Contact us whenever you need it!

phone

+1 855 997 0206

Contact Hours: Sun-Sat 8am - 10pm ET

Seeing an eviction on your record can be a stressful experience. It means you may need to look for a new apartment in the near future.

Not only that, but an eviction filed by your landlord hurts your credit report. It is also held as a public record and other landlords can view your previous rental history before deciding to rent their apartment to you.

However, you may be able to get that eviction removed.

In your quest to have an eviction expunged or removed from your record, first find out if your landlord's reason for filing it follows the eviction laws in your state. Generally, the four grounds for eviction that are similar across all states are:

  • Refusal or delay in rent payments
  • Lease agreement violation
  • Being destructive
  • No cause eviction notice

An eviction on your record also raises questions about your future renting abilities and credit score impact, making the expungement of eviction records a very important process. Let us answer these concerns in detail.

How Long Does an Eviction Stay on My Record?

According to federal eviction laws, an eviction stays on your record for seven years (§§ 1681-1681x). The timeline applies to both credit and rental history reports. After seven years, the entry should automatically disappear from your record. The reporting agencies calculate the timeframe from the date you first failed to pay, regardless of the date of your actual eviction.

You can view the eviction details by requesting your credit report from the three credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax). You can also check your records from the major rental history companies and tenant-screening agencies.

Another downside to having an eviction on your record is that it can stay on your report even after you pay, and seven years have elapsed. This situation mainly occurs if the eviction lawsuit results in a civil judgment, which will appear on your credit report as a debt owed through civil judgment.

How Does an Eviction Affect My Credit?

In most cases, an eviction will not directly affect your credit score. However, some events caused by the eviction may appear on your credit report, and a prospective landlord may see your rental history detailing your eviction. For example, if the landlord sues you for violating the lease agreement, a record of this civil action could appear on your credit report.

If you are looking for a new apartment, a landlord will investigate your application using trusted rental reporting companies such as Experian RentBureau or TransUnion Smartmove. Conveniently, these bureaus give a separate rent history report whose details do not appear on your credit report.

Having said that, an eviction can affect your credit score if the landlord employs a collection agency to collect the rental debt. The agency will open an account with the credit bureaus, and the debt entry will lower your credit score unless you enter into a pay-for-delete agreement with them.

How Does an Eviction Impact My Future Housing Prospects?

Unfortunately, an eviction on your rental history report will negatively impact your chances of securing a house in the future. As mentioned earlier, most property managers perform rental credit checks on prospective tenants.

If *you have a pending debt on your credit report, or a previous landlord moved to file an eviction, the property manager may see this as a red flag and dismiss your application.

In addition, a rental debt on your credit report also affects your chances of getting approved for a mortgage, credit card, or loan for the seven years the eviction appears on your record. Making plans to remove the eviction on your record could help solve this challenge.

How Can I Remove an Eviction from My Public Record?

IIt is not easy to carry out the removal of eviction records unless the court comes to your aid.

The court can only allow an eviction removal if the property manager:

  • Did not follow the proper eviction procedure
  • Violated eviction laws

If the eviction was justified and fair, you can follow these steps to increase your chances of success:

  1. Pay all outstanding rental debt: If the rental arrears are legitimate, plan to settle the debt immediately. If you cannot pay the entire amount, negotiate with the collection agency or landlord for more time or a lower amount. Once you settle on a payment plan, you can enter into a written agreement or sign a contract.
  2. Request that the collection agency remove it from your credit report: The rental debt will still appear on your credit report even after making payments—though the status may change from unpaid to paid. The appearance of the entry, irrespective of the paid status, still affects your housing prospects and loan application. Requesting the landlord or collection agency to expunge the eviction from your credit report will improve your credit score.
  3. Request that the landlord remove it from tenant screening records: Politely request that the landlord clear your rental history by expunging the eviction from all public tenant screening records accessible to future property owners. You can include it as a condition for paying the outstanding rent arrears. Have this agreement in written form in case of any future disputes.
  4. Ensure the changes have been made: Give your landlord 14–30 days to remove the eviction from your credit report and tenant screening records. If it still appears, you can send a reminder, and if they fail to comply, dispute the eviction.
  5. Dispute the eviction with the credit bureaus and tenant-screening agencies: Request your credit report and highlight the sections including the eviction. Next, attach any written agreements to delete the eviction on payment and send them to the credit bureaus and tenant-screening agencies. These organizations will investigate your claims and carry out the expungement of the eviction within 30 days.

As we have seen, it is possible to have an eviction removed from your public record by taking the case to court for unfair eviction or entering into a settlement agreement. Succeeding in removing the eviction from your records will make it easier to fill out the next rental application form, and you will be on your way to signing a new residential lease agreement.

