Does An Eviction Go On Your Record Or Credit Report?

An eviction itself never lands on your Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion credit report; the court filing lives in public‑record databases (CFPB guidance on evictions and credit), not the three credit bureaus. What does show up are any unpaid rent balances that the landlord turns into a collection account, and those debts can stay on the report for up to seven years.

If the landlord files a judgment for back rent, that judgment may appear as a public‑record entry on the credit file, but the eviction notice alone won't drop your score. As we covered above, the distinction matters because only the collection or judgment - not the eviction docket - will affect your credit‑score calculations. Later sections explain how to spot those collection entries and how long they linger.

Unpaid rent can land on your credit report when a landlord turns the debt into a collection account. The process follows a predictable chain, not a mysterious court judgment.

1. Landlord's internal demand - After missed payments, the landlord issues a notice and, if the balance remains, adds the amount to an internal ledger. This step alone does not affect the credit report, but it signals the next move.
2. Referral to a collection agency - Most landlords hire a third‑party agency once the debt ages 30‑90 days. The agency purchases the claim or works on a contingency basis, then begins collection calls and letters. At this point the debt is classified as a 'collection,' a separate account type on credit reports.
3. Reporting to the bureaus - The collection agency reports the account to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. The entry includes the original creditor (the landlord), the amount owed, and the date of first delinquency. The entry typically stays for seven years, regardless of payment status.
4. Score impact - A collection appears on the credit report and can drop a FICO score by 50‑100 points, especially if it's recent. Paying it off may improve the score gradually, but the record itself remains until the statutory period expires.

(As we covered above, an eviction record differs from this credit‑collection entry; the next section explains what public records capture from evictions.)

Public eviction records list the court details, the parties involved, and any monetary judgments. County clerks maintain these filings, so landlords can pull them from searchable databases.

• Case number and filing date that identify the specific eviction lawsuit.
• Plaintiff (landlord) and defendant (tenant) names, linking the dispute to the individuals.
• Property address, tying the judgment to a physical location.
• Judgment outcome, including whether the tenant was ordered to vacate and any monetary award.
• Amount of unpaid rent, fees, and court costs recorded as a debt owed by the tenant.

An eviction pops up as a collections line or a public record notation on your credit report, often labeled 'court judgment' or 'rent‑to‑own debt.' Look for creditor names that include the property management company, the county court, or a collection agency tied to lease defaults.

Pull the free yearly statements from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion via the Free Annual Credit Report website, then examine the 'Accounts' tab for any entry marked 'collection' and the 'Public Records' tab for judgments. Key phrases such as 'eviction,' 'lease violation,' or the landlord's name flag the link; if none appear, the eviction likely hasn't been reported to that bureau.

Cross‑check all three reports because a single bureau may miss the entry, setting the stage for the next section on how long these marks linger.

An eviction remains on a public court record indefinitely, and any related collection can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. (Because nothing ever truly disappears, except maybe your landlord's patience.)

• Court or public‑record eviction: stays on the filing system permanently unless a court orders sealing or expungement; a few states stop showing older cases after 7‑10 years, but the record still exists.
• Collection entry on Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion: reports for seven years from the first missed payment that triggered the collection.
• Effect on credit scores: diminishes as the entry ages; disappears from the report once the seven‑year window closes.
• Wrongful or dismissed eviction: can be removed by filing a dispute; see the 'dispute wrongful eviction' section for the exact steps.

For a deeper dive on reporting timelines, check Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's guide on eviction record duration.

Yes, a shared‑lease eviction can damage your personal credit if the lease names you as a responsible tenant. The court‑record eviction itself lands in public records, not on Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion, but a landlord‑initiated collection for unpaid rent will appear on your credit report as a collection account. That entry lowers your score, stays for up to seven years, and is visible to future lenders. Joint‑liability clauses in the lease make the risk real; a roommate who co‑signed often sees a 30‑point dip after a $1,200 collection. Fair Credit Reporting Act guidelines confirm that only accounts tied to your name trigger credit‑file updates.

