# Eviction vs. Broken Lease: Court Records and Rental Debt > Eviction vs. broken lease: how a court filing, leaving a lease early and an unpaid balance differ, and how to explain each one to an apartment manager. URL: https://nocreditcheckapartment.com/guide/eviction-vs-broken-lease/ An eviction and a broken lease raise three separate questions. Was a court case filed? How did it end? Does the landlord say you still owe money? Look at your lease and records for each one, and don't let one label answer all three. ## The short answer An eviction is a court case. A broken lease is money you owe a landlord, with no court involved. Many communities go easier on a broken lease, and paying off the balance opens up even more. ## What that means for you An eviction is a public court case. A broken lease is a private matter: you broke a contract with your landlord. Since 2017, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion have kept [civil judgments](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/new-retrospective-on-removing-public-records/), evictions included, off credit reports. An eviction hurts your score only when the unpaid balance goes to collections. But the public court record can still show up on [tenant screening reports](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/tenant-background-checks/). A lot of renters have one without the other. Timing is the reason. We’ve seen plenty of tenants avoid an eviction by turning in their keys before the landlord ever filed in court. They walk away with a broken lease and a clean court record. Some communities will consider a broken lease but not an eviction. To them, a court judgment is the bigger risk. Here's what matters when a property sizes up that risk: - Public vs. Private: Evictions go into civil court records. Broken leases never touch the courts, though they can still show up in rental history databases and collections. - Credit Impact: A broken lease only hurts your regular credit score if the balance gets sent to a collection agency. - How Long It Lasts: A collection account from a broken lease can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. That's the Fair Credit Reporting Act limit. - Risk Scoring: Screening platforms run a separate eviction search, and plenty of communities treat any court record as high risk. A tenant who leaves on their own looks far less risky to a property manager than one who makes them pay for a court fight. So we point you to communities whose written criteria may fit your record. ## How Texas communities handle it Texas property managers usually count a court eviction much more heavily than a broken lease. Their screening reports make the two easy to tell apart. We see renters lose $50 to $75 on every denied application. Texas property managers use a mix of screening companies. The ones we run into most are TransUnion SmartMove, RealPage LeasingDesk and AppFolio. Each one pulls up different information, and each management company reads it its own way. RealPage’s AI Screening tool, for example, draws on more than 30 million past lease outcomes. AppFolio pairs its background checks with fraud detection software. Here's how the big screening platforms look at your history: Screening PlatformHow It Sees an EvictionHow It Sees a Broken LeaseRealPage AI ScreeningSearches civil court records nationwide for judgments.Can pick up unpaid balances that past landlords reported.AppFolioRuns a background check that can include court filings.Picks up collection accounts from past management companies.TransUnion SmartMoveRuns an eviction search next to its credit based ResidentScore.Shows a lower score if the broken lease debt went to collections. For more on these background checks, see our [eviction](/eviction/) page. Once you know how these platforms work, you can stop paying fees at properties that screen you out automatically. ## What to do next Criteria change, so we keep checking what each property uses today. Send us the dates, any balance owed, and whether a court was involved. We'll usually get back to you the same day (weekend messages most likely get a Monday reply), and Texas communities that may consider your situation follow within 24 to 48 weekday hours. You don't pay us anything. Communities cover our referral fee from their advertising budgets. Here's how it works: - Your Story: Tell us about your broken lease or eviction history. - Matching: We compare your situation with the screening criteria we track for Texas communities. - Your list: We send communities whose criteria may fit your history. Approval is always the property's call. Applying at random burns fees, and some screening companies pull your credit as a hard inquiry, which can dip your score. Related reading: [eviction](/eviction/) · [broken lease](/broken-lease/) · [filed vs. granted vs. dismissed evictions explained](/guide/filed-vs-granted-vs-dismissed-evictions/) ## FAQ Is a broken lease the same as an eviction? + No. A broken lease means you left owing money, with no court involved. An eviction means the landlord sued you. Which is easier to rent with? + A broken lease, in most cases. A paid balance makes it easier still. Can I have a broken lease but no eviction? + Yes. You can leave early and owe a balance without anyone taking you to court. ## Related guides [### Does a Dismissed Eviction Still Show Up on Screening? A dismissed eviction filing can still show up, but properties usually treat it more lightly than a judgment. A certified dismissal order from the court is the proof managers want.](/guide/does-dismissed-eviction-show-on-screening/)[### Filed vs. Granted vs. Dismissed Evictions Explained Filed, granted, and dismissed evictions get screened differently. How Texas JP courts record each one changes how screening reads it, and the court's paperwork shows the outcome.](/guide/filed-vs-granted-vs-dismissed-evictions/)[### How Long Does an Eviction Stay on Your Record in Texas? Evictions usually show up on screening for 5 to 7 years, and court records stay public. The older the eviction, the more communities open up.](/guide/how-long-does-eviction-stay-on-record-texas/)[### Renting After Multiple Evictions in Texas Multiple evictions get an almost automatic denial at many communities, but some will consider them with 3x to 4x income and a higher risk fee.](/guide/renting-after-multiple-evictions-texas/) ## Want us to look at your situation? Send us your screening issue and target city. We typically get back to you the same day to go over your form, and your community list usually takes 24 to 48 weekday hours. Weekend requests most likely hear from us Monday. Free. [Start Your Free Search](/find-apartments/) ## Put this advice into practice - [Organize your rental history](/calculators/rental-history-timeline/) - [Prepare your application checklist](/calculators/application-readiness-checklist/) - [See renter resources](/renter-resources/)