How Do I Dispute a TransUnion Rental Screening Report?

Question

I applied for an apartment and got denied. The landlord said something came up on my tenant screening report. I pulled my TransUnion file and there's an eviction on there - I have never even lived at that address. I don't know how to fix this or who to call. If I dispute, will  TransUnion actually remove it? I need housing really bad and I don't have time for this.

Consumer Attorneys · Accepted Answer

An eviction record that does not belong to you is one of the most damaging errors a consumer report can carry, and identity theft is a common cause. When someone uses your name and personal information to rent a property, the resulting court filing or judgment can attach to your TransUnion file, even though you were never a party to that case. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, TransUnion is required to maintain reasonable procedures to ensure accuracy, and when you dispute TransUnion credit report information tied to fraud or mistaken identity, the agency must conduct a genuine reinvestigation, not simply re-verify the item with the original source. If the record is not yours, TransUnion generally has 30 days to investigate and correct or delete it.

What to gather, request, and document:

A copy of your full TransUnion consumer report, including the eviction or housing court entry and the address it references
An FTC Identity Theft Report filed at IdentityTheft.gov, which gives you formal documentation of the fraud
Any lease agreements, utility records, or other proof that you never resided at the address tied to the eviction
Written confirmation of your dispute submission to TransUnion, whether online, by mail, or by phone, along with dates and any reference numbers
The reinvestigation result letter TransUnion sends after reviewing your dispute
Any adverse action notice from the landlord or property management company that denied your application

If you have disputed this record and TransUnion continues to report an eviction you did not cause, your options may extend beyond filing another dispute. Consumer Attorneys offers a free case review for situations like this, where identity theft has produced a false housing record that screening agencies fail to correct. You can learn more about the full process when you start your TransUnion rental screening dispute. Keep every document, note every date, and do not delay, the timeline of your dispute matters under the FCRA