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National Credit Systems: dispute an old apartment balance the right way
National Credit Systems, Inc. (NCS) is an Atlanta collection agency for the apartment industry. NCS collects balances that former residents owe to apartment communities and property management companies, debts originally owed to others. Move-out balances are often a mix of rent, cleaning, damage and lease-break fees, and each one can be checked.
The check is free and says plainly if a letter will not help. If it will, the letter and three follow-ups cost $29 ($19 for military, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities).
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NCS at a glance
- What NCS is
- A collection agency for apartment communities
- Founded
- 1991, as Southeastern Credit Systems
- On credit reports
- NATLCRSYS
- National Credit Systems, Inc.
P.O. Box 312125
Atlanta, GA 31131-2125 - Office
- National Credit Systems, Inc.
3750 Naturally Fresh Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30349 - Phone
- 800-367-1050
- Main line
- 404-629-9595
NCS letters direct all correspondence to this P.O. box. A certified letter gives you proof of when your dispute arrived.
What a move-out balance is made of
NCS was founded in 1991 as Southeastern Credit Systems and later renamed. A balance it collects usually started as a final statement from your old apartment community. That statement can combine unpaid rent with charges added after you left: cleaning, repairs, carpet replacement, lease-break or reletting fees, and utilities.
Each of those is a separate claim, and the notice must say which creditor you owe and how the amount has changed since the itemization date. In a dispute, ask for the lease you signed, the move-out statement, an itemized list of every charge, any move-out inspection photos, and how your security deposit was applied.
Why it can follow you to your next apartment
An unpaid apartment balance does not only affect your credit. In one case that reached federal court, NCS wrote to a former resident after being notified that she had applied for residency at another apartment community. So it is worth dealing with a disputed balance before you apply for your next place.
On credit reports, NCS often appears as NATLCRSYS. If the amount or dates on your report are wrong, dispute with each credit bureau as well as with NCS. Our credit report guide explains how.
Your rights apply to rental debt
The CFPB has noted that the FDCPA applies when debt collectors collect residential rental debt, and it began accepting complaints about rental debt collection in August 2023. That means a written dispute inside the validation period makes NCS stop collecting until it mails verification.
In February 2023 the CFPB asked a federal court in Atlanta to enforce a civil investigative demand it had issued to NCS, as part of an investigation into its debt collection and credit reporting under the FDCPA and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. A demand for information is part of an investigation, not a finding that the company broke the law.
Where to send a dispute
NCS letters direct all correspondence to its P.O. box in Atlanta: National Credit Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 312125, Atlanta, GA 31131-2125. Name the apartment community as the creditor, and keep a copy of your letter and the certified mail receipt.
You also have rights over how NCS contacts you: our guide to stopping debt collector calls explains the seven-calls-in-seven-days rule and how to limit contact.
If NCS has reported the account, our guide on how collections affect your credit covers the special rules for medical debt, and disputing a collection entry covers the rest.
A worked example around Labor Day
Say NCS mails a notice on Tuesday, August 31, 2027 about a $1,875.00 move-out balance.
- Labor Day (September 6) and the weekend do not count, so the fifth working day after mailing is Wednesday, September 8, 2027.
- The dispute period can end no earlier than Friday, October 8, 2027.
- Mail your dispute to the P.O. box, asking for the lease, the move-out statement and the itemized charges.
The time limits and garnishment rules for this example are in our Texas debt collection guide.
Sample letter to NCS
This opening is for someone in Texas who believes a move-out balance NCS is collecting was already paid. It disputes the debt inside the validation period and names the apartment community as the creditor.
Details are made up.
Questions people ask about NCS
Is National Credit Systems legit?
Yes. National Credit Systems, Inc. is a real collection agency in Atlanta that collects for apartment communities. Check any request against its official contact details before paying.
Who does National Credit Systems collect for?
Apartment communities and property management companies, collecting balances former residents owe.
What is NATLCRSYS on my credit report?
It is how National Credit Systems often appears on credit reports.
Can an NCS balance stop me renting a new apartment?
It can come up when you apply. In one court case, NCS wrote to a former resident after being notified she had applied to another community.
What should I ask for in a dispute?
The lease, the move-out statement, an itemized list of charges, any inspection photos, and how your security deposit was applied.
Are you connected to National Credit Systems?
No. We are an independent document tool and name NCS only to describe who contacted you.