 TITLE: Can I Break a Lease Early? CONTENT: What Does Breaking a Lease Do to Your Credit?\n---------------------------------------------\nMost landlords do **not report rent payments** to the credit reporting bureaus because rent is not a debt or a type of credit. If that's the case for you, breaking a lease won't automatically affect your credit report.\nHowever, if the landlord does **turn over a balance** due to a debt collection agency, that company can—and usually will—**send the account to the credit reporting bureaus**. When this happens, the balance owed will end up on your **consumer credit reports** and negatively affect your scores. It will remain there for up to seven years, and anyone who views your reports will see the derogatory account.\nA **collection account** is a clear indication that you did not fulfill your end of a financial bargain, so it will be **factored into your credit scores** too. Because payment history is the most important credit scoring factor, your credit scores could decline when the debt collection account appears.\nAdditionally, a **broken lease agreement** can appear on a document called a **tenant screening report**. This is separate from your credit report and contains an overview of your **tenancy history**. Landlords can furnish information to tenant screening reports, listing your payment pattern and any other relevant information for future renters to review. If you broke your lease without just cause, it can show up as a **major red flag**. When it does, you can have trouble securing a new place to live. END