I paid that debt — it's still showing as owed

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Your first move — do this today

Dispute in writing with the proof attached: identify the entry, state the debt was paid on [date], request the entry be updated or deleted. If a collection agency reported it, dispute with the screening company anyway — they carry the legal duty to investigate what they publish.

Paid collections that still show as open, rent balances cleared years ago, judgments satisfied but never updated — stale debt is one of the most common accuracy failures in screening reports, and one of the most fixable, because the paper trail is usually in your own records.

Your case is strong when

You have proof of payment: receipt, bank statement, settlement letter, or a satisfaction of judgment.

Evidence to gather

Proof of payment or settlement (the date matters — get it in writing if you only have a verbal settlement)
The report entry showing the debt as open

Copy-paste letters (fill in the brackets)

To get your free report — send to the screening company named in your denial letter (use the contact route on its official site or in the letter itself):

I was denied [housing / employment / a bank account] on [date] based on a consumer report you supplied. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act I request my free copy of that report. My name: [full name]. Address: [address]. Date of birth: [DOB]. Please send it to the address above.

To dispute an error — send with copies (never originals) of your evidence:

I dispute the following item in my file: [describe the entry exactly as it appears]. It is inaccurate because [not mine / paid on date / dismissed by the court / wrong amount]. Enclosed: [list documents]. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, please investigate and correct or delete this item, and send me the result in writing.

Keep a copy of everything you send, and send by a method you can prove (certified mail or the company's own dispute portal).

Your three rights after a denial

Be told who screened you — the landlord, employer, or bank must identify the company behind an adverse decision.
The report itself, free — request your copy from the screening company (federal guidance: within 60 days of the denial).
Dispute, and they must investigate — inaccurate items must be investigated (typically 30 days) and corrected or deleted if they can't be verified.

Full plain-English walkthrough on our home page.

The amount is wrong but the debt is real — worth disputing?

Yes. Accuracy applies to every field. A $300 debt reported as $3,000 is an inaccuracy you can dispute, and the difference can change a screening decision.

Should I pay a credit repair company to do this?

No — the dispute is free and the evidence is already in your hands. Nobody can do it better than your own bank statement can.

What disputes can't do — and we won't help with

Disputes fix errors. They don't erase history that's true — accurate records survive investigation. If the record is real, what helps is settling and documenting it, second-chance programs, and time. We built this site for honest people hit by wrong records.

Companies most often behind this situation: lexisnexis risk · experian rentbureau · transunion rental. Based on FCRA consumer rights as explained in FTC and CFPB guidance, checked August 2026. General information, not legal advice. Free official complaint route: consumerfinance.gov.