How Eviction Age Affects Your Approval Odds in Texas
We've placed renters with older eviction filings across Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Austin, and San Antonio. After 5+ combined years of doing this, we've seen how eviction age changes your approval odds, and we keep learning which properties to go after at each stage.
Take two renters with the same income, rental history, and credit. If one eviction was filed last year and the other five years ago, they'll often get very different answers. That's why the date your JP court case was filed shapes our whole search.
Here's the pattern we see. Under 1 year, most properties deny automatically. At 2 to 3 years, mid market and Class B communities open up a lot. At 5+ years, many Class A properties review your file by hand if your income is strong. And after about 7 years, the Fair Credit Reporting Act usually keeps the case off tenant screening reports.
Your Odds, Year by Year
Under 1 year (0 to 12 months): The hardest stage. From what we see, nearly every Class A and most mid market properties deny you automatically off a SafeRent or similar report. Where we look: small private owners and older Class B properties, plus guarantor products like OneApp or CoSign. Expect double deposits and risk fees.
1 to 2 years (12 to 24 months): Tough, but getting better. Some mid market properties will review your file by hand if the balance is paid or the case was dismissed. We usually look first at independent owners of Class B properties. Guarantor products help. So does proof of income at 3 times the rent and clean rental history since the filing.
2 to 3 years (24 to 36 months): A big step up. Most Class B and mid market properties we work with will consider you, especially in Houston and Dallas, where there are more apartments to choose from. Class A luxury is still tough. Deposits and risk fees come down but don’t go away.
3 to 5 years (36 to 60 months): Lots of options. Nearly all Class B, most mid market, and some Class A properties are likely to approve you with clean rental history and strong income. Risk fees are often waived, and standard deposits are common. From what we see, a lot of properties in Austin and San Antonio don't look back that far at all.
5 to 7 years (60 to 84 months): You're close to normal approval odds at most properties if the rest of your file is clean. Some Class A properties still ask questions, but they rarely deny, and deposits are usually standard. Denied at this age? Ask for the adverse action notice and check the report closely. We see a lot of mistakes on reports at this stage, and they're worth disputing.
Over 7 years: Under the FCRA, it usually shouldn't be on screening reports anymore. If it still shows up, dispute it.
How the Seven Year FCRA Window Works
Credit and screening companies usually can't report civil suits, civil judgments, or arrest records that are more than 7 years old. That rule comes from 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a)(2) (opens in new tab). The 7 years count from the date the case was entered. If the statute of limitations runs longer, it's that instead.
For an eviction, the FTC says that means up to 7 years from the filing. That rule covers tenant screening reports too. The FCRA's exceptions (big loans, large life insurance policies, jobs paying $75,000+) don't apply to apartment screening.
What that means for you:
- Screening companies (SafeRent, TransUnion, LexisNexis, Experian RentBureau) should drop an eviction case from their reports once it's more than 7 years old
- The JP court filing itself stays in the court’s records. In Texas, court records are open to the public by default. Judges rarely seal them, and no Texas law lets you expunge an eviction
- Some screening companies don't drop it on time. If your eviction is over 7 years old and still shows on your report, file an FCRA dispute
Our dispute guide walks you through it. Filing a dispute is free, and you can do it yourself.
Which Property Managers Approve Older Filings
Independent owners: Most of the independent landlords we work with don't mind an older eviction. Small communities owned by individual landlords in Fort Worth, Arlington, and the nearby suburbs tend to be especially flexible once a filing is 2+ years old.
Mid market properties that make their own call: We've seen some Willow Bridge, RPM Living, and Venterra properties approve filings 2+ years old. (Willow Bridge used to be Lincoln Property Company’s apartment division.)
Older luxury (Class B): We've had some Camden, MAA, and Cortland properties approve filings 3+ years old when rental history since then is clean.
Class A luxury: Some Greystar, Camden, MAA, Cortland, and NRP Group properties have approved filings 5+ years old in our files. You'll usually need strong income (4 times the rent) and clean rental history.
How Much Cash Do You Need to Move In?
Say your rent is $1,700 a month and you have a paid eviction from three years ago. That's on the high side, since average rents in our cities run about $1,260 to $1,650 a month (RentCafe, September 2026). Here's what to budget:
- Application fee: usually $50 to $85 per adult (HelloData’s 2025 Texas fee data)
- Risk fee: $0 to $200 in the files we see (often waived)
- Security deposit: we figure 1 to 1.25 months’ rent here ($1,700 to $2,125). Standard deposits in Texas vary a lot, and yours may be lower
- First month’s rent and admin fee: $1,700 plus about $100 (the Texas average admin fee, per HelloData)
- Guarantor: rarely needed
Total cash to move in with an older eviction: about $3,550 to $4,200. At this age the risk fee is often waived, so most of that is rent and deposit.
How We Compare to Searching on Your Own
| Feature | Searching on Your Own | Our Licensed Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Application fees | $50 to $85 per adult for each application, with no idea how each property screens | Fewer blind applications: we send you to properties that may fit your situation |
| Matching your eviction age | No way to know how far back a property looks | Matched to your eviction age: we keep notes on which properties look back 2, 3, or 5 years |
| Knowing the screening software | Guessing whether SafeRent or Yardi will flag you | We keep notes on which screening software each property runs |
| Cost to you | Application fees add up fast | 100% free: the property pays our referral commission |
| How long it takes | Weeks or months of trial and error | Often faster: older evictions are some of our quickest placements |
How We Place Renters With Older Evictions
When your eviction is older, our licensed agents:
- Confirm your eviction age from JP court records, not memory. The exact date matters
- Check that your screening report shows the right balance status
- If your eviction is close to or past 7 years, see whether it still shows up on screening reports
- Build a target list based on how old your eviction is, including Class A options if your file is strong enough
- Put your paperwork together
Older evictions tend to be the easiest cases we handle. Harris County, Dallas County, Travis County, or anywhere else in Texas: it doesn’t matter which JP court your filing came from. Fill out the form above and we'll get started.
