The 2026 Credit-Building Hack You Need to Know

Credit scores matter: this is a fact that every American knows and understands. A good credit score is required in order to get approved for car loans, mortgages, and rentals—things that nearly everyone needs at one point or another.

But building, managing, and improving one’s credit score isn’t always as simple as it seems. The algorithms that determine scores can often seem confusing and contradictory, leaving some people unsure of the concrete steps they can take. What they may not know, however, is that there are simple ways to improve your score without having to change a thing.

In this article, we’ll explore one of the best ways to boost your credit score: free rent reporting services.

The Tenant Credit Reporting Hack

As a renter, you’re consistently making rental payments to your landlord. It’s similar to making a monthly mortgage payment, except you don’t receive the credit-building perks. But you can.

That’s essentially what tenant credit reporting is: reporting your rent to build your credit. Tenants, like mortgage borrowers, make regular payments, which builds trustworthiness and reliability between them and their landlords. Free rent reporting lets you share your well-earned reliability with credit bureaus, upping credit scores and securing a better future for yourself.

The catch? Rent reporting is not the default. When you take out a mortgage, your house payments are reported to the credit bureaus whether you like it or not. But this is not the case with rent reporting. YOU have to take action to ensure you’re receiving credit for your on-time rent payments.

Fortunately, it’s easy and relatively cheap–often free.

How Do I Report My Rent to the Credit Bureaus?

To get your rent payment information sent to the credit bureaus, you’ll need to opt-in to rent reporting services. Some rental property businesses may offer tenant credit reporting through their own programs, so ask your leasing office or landlord if you think that’s the case. If you pay rent through Innago, you can sign up for our free rent reporting services with just a few clicks.

These services essentially gather information pertaining to your past, present, and future payments, and send them to credit bureaus. They’ll take into account how much you pay, whether you pay on time or not, any late fees you’ve incurred, and more. Once the information is gathered and sent, credit bureaus will factor your rent payments into your overall credit scores. Keep paying regularly and you’ll reap the rewards.

Equifax, Experian, and Transunion make up what is called the “big three” of credit bureaus. They’re the largest and most reliable credit bureaus, and nearly all credit checks rely on one (or all three) of them. So, it’s important that you’re sharing your rent payment information with a service that will share to at least one of these three, but ideally all three.

How Can Tenant Credit Reporting Affect My Credit Scores?

How your credit score is affected by reporting depends entirely on your rent payment track record. If you’re a tenant that pays on time and in full, then it’s sure to have positive, often immediate benefits for you. And if you’ve had issues paying rent in the past, it may not necessarily cause your credit score harm—it just won’t improve it.

So, how can tenant credit reporting affect my credit score? Well:

1. Improved Credit Score

Perhaps most obviously, reporting your rental payments can increase the credit scores of tenants with on-time payments. In a 2023 TransUnion study, 80% of tenants said their credit scores were improved as a result of rent reporting.

A more recent 2025 study by The Urban Institute found that positive-only rent reporting (where late payments are not reported), increased the likelihood of “having at least a ‘near-prime’ score by an estimated 12 percentage points.” Though it’s not completely guaranteed that rent reporting will up your credit score, it’s clearly an option that has worked for many.

2. Better Loan Terms

With a stronger credit background and score, you’ll be a more trustworthy borrower. Lenders who see your higher credit score will be more likely to grant you better loan terms. This typically comes in the form of lower interest rates, which can make or break the affordability of a loan. Looking to get that car soon? A strong credit score will make you eligible for the best possible terms.

3. Stronger Renter Profile

Building a strong renter profile is another great reason to start tenant credit reporting. If you see yourself continuing to rent in the future, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a good record. When you apply for your next rental, landlords may favor you and your credit score over other applicants with less impressive ones.

Free Rent Reporting Services With Innago

We offer one of the best rent reporting services to tenants who pay through Innago. Renters can opt into one of two plans available: Starter or Pro. Both plans utilize positive-only reporting, meaning they do not report late rent payments. Users can rest assured that our services won’t hurt renters’ credit scores. Tenants using Innago can opt into either plans at any time.

The Starter plan offers completely free rent reporting to one of the “big three”: TransUnion. With the press of a few buttons, you can get tenant credit reporting at no cost to you.

The Pro plan reports your rental payments to all of the three major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. It also sends past payment information and the past 24 months of historical data for a minimal $5.99/month.

For more information on Innago’s tenant credit reporting services, check out this help article or our tenant credit reporting page.

Conclusion

Tenant credit reporting is growing in popularity among tenants and landlords alike. For property managers, giving their renters an extra incentive to pay rent on time is always welcome. And for tenants, it’s great to be given an easy opportunity to build improve your credit scores—without any extra labor. When given the opportunity to improve your credit score at little to no cost to you, why not take it?

FAQs

What is tenant credit reporting?

Tenant credit reporting (also called rent reporting) is an opt-in service that sends your rent payment history to credit bureaus so timely rent payments can appear in your credit history, similar to how mortgage payments contribute to a borrower’s profile.

How do I report my rent to the credit bureaus?

You can report rent by enrolling in a rent reporting service (for example, through a platform like Innago) or by asking your landlord/leasing office if rent reporting is already available for your property. Once opted in, the service collects payment details and submits them to credit bureaus.

Which credit bureaus receive rent reporting information?

Rent reporting is most valuable when it goes to the three major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. Credit checks commonly rely on one—or all three—of these bureaus, so it’s important to choose a service that reports to at least one of them.

Can rent reporting improve my credit score?

Yes, rent reporting can contribute to improved credit scores when you have a pattern of on-time payments. One 2023 TransUnion study found that 80% of tenants reported their scores improved after rent reporting.

Are there free rent reporting services?

Yes—some options function as a free credit builder. For example, Innago offers a free plan that reports to TransUnion, which can help renters get rent payments reflected in their renters credit reports without a monthly cost.