The short answer
Texas evictions are filed in the justice of the peace court for the precinct where the rental is, and those filings are public. Screening data companies pick up new filings from the court record. So a case can reach a screening report before the hearing, even one you later win. Every screening company pulls from those same public records.
We’re the No Credit Check Apartment Team, a licensed real estate team brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC (TREC #562021). Between us we have more than 20 years in real estate, working with property managers across Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. We point renters with credit, eviction and record problems to communities whose criteria may fit them, and each property makes its own rental decision.
What that means for you
Data companies collect new filings from court records, so an eviction can show up on screening before a judge decides the case.
Switching to a community that uses a different screening company won’t hide it. Screening companies pull from the same public court records.
How Texas communities handle it
Texas property managers screen through a handful of companies, including TransUnion SmartMove, RealPage LeasingDesk, and AppFolio. Some check rent payment data from Experian RentBureau, and old apartment balances often show up through collection agencies like NCAC. Each one pulls up different information, and each management company reads it differently.
A denied application usually costs $50 to $75, and those fees stack up fast when you apply without knowing how a property screens.
For more on renting after an eviction, see our page on eviction or the related guides below.
What to do next
Don't know where to apply, or tired of paying fees just to get turned down? Don’t guess. Send us your situation and we’ll point you to Texas communities worth a look. It’s free to you; communities pay our referral fee out of their advertising budgets.
Related reading: eviction · Texas apartment screening companies