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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteIf someone rented an apartment in your name, report the identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov, then contact both the landlord and any tenant-screening company involved. Dispute the false rental debt, eviction, or payment history with the screening company and ask the landlord to stop reporting it. This guidance is for people in the United States; elsewhere, use your local identity-theft and consumer-reporting systems.
1. Report the identity theft and save your records
Go to IdentityTheft.gov and report that someone used your identity to rent a home. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides an Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan. Save or print both, along with related messages and any account-based recovery plan.
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A police report is optional under the FTC’s general instructions. If you choose to file one, the FTC recommends bringing your Identity Theft Report, photo identification, proof of address, and other evidence you have. You do not need to wait for a police report before contacting the landlord or screening company.
2. Find out which rental and screening records are affected
Contact the landlord or property manager of the apartment the impostor rented. Ask whether it sends rental-payment history to a background-check or tenant-screening company. If it does, ask for the company’s name and contact information.
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Contact that screening company and request a copy of your tenant report. A tenant-screening report is distinct from an ordinary credit report: false rental or eviction information may appear in a screening file even if it is absent from your credit reports.
3. Dispute the false information with the screening company and landlord
- Identify the specific error. Review the tenant report for the impostor’s rental, unpaid rent or other debt, eviction or court information, and incorrect identifying details. Note the exact entries you believe are not yours.
- Send a written dispute to the screening company. Explain that the entry resulted from identity theft. Include a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report and copies of supporting documents; keep the originals. Keep dated copies of your letter or email and any delivery confirmation.
- Contact the landlord separately. Give the landlord a copy of the FTC report and ask it to stop reporting the fraudulent information. The FTC’s rental-specific instruction is: “Give the landlord a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report, and ask them to stop reporting the fraudulent information.”
- Ask the screening company to investigate and correct the report. Under FTC guidance, a company generally has 30 days to investigate a dispute and notify you; some cases may take 45 days. Some state laws set shorter periods. The company must delete or correct information it finds inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable.
- Tell the landlord you disputed the report. After the investigation, request an updated report and ask that it be sent to the landlord. Keep the revised report and the company’s response with your records.
4. If the false entry comes from a court record
Check the underlying court docket and the case disposition if an eviction or other court entry appears in your tenant report. The court record itself may contain incorrect information, so correcting only the screening company’s file may not resolve the underlying error. Court correction procedures depend on the court and location; seek local legal help for the appropriate process.
5. If a rental application was denied or made more expensive
A landlord’s adverse action based on a tenant-screening report can include denying an application, charging more, requiring a larger deposit, or requiring a cosigner. The adverse-action notice must identify the reporting company and explain your rights.
- Request a free copy of the tenant report from the named company within 60 days of the adverse-action notice.
- Review the report and dispute false information with the screening company, following the steps above.
- After correction, send the updated report to the landlord. If the notice was given only orally, ask the landlord for it in writing and keep a copy.
6. Check for other identity misuse
Review your credit reports for unfamiliar accounts or transactions. The FTC directs consumers to AnnualCreditReport.com for free credit reports and to IdentityTheft.gov for a personalized recovery plan. If an identity thief opened an account, contact the relevant business to close or freeze it. Ask for written confirmation that the account is not yours and that the information was removed.
A fraud alert or credit freeze can reduce the risk of new-credit fraud, but neither corrects a tenant-screening report. Choose based on the protection you need:
| Option | What it does | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Initial fraud alert | Asks businesses to verify your identity before opening new credit. Contacting one of the three nationwide credit bureaus requires it to notify the other two. | Free and lasts one year. It addresses new-credit fraud, not a false rental entry. |
| Credit freeze | Limits access to your credit report for new-credit applications. | Free and lasts until lifted. Contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion individually. The FTC says a freeze does not prevent someone from applying to rent an apartment. |
| Tenant-screening dispute | Challenges false rental, eviction, or identity information in a tenant report. | Directly addresses the rental record; contact the screening company and the landlord. |
| Police report | Creates a local law-enforcement record. | Optional under the FTC’s general instructions; local practices vary. |
7. Get local help if the record is not corrected
Seek help from local legal aid, a fair-housing organization, your state attorney general, or a lawyer familiar with local law if a court record needs correction, a screening company does not investigate or correct the report, or a landlord does not provide required adverse-action information. The FTC also accepts reports about inaccurate tenant-screening reports and failures to investigate disputes. Deadlines and remedies can vary by state and locality.
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