Rent is the biggest bill most people pay, yet it rarely shows up on a credit report unless a rent reporting service sends it to the credit bureaus. The services below all do that, but they differ a lot in price, in which bureaus they report to, and in how much past rent they can add. We compared them side by side so you can choose the right one in a few minutes.
Prices and features were checked on each company’s own website in October 2026. Services change their pricing, so confirm the current price before you enroll.
Quick comparison
| Service | Signup fee | Price | Rent reported to | Past rent | Previous address included? | Utility and phone reporting | Landlord must sign up? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Rent Boost | $0 | $49 a year or $6.95 a month | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Up to 24 months for a one-time $59 | Yes, at no extra cost | Included free (TransUnion), plus free credit monitoring and a monthly score | No |
| Boom | $0 | $60 a year | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Up to 24 months on your current lease for $25 | No, current lease only | No | No |
| Self (Rent and Bills) | $0 | $6.95 a month | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Up to 24 months on your current lease for $49.95 | No, current lease only | Included (TransUnion) | No |
| RentReporters | $94.95 | $10.95 a month or $105 a year | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Up to 2 years on your current lease | No, $50 for each earlier lease | No | No, but they verify with your landlord |
| Rental Kharma | $75 | $8.95 a month | TransUnion | Past rent at your current rental is included | No, current rental only | No | Your landlord must verify payments each month |
| Experian Boost | $0 | Free | Experian only | Looks back at 2 years of eligible payments | No | Yes (Experian) | No, but only online payments to select rent platforms qualify |
| PayYourRent | $0 | Free | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | No | No | No | Yes, your landlord must use their portal |
How to choose
If you want all three bureaus at the lowest price: Credit Rent Boost’s annual plan is $49 a year, less than Boom’s $60 a year, and it includes utility reporting and a free monthly credit score. Credit Rent Boost, Boom, and Self all report rent to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion with no signup fee. Lenders can pull any one of the three bureaus, so reporting to all three gives your rent history the widest reach.
If you want the biggest score impact quickly: add past rent. A tradeline with up to 24 months of on-time history usually carries more weight than a new account with one month on it. Check what each service charges for past rent and whether it covers only your current lease. Credit Rent Boost is the only service here that includes a previous address at no extra cost.
If you also pay utilities and a cell phone bill: pick a service that reports those too. Credit Rent Boost includes power, gas, water, and cell phone reporting to TransUnion at no extra cost with rent reporting.
If your landlord won’t get involved: avoid services that require your landlord to sign up or verify every month.
The services in detail
Credit Rent Boost: best overall value for rent and utilities
Credit Rent Boost has reported rent since 2016. Ongoing reporting is $49 a year or $6.95 a month with no setup fee, and rent goes to all three bureaus. It reports only on-time payments, so a late payment never hurts your credit. Utility and cell phone reporting to TransUnion is included free, and so is credit monitoring with a monthly VantageScore 3.0, a monthly Equifax credit report, and score tracking.
Past reporting is a one-time 59andaddsupto24monthsofverifiedrentandutilityhistory.Italsocoversapreviousaddressatnoextracost, whichhelpsifyoumovedinthelasttwoyears.Everyotherservicewecomparedlimitspastrenttoyourcurrentleaseorchargesextraforanearlierone.Expeditedservice(49.99) reports within 3 business days. Your landlord does not need to sign up, and the Fairness Guarantee offers refunds within 30 days under clear conditions.
Good fit if: you want the lowest annual price for all three bureaus, past rent from more than one address, utility reporting, and free credit monitoring in one plan.
Boom: rent only, billed yearly
Boom reports rent to all three bureaus for $60 a year and adds up to 24 months of past rent on your current lease for $25. It reports only on-time payments. It does not report utilities or phone bills, and past rent is limited to the lease you are on now. Credit Rent Boost’s annual plan costs less at $49 a year.
Good fit if: you only need rent reported for your current lease.
Self: rent plus bills, monthly billing
Self’s Rent and Bills plan is $6.95 a month and reports rent to all three bureaus, with utility and phone bills going to TransUnion. Its Lookback add-on adds up to 24 months of past payments for $49.95, but only for your current lease and current service providers, so a previous address is not covered.
Good fit if: you already use Self for other credit-building products.
RentReporters: established, with a higher upfront cost
RentReporters reports to all three bureaus and verifies your rent with your landlord or property manager. It costs a one-time $94.95 to sign up, then $10.95 a month (or $105 a year). It can report up to 2 years of past rent on your current lease, and each earlier lease you add costs $50.
Good fit if: you don’t mind a higher upfront fee and want past rent from older leases.
Rental Kharma: past rent to TransUnion
Rental Kharma charges a $75 setup fee and $8.95 a month. Its setup fee includes past rent at your current rental, but its own help center says it reports to TransUnion only, and your landlord must verify your payments each month.
Good fit if: your landlord is willing to verify each month and TransUnion is the bureau you care about most.
Experian Boost: free, but one bureau and limited eligibility
Experian Boost is free and adds eligible rent, utility, phone, and streaming payments to your Experian file. Rent counts only if you pay online to select property management companies or rent payment platforms. Cash, checks, money orders, and payment apps like Venmo or Zelle don’t qualify, and nothing is added to Equifax or TransUnion.
Good fit if: you pay rent online through a supported platform and only need Experian.
PayYourRent: free if your landlord already uses it
PayYourRent reports on-time rent to all three bureaus at no cost, but only if your landlord uses the PayYourRent portal and you pay through it.
Good fit if: your property already uses PayYourRent.
How we compared
We looked at five things for each service: total cost in the first year, which bureaus receive your rent, how much past rent can be added and from how many addresses, whether utilities and phone bills are included, and whether your landlord has to take part. We used each company’s own pricing and help pages, checked in October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does rent reporting really raise your credit score? It can. On-time rent adds positive payment history, which is the largest factor in most credit scores. Results vary by person and depend on the rest of your credit file.
Which credit bureaus accept rent payments? Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion all accept rent data from reporting services. Some services report to all three and some report to only one, so check before you enroll.
Can I report rent I paid in the past? Yes, with most services. Many can add up to 24 months of past rent, but most limit it to your current lease or charge extra for an earlier one. Credit Rent Boost’s past reporting includes a previous address at no extra cost.
Do I need my landlord’s permission to report rent? Not with every service. Credit Rent Boost, Boom, and Self don’t require your landlord to sign up. Rental Kharma and PayYourRent depend on your landlord.
What is the cheapest rent reporting service? Experian Boost and PayYourRent are free but limited. Among paid services that report to all three bureaus, Credit Rent Boost’s annual plan is the lowest at $49 a year, compared with $60 a year for Boom, and it includes utility reporting and free credit monitoring.
Will a late rent payment hurt my credit? Not with Credit Rent Boost. It reports only on-time payments, so a late month is simply not reported.
Does Credit Rent Boost include a free credit score? Yes. Credit Rent Boost includes free credit monitoring with a monthly VantageScore 3.0, a monthly Equifax credit report, and score tracking.
Can I report utilities and my cell phone bill too? Yes. Credit Rent Boost includes power, gas, water, and cell phone reporting to TransUnion free with rent reporting. Self also reports bills to TransUnion, and Experian Boost adds them to Experian.