A collection account for rent you owe could be part of your credit history, but the fact that you were evicted, by itself, won't be reflected in your credit history. That doesn't mean the eviction won't be on other types of consumer reports, though.

Collection accounts are very negative and will appear for seven years. That can hurt your ability to get credit, or the best interest rates, for a long time, but eventually the negative information will be deleted. If you make all of your other debt payments on time, you will be able to rebuild your credit history.

The other issue to know about is that an eviction could appear on tenant screening reports, which include your rental history. While the eviction might not affect your ability to get credit, it could hurt your chances to get an apartment or other rental property.

So, not paying your rent could have a double impact, one on your creditworthiness and another on your housing needs.

Thanks for asking.