How Long Does an Eviction Stay on Your Credit Report?

Getting evicted is an experience no one wants to go through. It’s a stressful process, and it can make it incredibly challenging to find another landlord who is willing to rent to you. While an eviction itself won’t appear on your credit report, the possible action your landlord might take to recover unpaid rent, such as sending your debt to collections, will appear on your credit report and can negatively affect your credit score. Once on your credit report, collections can stay there for seven years making it difficult for you to get a loan or find a new apartment rental during this time.  

How Long Does it Take for an Eviction to Clear from Your Credit Report?

While your credit report will never show eviction information, it is possible for an eviction to impact your credit score. Following an eviction, your landlord might sell any unpaid rent or fees to a debt collection agency. The agency can then report this information to the credit bureaus (Equifax and TransUnion) and it will appear on your credit report. Similarly, if your landlord takes you to court over an unpaid debt, the civil judgement could appear on your credit report. These actions will stay on your credit report for up to seven years, though the length of time can vary depending on the province or territory in which you live.

Even though your eviction itself won’t end up on your credit report, many prospective landlords will go through a tenant screening company to check your rental history report. This report provides a history of your time as a tenant, including any evictions. Many landlords will request to pull your credit report and will also review your rental history report during the application process. 

How Do You Get an Eviction Off Your Record in Canada?

If your landlord wrongly sent your debt to collections and this appears on your credit report, your first choice is to wait the seven years for it to disappear from your credit report. Your other choice is to dispute the claim. But you should only do this if your previous landlord has given you a false eviction notice. 

Dispute an Eviction:

There are a number of steps involved in disputing a false eviction and trying to have the false information removed from your credit card.  

1. Obtain a copy of your credit report. To confirm the false eviction, you can review a free copy of your Equifax credit report by signing up for Borrowell. 

2. Contact the credit bureaus. To start the formal dispute process, you need to contact the credit bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion. 

3. Provide evidence. You will need to back up your claim that the eviction notice is false by providing evidence. If you can prove through your bank statement that you paid your rent, this could help get your case resolved quickly. 

4. Patiently wait. Once you’ve submitted your dispute and all of the evidence, you wait. If the credit bureaus support your claim of a false eviction notice, they should remove the information from your report. If they don’t support your claim, the information will likely stay on your record. 

There’s also a chance they may require more information before making a decision. In this case, you might have to provide additional documentation. 

Does an Eviction Affect Your Credit Score?

An eviction can affect your credit score, but only if your debts go to collections and are then reported to the credit bureaus.

A reduction in your credit score can make it harder for you to get approved for new credit, and if you are approved, you will likely be charged a higher interest rate. A low credit score can also cause insurance companies to charge you more for insurance and can make it really difficult to find a future landlord that wants to rent to you. 

How to Avoid an Eviction?

There are many positive actions you can take as a tenant to avoid the eviction process, including:  

• Pay your rent on time

• Keep the property reasonably clean 

• Don’t interfere with the rights of other tenants or your landlord 

• Don’t engage in illegal activities in the rental

• Do not put other tenants or the property in danger

• Don’t damage the rental property

• Don’t change the locks without your landlord’s permission 

Basically, if you pay your rent on time and respect your neighbours, the landlord, and the property, you’re probably going to be fine. 

Can I Rent with an Eviction on My Record?

While there’s nothing stopping you from trying rent with an eviction on your record, you might struggle to find a landlord willing to give you a chance. An eviction can indicate that you are a risky tenant and is often a major red flag for landlords. While it’s not a great position to be in, there are some things you can try to do to make yourself look like a more desirable and trustworthy tenant. 

• Provide an explanation. If you have a good reason as to why you were evicted, try talking to your prospective landlord to explain your side of the story.  

• Get a co-signer or lease guarantor. A lease guarantor is a person who is willing to sign a tenancy agreement with you, agreeing to pay your rent if you fail to do so. Having a lease guarantor can provide the landlord with more confidence that the rent will be paid.  

• Offer to pay upfront. If you can afford it, you can offer to pay the rent upfront. This way your landlord doesn’t have to question if you will pay your rent on a month-to-month basis. 

• Provide references. Seven years is a long time for an eviction to stay on your credit report. Perhaps, you were evicted when you were young and now you’ve changed. If you can provide some great employer and personal references, this might help to prove that you’ll make a responsible tenant. 

The Bottom Line

While an eviction on your report isn’t ideal, there are things you can do to overcome it. If you believe the eviction is false, you can take steps to dispute it. Otherwise, you might just have to wait it out. When looking for a rental you can offer to pay your rent upfront or add a co-signer to improve the strength of your rental application. If you find a landlord who is willing to give you a chance, make it a priority to rebuild your rental history by always paying your bills on time and being a respectful tenant.