An eviction can stay on your rental record for seven years. Here's how to rent anyway

An eviction case can show up on a tenant screening report for up to seven years from the date it was filed, even if the court never evicted you, the Federal Trade Commission says. That's the general limit the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act puts on negative items, and the law's exceptions for big loans, large insurance policies, and high-paying jobs don't include rentals.

It's a common problem. Landlords filed 1.23 million eviction cases in 2025 across the 48 places tracked by Princeton University's Eviction Lab, roughly one for every 13 renter households in those areas.

If a landlord turns you down because of a screening report, the notice they give you has to explain your right to a free copy of that report if you ask within 60 days, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Get it. The report may not say what you expect.

Federal regulators list several things that shouldn't be there. An eviction that was filed and later dismissed should show the dismissal, and a sealed or expunged case shouldn't appear at all, according to the CFPB and the FTC. Anything older than seven years generally shouldn't be reported either. To fix a mistake, file a dispute directly with the screening company that wrote the report and include copies of your court papers. The company generally has 30 days to investigate, or 45 in some cases.

A growing number of places hide eviction records long before the seven-year mark:

• California keeps eviction files out of public view unless the landlord wins within 60 days of filing.
• Nevada seals a case automatically when it's dismissed, and courts can seal others in the interests of justice.
• Oregon courts set aside and seal a landlord's judgment after five years if the tenant has paid what the court ordered, and they seal dismissals and tenant wins after 12 months.
• Washington, DC, seals records 30 days after a case ends if the landlord didn't win, and three years after if the landlord did.
• Massachusetts began letting tenants seal eviction records on May 5, 2025. Once a record is sealed, tenants can answer "no record" on housing applications, the state attorney general's office says.
• Washington state courts can order "limited dissemination," which bars screening companies from reporting the case.
• Minnesota law expunges cases the tenant won, cases that were dismissed, and, under a 2023 change, evictions after three years. A state appeals court ruled the three-year provision unconstitutional in February 2026, so check with legal aid before relying on it.

New York doesn't seal eviction records, but its law bars landlords from refusing to rent to someone because they were involved in a past or pending landlord-tenant case. Illinois sealed eviction cases filed during the pandemic emergency period and seals cases that are dismissed under one section of its eviction law.

Paying off what you owe matters in some states. Oregon's sealing rule requires it, though Minnesota legal aid notes that paying doesn't by itself remove a case from your record. Legal aid groups also suggest adding a statement to your screening report explaining what happened, and finding a co-signer with good rental history or credit. We cover how co-signers and guarantor companies work in do you need a cosigner or guarantor.

Budget for the upfront cost, too. At the typical US asking rent of $1,948 a month in August 2026, according to RentDataNow data, first month's rent plus a one-month deposit comes to about $3,900 before application fees, and you may pay several application fees if the first landlords say no. For a fuller tally, see our first apartment budget checklist.

Sources

• Federal Trade Commission, disputing errors on your tenant background check report (March 2024)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, review your rental background check, and what to do if your rental application is denied
• 15 U.S.C. 1681c, Fair Credit Reporting Act limits on reporting
• Eviction Lab, Princeton University (April 16, 2026), for 2025 eviction filings
• State laws: California Code of Civil Procedure 1161.2, Nevada Revised Statutes 40.2545, Oregon Revised Statutes 105.163 and 105.164, DC Code 42-3505.09, Massachusetts eviction sealing, Revised Code of Washington 59.18.367, Minnesota Statutes 484.014, New York Real Property Law 227-f, and Illinois 735 ILCS 5/9-121 and 9-122
• Legal aid guidance from LawHelpMN and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute