What does an eviction do to your credit score and how long does it stay there?

Question

I'm not in the process of getting evicted, I've just always been curious about what happens when a person gets evicted from his/her apartment. Not because of unpaid rent, but for other reasons, like say, having a pet in the apartment when a pet is not allowed. If the tenant should become evicted, how many points will his/her credit go down, and how long will it affect your credit score? Are there things you can do to fight it?

I'd really appreciate some references and extra sources.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Good question.  I'm not exactly sure how many points your credit score will go down; but just like a bankruptcy, an eviction is a matter of public record . . . a court action against you.  Not only will it affect your credit score, you will probably not be able to rent another apartment for a good long time.  When you sign a lease, you are agreeing to abide by those terms.  If you don't, you are in breach of that contract . . . whether it's failure to pay the rent, having pets when they're not allowed, or damaging the property.  Thus, you've violated the terms of the contract and it won't matter much to a prospective landlord why you were in violation, but that you were!

Answer 2

When you get evicted from a home/apt the landlord can sue for the rent due. If the landlord wins the lawsuit it becomes a judgment against you. Judgment can last 7 yrs. However, this information can be removed from the credit if the information is not accurate. Remember Judgments either paid or not remain for either 7-years or until the statute of limitations runs out whichever is longer.

Best luck…

Answer 3

ouch