Eviction and Credit Score: Understanding the Impact

A civil judgment may appear if you are sued for breaking a lease.

An eviction doesn't appear directly on your credit report, according to Experian, one of the three major credit reporting agencies. However, the collections account details or civil judgments may show up, and these unpaid debt reports can significantly hurt your score.

Collections Details

When a landlord or property owner gives the bill for your unpaid rent to a collections agency, he typically writes off the balance as unpaid debt. This charge-off is usually reported to the credit bureaus. Potential lenders see this charge-off, and they also can see whether it is unpaid or paid. Even more troubling is the missed or late payment report generated each month that you missed your rent payment. Taken together, these actions reflect poorly on your credit payment history, which affects 35 percent of your credit score as calculated by the Fair Isaac Corporation, or FICO. Delinquent items remain on your account for up to seven years from the date of the first missed payment.

Other Eviction Consequences

Even though the eviction itself isn't noted on your report, the negative payment history combined with landlord background checks can spell trouble if you want to rent again. You not only face the hardship of trying to get a loan, but future landlords will uncover your eviction history when they conduct background investigations.