How Far Back Do Landlords Look For Evictions?

Landlords typically pull eviction records that are no older than seven years, because the Fair Credit Reporting Act restricts consumer‑reporting agencies from including adverse public‑record information past that window. Most screening services therefore present a seven‑year look‑back as the default snapshot, and the majority of landlords base their decisions on that snapshot (as we covered above).

• Seven years is the norm for tenant‑screening reports, aligning with federal reporting limits.
• Screening companies such as follow the FCRA's 7‑year rule, so their databases rarely contain older evictions.
• State‑level differences usually affect how easily a court's public docket can be accessed, not the legal reporting period; no state universally caps eviction data at five or ten years.
• Some landlords may request raw court records and uncover filings older than seven years, but those extra searches are uncommon and typically not reflected in the standard report.
• Evictions beyond the seven‑year horizon generally do not appear in a consumer‑report‑based screening, meaning they have limited impact on most applications.

Landlords pull eviction records that sit inside the look‑back period because the Fair Credit Reporting Act limits reporting to seven years (Fair Credit Reporting Act guidelines). After that window the data must be purged, so most screening services automatically ignore older entries, establishing a de‑facto industry standard of roughly seven years.

Because the cutoff is embedded in the screening workflow, a tenant with a 6‑year‑old eviction faces the same barrier as a brand‑new filing, while anything beyond seven years vanishes from the report. This baseline explains the general check we discussed earlier; the following section will explore how certain states tweak that timeframe.

• State‑by‑state look‑back periods differ, but the baseline is a seven‑year limit on eviction judgments nationwide, as mandated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
• California adheres to that seven‑year rule; older judgments linger in public archives but seldom appear in standard tenant screens, per state reporting guidance.
• Texas screening firms often truncate non‑judgment eviction filings after three to five years, though some still report up to the full seven-year window, according to the Texas Apartment Association.
• New York's Housing Stability Act caps eviction reporting at seven years, yet many local vendors limit non‑judgment entries to roughly four years, as explained by the state housing authority.
• Illinois generally respects the seven‑year ceiling; however, Cook County court dockets publish older records that can surface in deep‑searches, noted by the Cook County Clerk's office.
• A few states - such as Missouri and Indiana - allow screening companies to voluntarily omit filings older than five years, even though the federal limit permits seven.

Filing a lawsuit to evict a tenant registers as an eviction record, but it does not equal a completed eviction. Often the court case ends in a settlement, dismissal, or judgment in the tenant's favor, leaving the lease intact. Consequently many screening services list the filing separately from a final judgment, flagging it as a 'pending' or 'unresolved' case.

Landlords who stick to the standard seven‑year look‑back may weigh a filing less heavily than a full eviction, yet some treat any court action as a disqualifier. State reporting rules affect visibility (Consumer Finance Bureau overview of eviction records); for example, California's database shows both filed complaints and actual judgments, while Texas often omits dismissed cases. In practice a 2022 filing in New York that later resulted in a win for the renter still appears on a background check, prompting landlords to request clarification.

Later sections explain how to dispute inaccurate filings and how older judgments fade from most look‑back periods.

5 Myths About Eviction Look‑Backs Busted

• Myth 1: Landlords always examine the past 10 years.
  Typically, they pull a 7‑year look‑back because the Fair Credit Reporting Act limits reporting to that window; a few may extend the search, but it isn't the norm (as we covered above).
• Myth 2: Every eviction shows up on a credit report.
  Only finalized judgments often appear; mere filings usually stay off the credit file, so a docket entry alone rarely affects the score.
• Myth 3: One eviction bans you from renting forever.
  Records generally fade after the standard 7‑year period, and landlords can weigh recent behavior more heavily than an old blemish.
• Myth 4: All states follow the same look‑back rules.
  State statutes differ - some cap searches at five years, others permit older data - making a universal rule impossible.
• Myth 5: COVID‑19 moratorium erased prior evictions.
  The pause halted new court actions, but evictions finalized before the moratorium remain on the record and are still visible in most checks (see the upcoming 'Check your own eviction history fast' section).