Seeing an eviction on your record can be a stressful experience. It means you may need to look for a new apartment in the near future.

Not only that, but an eviction filed by your landlord hurts your credit report. It is also held as a public record and other landlords can view your previous rental history before deciding to rent their apartment to you.

However, you may be able to get that eviction removed.

In your quest to have an eviction expunged or removed from your record, first find out if your landlord's reason for filing it follows the eviction laws in your state. Generally, the four grounds for eviction that are similar across all states are:

  • Refusal or delay in rent payments
  • Lease agreement violation
  • Being destructive
  • No cause eviction notice

An eviction on your record also raises questions about your future renting abilities and credit score impact, making the expungement of eviction records a very important process. Let us answer these concerns in detail.

How Long Does an Eviction Stay on My Record?

According to federal eviction laws, an eviction stays on your record for seven years (§§ 1681-1681x). The timeline applies to both credit and rental history reports. After seven years, the entry should automatically disappear from your record. The reporting agencies calculate the timeframe from the date you first failed to pay, regardless of the date of your actual eviction.

You can view the eviction details by requesting your credit report from the three credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax). You can also check your records from the major rental history companies and tenant-screening agencies.

Another downside to having an eviction on your record is that it can stay on your report even after you pay, and seven years have elapsed. This situation mainly occurs if the eviction lawsuit results in a civil judgment, which will appear on your credit report as a debt owed through civil judgment.

How Does an Eviction Affect My Credit?

In most cases, an eviction will not directly affect your credit score. However, some events caused by the eviction may appear on your credit report, and a prospective landlord may see your rental history detailing your eviction. For example, if the landlord sues you for violating the lease agreement, a record of this civil action could appear on your credit report.

If you are looking for a new apartment, a landlord will investigate your application using trusted rental reporting companies such as Experian RentBureau or TransUnion Smartmove. Conveniently, these bureaus give a separate rent history report whose details do not appear on your credit report.

Having said that, an eviction can affect your credit score if the landlord employs a collection agency to collect the rental debt. The agency will open an account with the credit bureaus, and the debt entry will lower your credit score unless you enter into a pay-for-delete agreement with them.

How Does an Eviction Impact My Future Housing Prospects?

Unfortunately, an eviction on your rental history report will negatively impact your chances of securing a house in the future. As mentioned earlier, most property managers perform rental credit checks on prospective tenants.

If *you have a pending debt on your credit report, or a previous landlord moved to file an eviction, the property manager may see this as a red flag and dismiss your application.

In addition, a rental debt on your credit report also affects your chances of getting approved for a mortgage, credit card, or loan for the seven years the eviction appears on your record. Making plans to remove the eviction on your record could help solve this challenge.

How Can I Remove an Eviction from My Public Record?

IIt is not easy to carry out the removal of eviction records unless the court comes to your aid.

The court can only allow an eviction removal if the property manager:

  • Did not follow the proper eviction procedure
  • Violated eviction laws

If the eviction was justified and fair, you can follow these steps to increase your chances of success:

  1. Pay all outstanding rental debt: If the rental arrears are legitimate, plan to settle the debt immediately. If you cannot pay the entire amount, negotiate with the collection agency or landlord for more time or a lower amount. Once you settle on a payment plan, you can enter into a written agreement or sign a contract.
  2. Request that the collection agency remove it from your credit report: The rental debt will still appear on your credit report even after making payments—though the status may change from unpaid to paid. The appearance of the entry, irrespective of the paid status, still affects your housing prospects and loan application. Requesting the landlord or collection agency to expunge the eviction from your credit report will improve your credit score.
  3. Request that the landlord remove it from tenant screening records: Politely request that the landlord clear your rental history by expunging the eviction from all public tenant screening records accessible to future property owners. You can include it as a condition for paying the outstanding rent arrears. Have this agreement in written form in case of any future disputes.
  4. Ensure the changes have been made: Give your landlord 14–30 days to remove the eviction from your credit report and tenant screening records. If it still appears, you can send a reminder, and if they fail to comply, dispute the eviction.
  5. Dispute the eviction with the credit bureaus and tenant-screening agencies: Request your credit report and highlight the sections including the eviction. Next, attach any written agreements to delete the eviction on payment and send them to the credit bureaus and tenant-screening agencies. These organizations will investigate your claims and carry out the expungement of the eviction within 30 days.

As we have seen, it is possible to have an eviction removed from your public record by taking the case to court for unfair eviction or entering into a settlement agreement. Succeeding in removing the eviction from your records will make it easier to fill out the next rental application form, and you will be on your way to signing a new residential lease agreement.