Most landlords or rental property companies don’t automatically report your on-time rent payments, and utility companies are known to only report late payments. This means even if you pay your everyday bills on time every month, your credit score likely won’t improve from it.
That’s where utility and rent reporting services come in. These companies can add your on-time rent payments to your credit reports, which can improve your credit score. Some of these services can also add utility payments, phone bills, and even subscription services like Netflix.
7 rent and utility reporting services to improve credit
A rent reporting service is really only worth your time if you stay on top of your payments, and isn’t too expensive. To get the most out of these services, be sure it reports to multiple credit bureaus. And you can rest easy — these services don’t usually check your credit score.
Easily one of the best options, Self is a top rent-reporting service that offers free rent reporting to the three major bureaus. You can opt for the paid plan of $6.95 per month to report utility and cell phone bills. And you can also pay an additional $49.95 one-time fee for LookBack to get up to two years of past rent payments reported. Self also offers credit-building loans and a secured card for additional credit-boosting services. The only downside is the fee for reporting utility payments, but rent reporting is completely free.
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Pros
- Free rent reporting
- Reports to all three major bureaus
- LookBack for retroactive payments
- Offers other credit-building products
Cons
- $6.95 monthly fee to add utility and cell phone bills
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| APY | N/A |
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| Fee | From $0 per month |
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| Fee | From $0 per month |
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| Minimum deposit to open | $100 |
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StellarFi offers rent, utility and other monthly bill reporting. It's a credit reporting app that comes with a virtual bill pay card that's used to pay your regular bills. When you apply for the card there's no credit check, interest charges or opening deposit. But it's not free. You can report up to $500 in monthly bill payments with the Lite plan for $4.99 per month, or report up to $25,000 in bills with the $9.99 Prime plan. But it doesn't report to TransUnion and you can report bills that are paid via ACH transfer.
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Pros
- Reports rent, utility and more
- Reports to Experian and Equifax
- StellarFi Virtual Bill Pay Card with 0% APR
Cons
- Doesn't report to TransUnion
- $4.99 to $9.99 per month
- Can't report bills paid via ACH
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| APY | N/A |
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| Fee | From $4.99 per month |
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| Fee | From $4.99 per month |
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| Minimum deposit to open | $0 |
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From the credit bureau itself, Experian Boost® is a free rent reporting service that scans bank accounts to locate monthly bills that can be added to your Experian credit report. It can report rent payments, as well as other monthly expenses like phone or utility bills. There's also the Experian Smart Money Digital Checking Account that's automatically linked to Experian Boost, which also has no monthly fees. However, Boost only reports to Experian®.
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Pros
- No monthly fee
- Reports eligible rent, utility and other monthly bills
- Easy to set up
- Can be paired with Experian checking account
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Results will vary. Not all payments are boost-eligible. Some users may not receive an improved score or approval odds. Not all lenders use Experian credit files, and not all lenders use scores impacted by Experian Boost®. Learn more.
| Fee | $0 per month |
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| Minimum deposit to open | $0 |
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One of the cheaper options, Boom Pay charges a $10 enrollment fee and a low $2 annual fee for rent reporting to all three major credit bureaus. It also offers retroactive rent reporting payments back to 24 months. After you sign up, Boom Pay updates your credit report as soon as 10 days. But it doesn't offer utility reporting.
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Pros
- Reports rent to all three bureaus
- Low $2 annual fee
- Quickly updates credit file
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A flexible option, Rental Kharma lets you report your rent payments no matter how you pay for rent: Cash, check, P2P or online. There's a $75 setup fee and an $8.95 monthly fee that starts 30 days after setup. Compared to other options, it's more lenient in how you pay for rent as some rent-reporting services can only help if you pay with your primary bank account. But Rental Kharma is on the more expensive side, doesn't report to Experian, and doesn't offer utility reporting.
