How a Broken Lease Impacts Your Ability to Rent

Learn what shows up on your rental record—and how Ready Lease helps you get approved faster.

How a Broken Lease Impacts Your Ability to Rent

Breaking a lease, whether due to financial hardship, relocation, disputes, or other circumstances, can leave a lasting mark on your rental history. While it may seem like a personal or temporary decision, the consequences can impact your ability to rent an apartment for up to 7 years.

What Is a Broken Lease?

A broken lease occurs when a tenant moves out before the end of the lease term without the landlord’s consent or without fulfilling the financial obligations stated in the lease. This could include:

  1. Moving out early without paying the remaining rent
  2. Being evicted for lease violations
  3. Failing to provide proper notice as required in the lease
  4. Abandoning the property altogether

Even if the reason for breaking the lease was beyond your control, such as job loss or family emergency, it may still be recorded in your rental history.

How Property Managers Discover a Broken Lease

Landlords and property managers often use tenant screening services and conduct rental reference checks when reviewing new applications. A broken lease may appear in several ways including:

  • Tenant Screening Reports: A previous landlord may report the broken lease to a consumer reporting agency such as SafeRent (formerly part of CoreLogic), LeasingDesk (RealPage), and RentGrow (Yardi).
  • Rental Debts on Traditional Credit Reports: If the landlord sends unpaid rent or fees to a collection agency, it can appear on your traditional credit report for up to seven years. These credit reporting agencies include Experian, Equifax, and Transunion.
  • Landlord Reference Checks: Future property management companies may directly contact your previous property to confirm whether you completed the lease in good standing. When reaching out to your former property, the new landlord may ask questions such as:
    • Did the tenant pay rent on time?
    • Were there any lease violations, complaints, or property damage?
    • Did the tenant fulfill the lease terms and give proper notice before moving out?
    • Would you rent to this tenant again.

How a Broken Lease Affects Your Rental Application

A broken lease can raise serious concerns for landlords about your reliability and risk as a tenant. Potential consequences include:

  • Application Denial: Many landlords have strict policies against approving tenants with a recent broken lease.
  • Limited Housing Options: You may be restricted to properties that specialize in second chance leasing.
  • Need for a Co-Signer or Guarantor: A financially qualified co-signer may be required to secure approval.
  • Shorter Lease Terms: Properties may offer only 6-month trial leases to assess your reliability before committing to longer terms.

How Long Does a Broken Lease Stay on my Record?

There is no universal timeline for how long a broken lease affects your rental prospects. However:

  • Collection Accounts: Collection tradelines may remain on your traditional credit report for up to 7 years, impacting both your credit and rental applications. These credit reporting agencies include Experian, Equifax, and Transunion.
  • Consumer Reporting Agencies: Consumer reporting agencies that provide broken lease data on tenant screening reports may retain records for up to 7 years.
  • Landlord Reference Check: A rental reference check can affect you indefinitely if the previous landlord shares unfavorable feedback with future properties.
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Below is a list of commonly used consumer reporting agencies that share data when a tenant screening report is requested:

  1. Contemporary Information Corp (CIC): https://www.cicreports.com/consumer-assistance/
  2. Experian Rent Bureau: www.experian.com/rentbureau
  3. First Advantage: https://fadv.com/industries/residential-tenant-background-checks/
  4. Leasing Desk (RealPage): www.realpage.com/support/consumer
  5. LexisNexis: https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/consumer
  6. Rent Grow (Yardi): https://www.rentgrow.com/learn-now/
  7. SafeRent: https://saferentsolutions.com/consumer-support/

If your rental application is denied, you have the right to ask the property management company which consumer reporting agency was used in making the decision. You’re also entitled to request a free copy of your report directly from that agency to review the information that may have impacted your application.

Can You Still Rent with a Broken Lease?

Yes, but it often requires more effort, transparency, and flexibility. Many renters with broken leases are still able to secure an apartment by:

  • Working with Second Chance Leasing Programs such as Ready Lease
  • Providing proof of income and stability
  • Offering higher deposits or rent in advance
  • Clearing outstanding balances with previous properties

How Ready Lease Can Help

At Ready Lease, we specialize in helping renters with broken leases, evictions, or credit challenges find new housing opportunities. Through our Second Chance Apartment Program, we match you with properties that are more understanding of your situation and work with you to secure a lease approval, often with the option of co-signing support and lease structuring designed to rebuild your rental history. Contact us today to learn more about our Second Chance Apartment Program at (713) 322-4799.

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