Millions of renters can now get their rent payments added to their credit reports for free, thanks to a new service from ClearScore.
The company announced on 11 November 2026 that tenants can report payments to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, the UK’s three main credit reference agencies.
It means paying your rent on time could help you build a better credit history, particularly if you’ve never had a credit card or loan.
Earn a bit of extra money in your spare time with surveys, offers and other simple tasks you can do at home.
New users can currently get a bonus when they sign up.
Claim sign-up bonusBut there is a catch. Late or missed payments could have a negative effect, so it’s worth checking how the service works before signing up.
How does ClearScore’s free rent reporting work?
If you’ve been renting for years and always paid on time, those payments won’t necessarily appear on your credit report.
ClearScore’s new service gives renters a way to change that without paying a fee.
You connect the bank account you use to pay rent, and ClearScore checks your payments through something called Open Banking.
This allows ClearScore to securely view information from your bank account. It doesn’t give ClearScore permission to move your money.
Each month, ClearScore attempts to identify your rent payment and share the information with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
The service is completely free, with no subscription needed.
Who can use the service?
To qualify, you must:
- Be at least 18 and have a ClearScore account.
- Legally rent a UK property that you live in.
- Pay your rent from an eligible UK bank account.
- Pay your rent monthly.
- Connect that account through Open Banking.
- Provide accurate rent details and evidence of your tenancy agreement.
If you pay your rent in cash, you won’t be able to use the service because ClearScore needs to identify payments through a linked bank account.
What if you pay your rent weekly or fortnightly?
Unfortunately, ClearScore’s new service currently only supports monthly rent payments.
ClearScore confirmed this directly to Skint Dad on 13 November 2026 after we asked whether renters paying weekly or fortnightly could use it.
The company told us: “At the moment we can only accept monthly payments.”
ClearScore says it’s looking to support other payment schedules in the future, but hasn’t confirmed when this will happen.
This means renters who pay weekly or fortnightly, including some social housing tenants, can’t currently use the service.
How to sign up
You can sign up through the ClearScore app or website.
- Log in to ClearScore or create a free account.
- Enable Rent Reporting and enter your rent details, including how much you pay and when.
- Upload evidence of your tenancy agreement.
- Connect the bank account you pay rent from.
Once everything is set up, ClearScore can start checking your payments and reporting them each month.
There are two things you’ll need to stay on top of.
First, you must renew permission for ClearScore to access your bank account every 90 days. If you forget, your payments may stop being reported.
Second, if your rent amount or payment date changes, you’ll need to end your existing rent reporting arrangement and sign up again with the new details before your next payment.
ClearScore also hasn’t promised to add rent payments from previous years, so don’t assume your older payments will appear.
Will it improve your credit score?
Possibly, but there’s no guarantee.
If you’ve never borrowed money, you might have very little credit history for lenders to look at.
Reporting regular rent payments could help build a record showing that you’ve managed an important household payment over time.
That could be useful if you’re hoping to get a mortgage in the future.
Experian has also changed how it calculates credit scores, including taking reported rent payments into account. We explained this in our guide to Experian’s credit score changes.
However, ClearScore makes it clear that rent reporting could improve your score, lower it or make no difference at all.
And a better credit score doesn’t automatically mean a lender will give you a mortgage or loan.
Skint Dad says:
It seems unfair that someone can pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds in rent every month, year after year, without that payment history necessarily counting towards their credit record.
Giving renters a free way to report those payments to all three credit agencies is a positive step.
But I wouldn’t sign up expecting an instant improvement to my credit score or a better chance of getting a mortgage.
If you’re regularly paying your rent on time, it’s worth considering. Just make sure you understand the risks of missed payments before signing up.
What happens if you miss a rent payment?
This is the important bit.
ClearScore warns that late or missed rent payments could negatively affect your credit history and your chances of borrowing money.
However, there’s a difference between missing your rent and ClearScore being unable to find a payment.
If your bank connection stops working, ClearScore says it will normally mark the month as “unconfirmed”, rather than as a missed payment.
That would typically have no effect on your credit score.
The downside is that ClearScore cannot go back and correct an unconfirmed month if it couldn’t detect the payment.
If you’re struggling to afford your rent, it’s more important to deal with that first. Our guide to getting help when you can’t pay your bills includes practical advice for renters.
Can you stop reporting your rent?
Yes. You can turn off Rent Reporting through your ClearScore account whenever you want.
However, any rent information already sent to credit reference agencies won’t automatically be deleted.
You’ll also need to disconnect your bank account separately if you no longer want ClearScore to access it.
You can read the full details in ClearScore’s terms and conditions.
It’s also worth checking your credit reports after you’ve started using the service to see whether your payments are showing correctly. You can check reports from all three agencies for free.
