Eviction and Consumer Reporting

• An eviction won't show up on a consumer credit report, such as those requested by mortgage bankers and credit card companies. But it may well show up on the tenant screening reports used by landlords.
  
  

Collections and Judgments

• If you owed your landlord back rent or money for damages, this debt may show up on your credit report either as a collection account or a court judgment. Both can cause significant damage to your credit score.
  
  

Time Frame

• Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), an eviction, judgment, or collection account must be removed from your tenant screening and credit reports after seven years.
  
  

Consumer Reporting Rights

• If you are turned down for housing because of negative information on a credit or tenant screening report, the FCRA requires that the landlord or property management company inform you of this fact. You have a right to a free copy of the consumer report that the landlord or property manager used to make the decision. If any of the information is incorrect, you have the right to request that the company that produced the report launch an investigation.