You can report your rent payments to the credit bureaus using a service like WalletHub, which reports verified rent payments made from a linked checking account to TransUnion every month. You can also see if your landlord uses a service that reports your rent payments.
How to Report Rent Payments
- Check to see if your landlord reports your rent to the credit bureaus.
- Sign up for a third-party service if your landlord doesn’t report rent payments.
- Verify your rental information by providing your rental agreement.
- Connect your bank account so the service can confirm your rent payments.
Using a third-party company that lets you connect your bank account to verify rent payments can be more convenient than going through your landlord. However, if you’d prefer not to connect your bank account, having your landlord report your rent payments may be a better option.
How to Report Rent Through Your Landlord
1. Check to See if Your Landlord Reports Your Rent
Some landlords may already report rent payments to the credit bureaus, so check with yours to see if they are reporting your rent payments. How you proceed next depends on their answer.
- If your landlord is currently reporting your rent, ask which credit bureaus they report the payments to so you can verify the information is on your credit report.
- If your landlord is not reporting your rent, continue to the next steps below.
2. Research Rent Reporting Services Your Landlord Could Use
You can search for rent reporting services that don’t require you to connect your bank account to verify your rent payments, such as Rental Kharma, Zillow, and PayYourRent. Instead, these companies will either rely on your landlord to verify your rent payments each month or have a platform that you can pay your rent through for automatic verification.
3. Ask Your Landlord to Consider Joining a Rent Reporting Service
Bring the companies you’ve found to your landlord and ask them if they would be willing to join one of the services. Talk about the potential benefit of attracting more tenants and encouraging on-time rent payments if rent reporting is offered. Also mention the cost. Some companies split the cost between the landlord and the tenant, while others have the landlord or tenant pay the full cost.
If your landlord says yes, they will just need to verify your rent payments with the company, and your payments will be reported to the credit bureaus. If they say no, you should look for a company that allows you to report your rent payments yourself.
How to Report Rent Through a Third-Party Company
1. Sign Up for a Service
Since you can’t directly report your rent payments to the credit bureaus, you will need to use a third-party service that will do it for you, such as WalletHub, Self, or Boom. You typically have to pay a monthly or annual membership fee to be able to report your rent payments every month going forward. Some companies may also report your past rent payments (usually for the past 24 months) for a one-time fee.
WalletHub will report your rent payments to TransUnion if you have a premium account. WalletHub’s credit builder feature will also relay utility payments, including phone, electricity, water, and gas payments, to your TransUnion credit report. Below, you can see what WalletHub’s credit builder feature looks like, so you know what to expect.
2. Provide Your Rental Agreement
Rent reporting companies may need you to provide your rental agreement so they can confirm that you are a legal tenant at your current residence and that you are obligated to pay rent. The rental agreement can also provide the company with your rental details, such as the amount of your rent and the due date. It will help the company create a tradeline for your rental payments.
3. Connect Your Bank Account
Most rent reporting companies that don’t require landlord participation will need you to connect the bank account you use to pay rent so they can verify rent payments. Below is what you’ll see when you are connecting your bank account so you can report rent payments on WalletHub.
4. Give Consent for Rent Reporting
You’ll have to give the company consent before they can start reporting your rent payments. For instance, WalletHub’s consent screen explains how WalletHub retrieves your rent payment information and then reports it to TransUnion, as you can see below.
5. Get Your Rent Reported
Once your rent payments have been verified and you give consent, credit-bureau reporting can begin. Each company may have its own requirements for rent reporting. For example, WalletHub requires that you have at least two consecutive payments to the same landlord before your rent can be reported. When your rent is being reported, it will show up in the Currently Reported section of your WalletHub account.
Best Rent Reporting Services
If you need help finding a rent reporting service, WalletHub reviewed the most popular options to find the best ones. We compared factors such as user reviews, cost, and impact. Below are the top rent reporting services, according to our analysis.
You can check out WalletHub’s full review of the best rent reporting services to learn more.
What to Look For in a Rent Reporting Service
With so many different services available to report your rent payments to the credit bureaus, there are a few key things to consider when deciding which one is right for you.
Landlord Involvement
Think about how much effort your landlord needs to go through to sign up, and whether you think your landlord will provide all of the information that is needed. Some services just require a phone call or an email. Others require a copy of your driver’s license or lease.
In some cases, the landlord will have to sign up for and maintain an account with the service. Individual landlords may not want to sign up with a new service just to potentially help out your credit score. If you’d rather not go through your landlord, you may want to consider a third-party service that does not require your landlord to participate.
Cost
Some companies require a large initial deposit, while others charge monthly fees or require a contract. Very few services offer free rent reporting.
Reporting Past Rent Payments
Depending on how the service tracks rent, it may be capable of reporting past payment history. Others only begin tracking rent payments once you’ve signed up for the service. Those that offer to report past rent payments are usually limited to the prior 24 months and typically require you to pay a one-time fee in addition to the cost of reporting future rent payments.
Credit Bureaus Used
Some services report to a single credit bureau, while others report to multiple bureaus. You’ll want to check with the company to see which credit bureau(s) it reports your rent payments to, so you can double-check that it’s listed on your credit report.
When Your Rent Will Appear on Your Credit Report
It could take days, weeks, or even months for your rent to show up on your credit report. The company should be able to give you a timeframe for when you can expect to see your rent payments on your credit report.
How to Update/Cancel the Service If You Move
Some services require a contract or are only valid while you live at a certain address, so you should check with the company to see if you can update your account when you move or if you need to cancel. Services that don’t require landlord involvement may be more likely to let you update your address and continue reporting rent payments compared to services that you had to sign up for through your landlord.
Is Rent Reporting Worth It?
Rent reporting is worth it, especially if you have a limited credit history. Reporting your on-time rent payments to the credit bureaus every month can help you build credit and show lenders that you can pay your bills on time. In fact, you can increase your credit score by up to 150 points by reporting your rent payments, according to VantageScore. A higher credit score can lead to better credit card and loan offers, which in turn can save you thousands of dollars.
Most services do charge a recurring monthly or annual fee to report your rent, so you may want to explore other credit building options if you don’t have any room in your budget. However, the benefits of a higher credit score are worth the cost if you can afford it.
Learn more about when rent reporting is worth it.
WalletHub's personal finance experts are frequently cited by leading media outlets. Contact our media team to arrange an interview.