The direct answer
You know how challenging it can be to decipher a background check when a prospective tenant applies for your property.
An eviction filing simply means a landlord started a lawsuit, while a granted eviction means the judge ruled against the tenant. We see this confusion often in the Texas market, where nearly 40,000 eviction cases are filed annually in Dallas County Justice of the Peace Courts alone.
This guide will explain a filed vs granted eviction and walk through exactly how to handle them during screening.
If a tenant is denied or worried about applying, here is what actually happens in Texas when communities run a credit check:
- Hard cutoffs: Automatic denial below a specific credit score.
- Conditional-approval bands: Weighing the full picture of income, rental history, and time since the issue.
- Case-by-case reviews: Looking closely at the specific eviction status to make an informed choice.
We operate as a licensed Texas apartment locator (TREC #9006179) with over 15 years of relationships with property managers across Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. The question is what communities do with the results to match renters with credit challenges to places that will actually approve them.
What it actually means: filed vs granted eviction
An eviction filing and an eviction judgment are entirely different court records with different screening consequences.
Definitions of each status
We define the three main outcomes to clarify exactly what appears on a report.
- Filed: The landlord initiated the legal process by submitting a forcible detainer suit.
- Dismissed: The judge ruled in favor of the tenant, or the landlord dropped the lawsuit.
- Granted: The judge ruled in favor of the landlord and issued a judgment for possession.
How Texas JP courts record them
All formal evictions begin in a Texas Justice of the Peace (JP) Court. We track these filings through systems like efiletexas.gov, where cases become public record immediately on day zero.
A filing costs a landlord a specific court fee, which is around $139 in Travis County. If the judge grants the eviction, the judgment enters the court record and typically reaches credit screening reports within 10 to 21 days.
Why dismissed < filed < granted in difficulty
Property owners view these three statuses with varying levels of risk. We always advise clients to look past the initial filing to see the final judgment.
| Eviction Status | Risk Level | What It Tells a Landlord |
|---|---|---|
| Dismissed | Lowest Risk | The case lacked standing, or the tenant resolved the issue without a judgment. |
| Filed | Medium Risk | An issue occurred, but no final legal ruling proved the tenant was at fault. |
| Granted | Highest Risk | A judge ordered the tenant removed, creating a legal property debt. |
How to obtain court documentation of the outcome
Business owners and landlords need accurate proof to finalize screening decisions. We recommend pulling the official case summary directly from the specific county JP court portal.
You can search by the applicant name or case number. This search will verify if a case was dismissed without prejudice (meaning it can be refiled) or if a final judgment exists.
How Texas communities handle it
Texas property managers use a mix of screening vendors to evaluate applicants. The most common platforms include TransUnion SmartMove, Experian RentBureau, RealPage, AppFolio, NCAC, and LeasingDesk.
We know each vendor surfaces different information, and each property management company weighs it differently.
The reason people burn $50 to $75 per rejected application is that the “no credit check apartments” search returns generic pages that do not explain the mechanics. This page explains them.
A 2016 TransUnion survey found that a finalized eviction can cost a property owner between $1,000 and $5,000 in lost rent and legal fees. This financial risk explains why communities take granted evictions so seriously.
Texas Property Code Section 92.3515 now mandates strict transparency for these application fees. Landlords must provide written disclosure of their specific screening criteria before accepting any money.
We provide extensive resources on this topic for anyone needing more context. For the broader picture on filed vs granted eviction cases, see our eviction guide or the related links below.
What to do next
If you are weighing whether to apply somewhere and have a filed vs granted eviction in your history, do not guess. We will tell you in 2 to 4 business hours which Texas communities will approve your specific situation.
The process is completely free to you. Communities pay us the referral fee directly from their advertising budgets.
- Related reading: eviction
- Additional resources: texas jp court eviction records