More consumers are using rent payments to boost their credit score

Rent reporting services track a user’s rent payment history and report them to one or more of the three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

Sharing rent payment activity has shown to be beneficial for participants, especially those who are “credit invisible,” or do not have any credit history, experts say.

Those who have enrolled typically see their credit scores increase. When rent payments are included in credit reports, consumers see an average growth of 60 points to their credit score, according to a 2021 TransUnion report.

Rent reporting services can also help younger adults, as they are more likely to have short credit histories and to rent, said Schulz.

In 2025, about 18% of Gen Zers surveyed reported their rent payments to the credit bureaus, according to TransUnion’s report. While that declined from 26% in 2024, it’s still the largest share when compared to other generations. 

About 16% of millennials surveyed reported their rent activity in 2025. That’s followed by 12% of polled Gen Xers and 8% of surveyed baby boomers, according to the report.

Gen Z made up 15% of TransUnion’s 2,006 respondents. Millennials were 28% of the survey base, and Gen X, represented 30%. Baby boomers accounted for 27%.

However, not all rent reporting services work the same way, experts say. For example, while some only share on-time payments, others report late payments as well. If you fall behind, that activity could be also reflected in such tools, negatively affecting your score.

Before you enroll in a rent reporting service, consider the negative consequences or the worst-case scenario, like a job loss, said Chi Chi Wu, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.

Schulz agreed: “If you are concerned about your job, for example, and unsure if you’re going to be able to make your rent payments six months from now, maybe it’s not the best time for you to sign up.”

Ask yourself these five questions before enrolling.

You might not even need to leverage rent payments to improve your credit.

For those with a thin or non-existent credit file, even a small amount of positive rent history “can have a really significant impact” to their credit, Schulz said. But if you already have a long credit history and a good score, adding another data point won’t make a significant change, he said. 

Check your credit score first and assess if reporting your rent payment activity will make a difference, said Wu.

Some rent reporting services are free of charge, while others require a fee that can range from $6.95 to $9.95 a month, according to Apartment List. Services may also charge a one-time enrollment or setup fee that can cost from $25 to $95, the site found.

See if rent reporting would come at an additional cost to you or if your landlord covers any of the fees.

Make sure that the service reports to all three of the major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

Sometimes, rent reporting services will only share the data with one or two of the three bureaus, experts say.

That can be an issue down the line when you apply for loans or credit cards, said Schulz. If your lender checks your report from one of the bureaus that are not included in the service, then the reported data “is largely irrelevant because it won’t be seen,” he said.

Some services only report on-time, in-full rent payments to credit bureaus, while others might also report late payments, experts say. But even if the servicer only reports positive history, it can be a risk, said Wu. 

Say you report rent payments for a year and then “all of a sudden the data stops,” she said. 

“Is a future landlord going to look at that and make assumptions?” Wu said.

Cancellation policies for rent reporting services will likely differ from provider to provider, as there’s a lack of standardization, said Wu. 

Before you sign up, find out how you can cancel the service and understand what the implications are, “especially when you’re talking about something related to your credit,” said Schulz.