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Pros
- Reports cash, check, P2P or online rent payments
- Reports to TransUnion and Equifax
Cons
- $75 setup fee
- $8.95 monthly fee
- No utility reporting
- Doesn't report to Experian
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Rent Reports lets you report rent payments to Equifax and TransUnion. Compared to other rent-reporting services, it reports the most retroactive rent payments: Up to four years. While it comes at a high monthly fee compared to other options, if you've been paying your rent on time for years this service might be the best option to get past payments reported. But it doesn't report to Experian, charges a high one-time set up fee of $94.95 and a monthly fee of $9.95, and doesn't offer utility reporting.
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Pros
- Can report up to four years of past rent payments
- Reports to Equifax and TransUnion
Cons
- No utility reporting
- $94.95 one-time setup fee
- $9.95 monthly fee
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Esusus Rent offers rent reporting and rent relief services, and reports to all three credit bureaus. It never reports late or missed payments — though your property manager might. But it'll cost a property manager $3,500 to set up, and renters pay an annual $50 fee, making it one of the less accessible options for renters.
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Pros
- Reports to all three major bureaus
- Doesn't report late payments
Cons
- Requires landlords to sign up for $3,500 fee
- Costs $50 annually
- No utility reporting
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Are rent reporting services worth it?
A rent reporting service can make a lot of sense if you fall under any of these situations:
- You don’t want to take on debt to build credit
- You’re trying to repair your credit score
- You have no credit history
- You plan on renting for at least one year
- You pay your rent on time every time
- You can easily afford the monthly fee of a rent-reporting service
How to compare rent reporting services
There are three things to consider when choosing the best rent or utility reporting service:
- Cost. If you’re bending over backward to afford a rent-reporting service, it might not be worth it. If you miss a payment, that could negatively impact your credit score, and you’re likely to opt for rent reporting to improve your credit score. Make sure you can easily afford the fee or choose a free one, such as Self or Experian Boost.
- Reporting action. Not all rent reporting services will report to the three major credit bureaus. Ideally, you want a service that reports to all three, because if a lender pulls your credit score, they may use any of the three to do it, so you’ll want that positive credit history everywhere.
- Ease of setup. Some options are more streamlined than others. Many rent reporting services will need to verify your lease or rental agreement before they can report your rent payments, but others like Experian Boost® can simply scan your bank accounts for eligible bills.
4 alternatives to rent reporting services
Rent reporting services aren’t the only way to build credit without taking on a massive loan.
- Debit-credit cards. These unique credit-building cards work like debit cards since they’re backed by an existing bank account. You can only spend what’s in your linked account, and most don’t charge annual fees or interest charges.
- Secured credit cards. An alternative to regular credit cards, secured credit cards are backed by a cash deposit that also sets your credit limit. Compared to regular credit cards, they tend to be easier to qualify for.
- Become an authorized user. If someone you know is willing, they can add you as an authorized user on their existing credit card. You can earn credit history from the card without having to take on a credit card on your own.
- Rent-reporting credit cards. While rare, there are a few, such as the
Bilt Mastercard. If you make at least five transactions in a statement period using this card, you can earn rewards points, and Bilt will report rent payments if you rent with a Bilt property. Even if you don’t rent a Bilt property, the card is a traditional credit line, so you can still build a credit history with it.
Bottom line
If you don’t have any active loans or credit cards, you’re probably not building a credit history. Rent reporting services can help you earn credit history on bills you’re already paying, so you don’t have to take on debt just for the sake of proving you pay things on time.
If rent or utility reporting services don’t seem like your cup of tea, look to our comprehensive guide on how to build credit for more options.
Frequently asked questions
Can I report my rent payments to the credit bureaus myself?
Unfortunately, you can’t contact a credit bureau yourself and request to add your rent payments to your credit reports. If you want your rent payments on your credit reports, you can either contact your landlord or rental property manager and request they opt into a rent-reporting service, or you can sign up for one on your own.
Does my landlord need to approve my rent reporting?
You probably don’t need to worry about your landlord approving it. Some rent-reporting services require your landlord or property manager to verify your rent payments, or you may need to ask your landlord for a copy of the lease if you don’t have one handy to send to the rent-reporting service for verification. Overall, most rent-reporting services may just need proof of a lease and likely won’t involve your landlord much at all.
But for some services, such as Esusu Rent, your landlord must sign up for the service and pay a $3,500 sign-up fee.
