Will An Eviciton Hurt My Ability to Get Housing in the Future?

Full question:

I have been unemployed for twelve months, but have been able to pay rent . Now I am reaching the point where in the next two months I will be unable to pay rent. I approached my management company and explained what is happening, but they insist that I give them a sixty day notice of which I am happy to do, but they are insisting that I pay a fee of $2,400.00 to end my lease with four months too. What would happen to me if I am evicted in regards to future leasing of any property. (I live in South Carolina)... Thank you !!

• Category: Landlord Tenant
• Subcategory: Lease Termination
• Date: 04/07/2025
• State: South Carolina

Answer:

When you apply for an apartment, you fill out the application and the property management company runs a credit report check that includes your credit history and often includes the tenant screening reports, such as through the service now owned by First Advantage Saferent.

A collection account for rent you owe could be part of your credit history, but the fact that you were evicted, by itself, won't be reflected in your credit history. That doesn't mean the eviction won't be on other types of consumer reports, though.

Collection accounts are very negative and will appear for seven years. That can hurt your ability to get credit, or the best interest rates, for a long time, but eventually the negative information will be deleted. If you make all of your other debt payments on time, you will be able to rebuild your credit history.

An eviction could appear on tenant screening reports, which include your rental history. While the eviction might not affect your ability to get credit, it could hurt your chances to get an apartment or other rental property. Therefore, not paying your rent could affect both your creditworthiness and your ability to get housing.

For further discussion, please see:

http://www.caltenantlaw.com/credit.htm