The short answer
- Whole file review: Some communities look at your whole file, including income, rental history, and how long ago the issue happened.
- Individual reviews: At others, a manager reads your eviction status and decides case by case.
We're the No Credit Check Apartment Team, a licensed real estate team brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC (TREC #562021). Our team has worked in real estate for more than 20 years combined, alongside property managers across Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. We use those relationships to keep track of how each community screens an eviction on record.
What filed and granted actually mean
A filing and a judgment are two stages of the same court case, and the judgment is the one that hurts.
What each status means
These are the three statuses you'll see on a screening report.
- Filed: The landlord started the case by filing an eviction suit (Texas calls it a forcible detainer).
- Dismissed: The judge ruled for the tenant, or the landlord dropped the lawsuit.
- Granted: The judge ruled for the landlord and ordered the tenant out (a judgment for possession).
How Texas JP courts record them
Every formal eviction in Texas starts in a Justice of the Peace (JP) Court. Cases become public record as soon as they're filed. Many counties let you search them online, and the JP clerk can look one up by name or case number.
Filing costs the landlord about $144 in Travis County, counting service on one tenant. If the judge grants the eviction, the judgment goes into that same court record, where screening companies can pick it up.
Why dismissed is easiest and granted is hardest
Property managers see a different level of risk in each one. So we always tell renters to look past the filing and find out how the case ended.
| Eviction Status | Risk Level | What It Tells a Landlord |
|---|---|---|
| Dismissed | Lowest Risk | The case didn't hold up, or the tenant worked it out before any judgment. |
| Filed | Medium Risk | Something went wrong, but no judge ruled that the tenant was at fault. |
| Granted | Highest Risk | A judge ordered the tenant out, often with a money judgment for unpaid rent. |
Getting court proof of how it ended
Get proof of how your case ended before you apply anywhere. Start with the county's JP court case search, then ask the JP court clerk for a certified copy of the dismissal order or judgment.
Search by your name or the case number. The record tells you whether the case was dismissed without prejudice (meaning it can be refiled) or ended in a final judgment.
How Texas communities handle it
Texas property managers often screen through TransUnion SmartMove, RealPage LeasingDesk, or AppFolio.
Each screening company pulls different data, and every property manager reads it differently.
People burn $50 to $75 on every rejected application, and applying blind is how those fees pile up.
An eviction that goes all the way to judgment can cost a landlord thousands in lost rent and court costs. That's why many Class A communities turn down a recent granted eviction. A dismissed one usually gets more room.
Texas Property Code Section 92.3515 says a landlord has to make its written screening criteria available when it gives you an application. If it skips that and denies you, it owes your application fee and deposit back. We've already read those criteria for each community on your list, so there's nothing for you to go get.
For next steps, see our eviction page or the related links below.
What to do next
Have a filed or granted eviction in your history and don't know whether to apply somewhere? Don't guess. Tell us what's on your record, and within 24 to 48 hours on weekdays we'll send Texas communities worth a look. Weekend requests most likely get a reply Monday.
There's no cost to you. The communities pay our referral fee.
- Related reading: eviction
- More resources: Texas JP court eviction records