If you occupy the unit without being on the lease, the eviction rarely affects your credit score. The public record remains searchable by landlords, yet no collection is filed against you, so Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion show nothing related to the case. Landlords typically pursue the leaseholder for debt, leaving sub‑tenants' credit histories untouched. Though the eviction stays on the public record for seven years, it does not appear in your credit file unless a collection is directly assigned to you. Consequently, your credit score stays intact while the eviction may still surface during background checks.

The moment a landlord converts unpaid rent into a collection account, a tenant's credit score can nosedive by roughly 100‑200 points, depending on the individual's credit profile.

Consider Jane, a 32‑year‑old with a 720 Experian score. After a three‑month rent arrears, her landlord sued and the judgment turned into a $2,300 collection that Experian reported. Within two billing cycles, her score fell to 540. The collection stayed on her credit report for the full seven‑year period allowed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, while the eviction court record never appeared on the report itself.

• Initial score: 720 (no eviction record, no collections)
• Eviction filing: Court docket created; no impact on credit file
• Collection entry: $2,300 debt listed on Experian, TransUnion, Equifax
• Score after 30 days: ~620 (first dip)
• Score after 60 days: ~540 (peak drop)
• Long‑term effect: Gradual recovery after the collection is paid, but the negative mark persists for up to seven years

The example underscores that the credit hit originates from the collection, not the eviction record, echoing the mechanics explained in the 'how unpaid rent creates credit collections' section. The next step explores how to challenge a wrongful eviction entry in public records.

Wrongful eviction entries can be erased from the public court file by filing a formal dispute and proving the mistake. The process mirrors a small‑claims motion: gather proof, petition the court, and verify the correction.

1. Request the complete docket from the clerk‑of‑court; the file includes the judgment, summons, and any docket notes.
2. Scan the paperwork for factual errors - wrong address, mis‑identified tenant, or payments that were actually made.
3. Draft a motion to vacate or amend the judgment, citing the specific inaccuracies and attaching receipts, bank statements, or a landlord's written acknowledgment.
4. File the motion with the court and pay any required filing fee; most jurisdictions require electronic submission now.
5. Serve the motion on the landlord or their attorney within the statutory notice period (usually 10‑15 days).
6. Attend the scheduled hearing, or request a bench trial if the landlord fails to appear; present the evidence concisely.
7. After the judge signs the order, obtain a certified copy and ask the clerk to update the online docket.
8. Submit the updated docket to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion with a brief dispute letter, referencing the court order that nullified the eviction.

These steps connect to the 'what public records capture from evictions' section and set up the upcoming discussion on sealed evictions.

Sealed evictions disappear from public court files, but they often linger in the data streams landlords tap. Screening services pull from credit bureaus, collection‑agency reports, and private court databases; a sealed judgment may still appear as a collection entry or as a 'court record' that wasn't fully expunged (see how landlords see eviction records).

Because these sources operate independently of the official seal, a landlord can still flag the applicant even though the public record is hidden. This reality explains why the next step - rebuilding credit after eviction damage - remains crucial, regardless of the seal's legal shield.

Rebuilding credit quickly after an eviction hinges on erasing the collection accounts that resulted from unpaid rent, because the eviction record itself rarely shows up on Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion reports. Focus on the monetary items, not the court docket, to move your score upward.

First, request the free annual credit report from each bureau and flag any rent‑related collection or judgment. Second, file a dispute with the bureau, attaching court documents that prove payment or inaccuracy, which often forces removal within 30 days. Third, arrange a pay‑for‑delete agreement in writing; while not guaranteed, many collectors honor a settled balance in exchange for deleting the account (pay‑for‑delete agreements explained).

Meanwhile, open a secured credit card with a low limit and use it for one or two monthly purchases, paying the balance in full to demonstrate responsible usage. Adding an authorized‑user slot on a family member's high‑limit revolving account can boost the average age of credit instantly. Keeping utilization under 30 % and timing payments before the reporting date ensures the next score snapshot reflects improvement.