When you find yourself evicted from a rental property, you probably think about where you will live next, but you might not think about how that eviction can affect your credit before applying for an auto loan online.

While most evictions won’t appear on your credit report, if the landlord went to court, you might find that a default judgment still exists.

The eviction process varies depending on where you live, but most provinces require that the landlord of the building give you a set period of time to vacate. If you do not leave before that date, the landlord can file suit in court. You must appear in court or the judge will find in favor of the landlord. Even if you go to court, the judge might still find in favor of the landlord based on the evidence. In most court systems, if the judge finds for the landlord, you’re responsible for paying money to your former landlord.

When you apply for an auto loan, your lender looks at your credit history. As long as you leave your eviction judgment on your record, it will negatively impact your credit report. You can remove that eviction from your credit report by contacting each of the three major credit agencies and asking for a copy of your credit report. Even something as simple as buying a new car is nearly impossible with an eviction on your report. You might find your interest rates rising because of the issue, or you might notice that the dealer requires a larger down payment to finance your loan.

Once you receive those reports, contact each agency and report the activity. The credit agencies will contact the landlord and give that person a set amount of time to respond. If the landlord fails to respond, the agencies will wipe the eviction from your record. If your landlord responds, you’ll need to pay any past due amount in full. After paying your landlord back, you need to contact the court with a copy of your payment, which should discharge the debt.

Even if you already paid your debts, you might find that the eviction still exists on your record or credit report. The easiest way to remove it is with a phone call to the court where the landlord filed the eviction. You can request a copy of the court papers, which typically costs a small amount of money. Once you send a copy to the credit agencies, those agencies should take the eviction off your credit history or mark it as paid.