How to Rent With an Eviction on Your Record

Evictions are stressful, and the presence of an eviction on your record can be a frightening concept, as navigating future rental housing with an eviction tends to be complicated and requires more steps to ensure landlords are willing to rent to you. Our article tells you how to rent with an eviction on your record so you can find housing no matter what your situation might be.

Can an Eviction Stop You From Renting?

Evictions occur when a tenant does not pay rent or when a tenant violates their lease agreement, causing a landlord or property manager to file an eviction case to get the tenant to leave their housing unit. Evictions can be a red flag when you look for rental housing, as landlords don’t generally want to deal with the process of future eviction and the potential for a tenant to ruin their housing unit.

An eviction may limit your rental choices when it comes to finding housing, but having an eviction on your record doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be able to secure rental housing at all. There are plenty of private landlords and other housing complexes that are willing to work with people who are building back a positive rental history after dealing with an eviction.

It can be more difficult to find rental housing with an eviction on your record, but it’s not impossible. If you take proper steps to assure landlords of your ability to be a good tenant and leave plenty of time to research potential housing, you can rent with an eviction on your record.

Work With Private Landlords

Private landlords tend to be more lenient when it comes to tenants who have evictions on their records. A private landlord can adjust leases and security deposits as needed, and they may be more willing to look over your references and track record of financial responsibility after an eviction occurs.

If you do find a private landlord to work with, you can give them more faith in you by offering to pay the first and last month of rent in addition to a larger security deposit. You could also show proof of stable employment and gather references for a private landlord to review that demonstrate your ability to pay rent despite an eviction on your record.

Request to Clear Your Record

If you settle an eviction case by paying off your debt or through a court case with your previous landlord, you may be able to request to clear your record. This can help you rent even though you have an eviction on your record, as no one will be able to find the eviction on your public record once it has been cleared.

You may need to speak with a lawyer about your eviction case, and you can reach out to credit reporting bureaus directly to show proof that your eviction case was settled and requested to be removed from your public records.

Once you’ve been told your record has been cleared, run an address check on the property you were evicted from to make sure it is actually removed from the public record.

Gather References

Renting with an eviction on your record is made much easier when you have references that attest to your ability to pay rent and be a good tenant. Evictions are sometimes unavoidable and a result of unfortunate life circumstances, and people in your life are likely to know this. If you can gather references from friends, family members, and previous landlords, you are much more likely to secure housing even if an eviction is viewable on your record.

Be Honest and Upfront

Being honest and upfront about your eviction can help you find rental housing and give landlords more faith in you. By being honest about your eviction and the circumstances that surrounded it, you can give landlords and property managers more context, and you can demonstrate that you understand what led to the eviction and how to avoid future eviction situations.

If you attempt to hide your eviction and act suspicious about it, landlords might not be willing to give you a chance to rent from them, as they might suspect that you will default on rent and an eviction might occur if they rent to you.

Securing Rental Housing With an Eviction

Renting with an eviction on your record is not something most people expect to deal with in their lifetime. However, this unfortunate situation does happen to many people, and it’s important to be prepared on how to navigate rental housing with an eviction on your record. While it may be more difficult to secure certain types of rental housing with an eviction, there are plenty of private landlords and rental housing programs that will help you secure a comfortable place to live despite having an eviction on your record.

If you are struggling to find adequate housing, make sure to reach out to housing programs and legal aid centers in your state to see what options are available to you for rental housing.