# How to Request a Zero Balance Letter for a Broken Lease

> How to get a zero balance letter for a broken lease. Learn who to ask, what it should say, and when to hand it to the property you’re applying to.

URL: https://nocreditcheckapartment.com/guide/zero-balance-documentation-broken-lease/

Need a zero balance letter for a broken lease? Ask your old landlord or the collection agency for a letter showing the balance is $0 and whether you paid in full or settled. Check that it lists the right account, and we’ll tell you whether the property you’re applying to wants a copy.

## The short answer

Ask whoever holds the debt now: your old community, or the collection agency if the account went to collections. Request the letter the day you pay or settle, and get it in writing. It should show a $0 balance on the right account and say whether you paid in full or settled.

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

Start with whoever holds the debt now, which is the agency if it went to collections. Ask the old community to mark the account paid too, since rental history reports pull from community records. Call, then follow up by email so you have it in writing.

Upload it with your application so the leasing office sees it next to the screening report.

## 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, see our page on renting with a [broken lease](/broken-lease/) 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: [broken lease](/broken-lease/) · [paid vs. unpaid broken lease: how managers treat them](/guide/paid-vs-unpaid-broken-lease/)

## FAQ

Who gives me a zero balance letter? + 

Your old community, or [the collection agency that holds the debt](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/debt-collection/), once you’ve paid or settled it.

How long does it take to get? + 

That varies by office. Ask for it the day you pay or settle, and follow up in writing if it hasn’t arrived within a week.

Do I need it for every application? + 

It helps on any application where the broken lease shows up. Keep a PDF copy ready to upload.

## Related guides

[### How Long Does a Broken Lease Stay on Your Record?

A broken lease shows up on rental history reports for years, depending on the vendor. One from two or three years ago opens more communities, and paying it off helps.](/guide/how-long-does-broken-lease-stay-on-record/)[### Paid vs. Unpaid Broken Lease: How Managers Treat Them

Whether you paid it is one of the biggest things managers look at. Screening tells them apart, and paying in full or settling helps.](/guide/paid-vs-unpaid-broken-lease/)[### What to Expect Renting With a Broken Lease on Your Record

Renting with a broken lease? Properties that take one often add conditions or a risk fee. Here are the documents to bring.](/guide/what-to-expect-renting-with-broken-lease/)

## 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/)