place.