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You’ve found the perfect apartment online, but you’re hesitant to apply due to a past eviction. You’re anxious and hopeful. While securing a rental with a prior lease termination is challenging, it’s far from impossible. You can clear this hurdle with the right strategy. Here’s how to rent with an eviction on your record, covering everything from building a strong application to understanding your rights.
Landlords will discover the eviction during routine screening. They use a tenant screening report to decide on possible tenants and determine how much to charge for security deposits. It includes everything from credit reports and rental background to employment verification and criminal history.
Being up-front about your eviction gives you more control over the narrative, while hiding it immediately creates distrust. To craft your explanation, write down a brief summary — around 2-3 sentences — of what happened. It should be factual and acknowledge your responsibility. Ensure your explanation ends with how your situation has improved since then and why it won’t happen again.
Assemble a physical and digital folder with all the necessary documents for quick and organized applications. Ensure it includes the following:
Application fees, ranging from $30 to $75, are non-refundable. They can quickly add up, creating a significant financial burden during an already stressful time.
To minimize wasted fees, apply only to places where there’s a realistic chance of approval. Prepare a mini-script when calling leasing offices. Consider this example — “Hello, I’m very interested in the one-bedroom apartments you have listed. Before I pay the application fee, could you tell me if a past eviction from [X years] ago is an automatic disqualification for applicants?”
Bolster your application by demonstrating your financial stability through:
Now that you know how to rent with an eviction on your record, why not turn your setback into a stepping stone with the right knowledge? Consider the following.
The Fair Housing Act protects people looking to rent, buy a property and do other housing-related activities from discrimination. While an eviction is not a protected class, a landlord cannot use it to mask illegal discrimination.
If you suspect your potential landlord is discriminating against you due to your prior lease termination, document everything and contact your local Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) office. You can also report it to a nonprofit fair housing center for guidance on your tenant rights.
The best way to nullify a past eviction is to build a new, positive rental history. Consider these tips.
After a year or two of this positive history, you can ask your landlord for a glowing reference letter. This will be a powerful tool in all future apartment searches and may be valuable to any real estate professionals you might work with later.
Here are the answers to common questions about renting with an eviction.
It’s more challenging than renting with a clear record, but it’s not impossible. Landlords are running a business, and they see a past eviction as a major risk for unpaid rent and potential property damage. Your job is to prove you’re now a safe and reliable choice.
Privately owned properties managed by an individual are often the best bet, as the owner can listen to the story and make a judgment call. Large complexes managed by corporations often have rigid screening policies that automatically reject anyone with an eviction. Interestingly, reports show that large landlords often file eviction cases more often than smaller landlords.
For up to seven years, credit reporting agencies can report eviction and other negative details about your credit account payment history. The negative impact lessens over time. A five-year-old eviction is viewed less severely than one from six months ago, especially with a strong recent history of employment and on-time payments.
Use these strategies to empower your journey to becoming a tenant. Leverage proactive honesty, a complete “renter’s portfolio,” a smart application budget and in-depth knowledge of your rights. Remember that an eviction is a past event, not a permanent definition of who you are as a tenant. With the right preparation, you can demonstrate your current reliability and trustworthiness.
