Published: 03/05/2026By: Claire Young
If you’ve been evicted before, it certainly won’t look good on your record when applying for a new rental property. Regardless of why you were evicted, whether it was for failure to pay rent, damaging the property, or breaking the rental agreement terms, a new landlord can use it as an excuse to deny you, which will make it difficult to get approval from potential landlords.
However, not all evictions will appear on your record during tenant screening. If you’re wondering how to check if I have an eviction on my record, this article is here to guide you through the entire process. We will explain how you can check your record for past evictions through a wide range of ways, including online and in-person methods.
What Is an Eviction?
Before we get to how you can check eviction records, let’s first define what an eviction is in legal terms.
An eviction is a legal process in which a landlord or a housing provider removes the tenant from the rental property, typically due to violations of the lease or rental agreement. While most violations can lead to an eviction, the most common reasons include failure to pay rent, illegal activities, staying beyond the agreed rental term, and damaging the property.
However, a landlord can’t just evict a tenant due to these violations – there’s a legal procedure that property owners must follow in order to evict the tenant, as they also have rights. Usually, evictions involve a court hearing, and if the court rules in favor of the landlord, only then is the tenant ordered to vacate the property.
Since this is a process that both tenants and landlords want to avoid, having an eviction on your record can make it difficult to rent a new place. It can even go as far as affecting your credit report if you are evicted due to failure to pay rent. Therefore, knowing if there’s an eviction on your record is important.
Below, you will learn more about how you can check if you have an eviction on your record.
How to Check if I Have an Eviction on My Record Online
Just like any other legal matter, you can search if you have an eviction on your record online – here’s how.
Review Your Credit Reports
A quick way to check if evictions appear on your record is through your credit reports. Although evictions may not always appear on a credit report, related financial consequences typically do. For instance, if a previous landlord sent unpaid rent or court-ordered fees to a collection agency, the debt will appear on your credit report, indicating that there has been an eviction from a past address.
You can request your credit reports from any of the major credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Since you are entitled to one free credit report per year from these credit bureaus by federal law through AnnualCreditReport.com, you won’t need to pay anything to obtain one to check evictions.
Use Tenant Screening Services
Just as landlords use tenant screening services to find out if someone has an eviction on a prospective tenant’s record, you can do the same for yourself. Use a reputable tenant screening service of your choice and see what landlords might discover when they run a background check on you.
Doing this will not only help you discover if there’s an eviction on your record but also make you more prepared for any follow-up questions, as you will know exactly what information they have. Although these services can be costly, tenant screening services can be worth trying if you’re struggling to find a place to rent.
Search Public Records
When a landlord files for an eviction to evict you from their property, it becomes a part of the public record. Therefore, anyone can access the eviction records through the public records where the case was filed. If you suspect that there’s an eviction on your record, you can search public records to find out.
There are several ways to go about this – the most convenient way is to search public records on the internet through your local government’s online database. You should be able to search by name, case number, or address. If there’s no online database, you can contact the County Clerk’s Office and get the documents in person – we will also cover in-person methods for how you can check if you have an eviction on your record.
Search Yourself on USPeopleSearch
Lastly, you can search yourself on USPeopleSearch to discover if there’s an eviction on your record. Our people search works by scanning public databases and web pages to compile a comprehensive report that includes eviction records. Here’s a step-by-step on how you can find out if there’s an eviction on your record on USPeopleSearch:
- Go to the USPeopleSearch homepage.
- Enter your name, city, and state.
- Click search and narrow down the results by answering the questions that appear on the screen, such as age range and suspected criminal history.
- Find yourself in the list of people.
- Complete the search and wait for USPeopleSearch to search public records, databases, and web pages to compile a comprehensive report.
Once the search is complete, you will have a detailed report about yourself, similar to what comes up on a background check, that includes eviction records.
How to Check if I Have an Eviction on My Record In Person
Although online methods are much more convenient, here are the actions you can take in person to find out if you have an eviction on your record.
Go to the Courthouse
As mentioned, eviction filings are public record. If you suspect that you have an eviction on your record, you can visit your local courthouse and request civil or landlord-tenant cases under your name from the clerk’s office. If there’s anything, you will know about it.
However, note that you might need to provide a valid ID and pay a small fee to get copies of your documents from the clerk’s office. There might also be public access terminals at the courthouse, which will make finding out whether you have an eviction on your record easier. This way, you can search for the information yourself and view the official court documents.
Hire a Lawyer
Although it might sound excessive for those who simply want to find out if they have an eviction on their record, hiring a lawyer should be an option, especially if you’re facing legal uncertainty about an eviction. A lawyer specializing in these matters can perform a thorough search and provide peace of mind on whether you have an eviction on your record.
Hiring a lawyer can also help you dispute any inaccuracies on your rental record. For instance, a lawyer can help you settle disputes over lease terms with former landlords by negotiating with them and getting the best possible outcome for you. All these come at a cost, but hiring a lawyer is often worth it, especially if you have a long history of landlord-tenant disputes.
FAQs About Evictions on Your Record
Below are answers to your commonly asked questions about evictions on your record.
Does an Eviction Show Up on a Background Check?
Yes, an eviction typically shows up on a background check, especially if it is for tenant screening. Since these background checks search public records to deliberately look for eviction records, past evictions will appear on the background check results. However, if the background check is a basic one conducted for an entry-level job, past evictions might not appear.
How Long Does an Eviction Stay on Your Record?
Typically, a past eviction will stay on your record for up to seven years. This is because the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) limits background checks to go as far back as seven years. This also applies to eviction filings that were dismissed or settled. Unless the eviction filing was expunged or sealed, it will still appear on the background check results for up to seven years.
How to Check if I Have an Eviction on My Record: The Final Word
Now that you know how to check if you have an eviction on your record, get started on finding the information you need. Run a people search on yourself using our people search tool, check your local government’s online database, or visit the courthouse where a former landlord might have filed for eviction.
Regardless of the method that suits you the most, you can find out if there’s an eviction on your record following all the steps we’ve covered above.
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