Yes! Your credit history has never been more important. In today’s world, a good credit score can lead to lower cost loans – whether that be a car loan, credit card interest rate, or home loan. Additionally, many employers are now checking credit scores as part of background checks on potential employees. While most people know that a good credit history is important, much less well known is that you can build credit history with rent payment.
When Did Rent Payment Get Added to Credit History?
In the 2000s, in the United States, the big 3 credit bureaus started to look at adding rent payment information to an individual’s credit history. Initially, they offered this only to some people who rented from the largest apartment companies.
In 2012, Experian through its Experian RentBureau subsidiary, made a revolutionary step by allowing tenants in the ClearNow online rent payment service to report their payments. In the years that followed, Experian worked with other online rent payment service providers to also start reporting rent payments.
How Can I Get Rent Payment on My Credit History?
There are a number of services that help renters get their rent payment information added to their credit history.
Unfortunately, some of them appear to be a little expensive. RentReporters charges a $94.95 sign-up fee and then $9.95/mo. Rental Kharma similarly charges a $50 setup fee and then $8.95/mo per renter.
If you can get your landlord to use ClearNow’s online rent payment service (sign up at www.ClearNow.com), there is no fee for you as a tenant to have your payments reported to the Experian RentBureau service. Your landlord will be charged $14.95/mo for the first tenant they have using ClearNow, and just $2/mo for each additional tenant.