User Question:
I moved out of an apartment after being late on rent. It did not go to court, and has no judgment. I was behind over $1000 plus late fees, and I did some damage to the place. Can this be sent to collections? Can it show on my credit?
Debt Collection Answers Reply
Hi Trish:
It’s always possible that your former landlord will turn your debt over to a debt collector. That could happen anytime.
Depending on how long ago you broke your lease, it’s also possible that the landlord or the debt collector will sue you for the money you owe. In Arizona, the statute of limitations on a written contract, like a lease, is 6 years and the 6 years begins on the date that you missed your first rent payment. Therefore, assuming you did not break your lease longer than 6 years ago, you are at risk for a lawsuit. If you are sued and end up with a judgment against you, that information will be in your credit history and will be very damaging.
Finally, even though you’ve not been sued yet, your former landlord may have reported your past due rent to the credit reporting agencies. If you want to know if this has happened, order a copy of each of your three credit reports. You are entitled to a free copy of each report every year and you can order them by going to https://www.annualcreditreport.com.
Best of luck.