Pulling your own eviction record takes minutes, not days.

1. Grab the free credit report.
   Visit annualcreditreport.com and request the three major bureaus. Only court‑issued judgments appear under 'public records,' and many evictions never become judgments, so the report may show nothing even if you were served.
2. Search the county docket.
   Most courts host an online case search; type your name and the relevant years. This pulls the actual filing, regardless of whether a judgment reached the credit bureaus. If your state offers a unified portal, use it; otherwise, start at the county clerk's website.
3. Ask the former landlord.
   A polite email requesting a copy of any eviction filing can fill gaps, especially for out‑of‑state rentals where the docket isn't online. Landlords aren't obliged, but many will share the document to avoid future disputes.
4. Document what you find.
   Save PDFs, note case numbers, and record the filing dates. Having a tidy file helps when you later address a five‑year‑old eviction (see the next section).

These steps give a concrete picture of your eviction history, sidestepping the guesswork discussed in the 'look‑back period' section and preparing you for the handling strategies that follow.

Treat a five‑year‑old eviction as a manageable flaw rather than an automatic disqualifier.

• Verify the record on your credit report or through a local court database; errors happen more often than you think.
• Assemble proof of timely payments, stable income, and any settlement agreement that followed the eviction.
• Draft a concise letter that explains the circumstance, highlights corrective steps, and includes supporting documents.
• Offer a larger security deposit or several months' rent in advance to offset perceived risk.
• Provide personal and professional references who can vouch for reliability.
• Explore state‑specific expungement options if the eviction falls outside the typical seven‑year look‑back period we discussed earlier.

Addressing these points head‑on often turns a red flag into a negotiating chip, paving the way for the next section on boosting odds after eviction concerns.

Quickly offset eviction red flags by coupling the record with iron‑clad proof of reliability. Recent pay stubs, a steady‑income letter, and a bank statement showing three months of reserves demonstrate financial stability. Offering an extra month's rent or a larger security deposit signals commitment (because landlords love cash cushions).

Next, clean up the eviction file before it reaches a new landlord. Request a copy of the eviction report, spot any inaccuracies, and dispute errors through the reporting agency. If the case settled or the tenant paid the judgment, supply the settlement receipt; many landlords waive concerns when they see a closed file.

Finally, frame the story within the typical 7‑year look‑back period and highlight post‑eviction improvements. A concise letter that explains the circumstances, lists the steps taken (new job, rental references, on‑time payments since), and offers a co‑signer often tips the scales. This approach prepares the reader for the next section on renting despite a 10‑year eviction story.

A ten‑year‑old eviction usually vanishes from most tenant screens because look‑back periods typically stop at seven years. In many markets the record won't appear on a standard credit or tenant report, so landlords often never see it.

If a landlord's search still pulls the case - perhaps due to a state that retains filings longer - counter it with a solid paper trail. Provide recent pay stubs, a rental‑reference letter, and a brief note that the eviction happened a decade ago and was fully satisfied.

Offer a larger security deposit or a co‑signer to offset perceived risk. A proactive explanation frequently tips the scales in your favor, even when the old eviction lingers on the file (Fair Credit Reporting Act's seven‑year rule).

COVID‑19 eviction moratoriums left a thin paper trail that still shows up in most landlord background checks. In most jurisdictions the filing appears on public court records and on credit reports for up to seven years under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, unless the tenant successfully petitions for sealing or expungement. States such as California's pandemic‑eviction sealing law and New York automatically seal many pandemic‑era filings, reducing their visibility, but elsewhere the record remains accessible indefinitely.

Because landlords typically scan the standard seven‑year window - as we covered earlier - any unsealed COVID‑related entry will surface during their search. If a tenant wants the entry removed, filing a motion in the original court is usually required; without that step the eviction remains part of the official history. (Good luck convincing a landlord that a pandemic was nobody's fault.)