Rental Kharma is a legitimate rent reporting service that adds your rent payments to your credit report for a $75 enrollment fee plus $8.95 a month. It is a good fit if your landlord will verify your payments and you want all past rent at your current rental added at once, but it costs more upfront than some alternatives and does not list Experian among the bureaus it reports to.
This review covers what Rental Kharma costs, how it works, what reviewers tend to like and dislike, and how it compares with other ways to get credit for rent. Prices and features below were checked on Rental Kharma’s own website and help center in October 2026. Services change their pricing, so confirm before you enroll.
Rental Kharma at a glance
| Rental Kharma | |
|---|---|
| Enrollment fee | $75 for one renter, $100 for two renters |
| Monthly price | $8.95 for one renter, $13.95 for two renters |
| Credit bureaus for rent | TransUnion and Equifax, per its homepage (its help center FAQ lists TransUnion only) |
| Past rent | All past payments at your current rental, included in the enrollment fee |
| Landlord involvement | Required: your landlord or property manager verifies your payments |
| Utility reporting | Optional, to TransUnion: $25 enrollment per bill plus $4.95 to $19.95 a month |
| Guarantee | 90-day money-back guarantee |
| Credit check | No hard inquiry |
Sources: Rental Kharma homepage, Rental Kharma pricing guide, Rental Kharma renter FAQs.
How Rental Kharma works
You sign up online, pay the enrollment fee, and give Rental Kharma your rental details. Rental Kharma then contacts your landlord or property manager to verify your rent history. Its FAQ says the landlord must verify your payments each month and that the process is free for the landlord.
Once your history is verified, Rental Kharma sends it to the credit bureaus as a rental tradeline. According to its FAQ, data goes to TransUnion twice a week, and most renters see their payments on their credit report within about 7 days of the first upload. The full process takes about 2 weeks to 30 days, and sometimes longer, because the bureaus control the final timing.
A few other details from Rental Kharma’s own site:
- Late payments. Rent paid within 30 days of the due date is reported as on time.
- Cancelling. You can cancel at any time. The account closes on your credit report, and the history stays visible for up to 7 years.
- Roommates and spouses. A second renter costs $25 more upfront and $5 more a month under the individual plan, or you can choose the two-renter plan.
What Rental Kharma does well
- Past rent at your current address. The enrollment fee covers all of your past payments at your current rental, not just a set number of months. For someone who has lived in the same place for years, that can add a long, positive history in one step.
- Utility reporting option. You can also add phone, electric, gas, and water bills to TransUnion for an extra fee.
- Money-back guarantee. The 90-day guarantee lowers the risk of trying it.
- Credit education. Members get access to credit mentoring and an education community, which some renters find useful when they are new to credit.
Drawbacks to consider
- Your landlord has to take part. This is the biggest limitation. If your landlord is hard to reach, uses a small management company, or simply won’t respond, verification can stall. Rental Kharma’s FAQ notes that accounts where it can’t reach the property owner are refunded.
- No Experian. Rental Kharma’s site lists TransUnion and Equifax for rent reporting. A lender that pulls your Experian report won’t see that rent history.
- Higher upfront cost. The $75 enrollment fee is higher than services that charge no signup fee. Over a year, one renter pays $75 plus 12 × $8.95, or about $182.
- Previous addresses aren’t included. Past rent covers your current rental only.
What do Rental Kharma reviews say?
Rental Kharma links to its Google and Facebook reviews from its own website. Before you buy, read a recent sample of reviews on a third-party site and look for renters whose situation matches yours. Pay attention to comments about landlord verification and how long it took for rent to appear on a credit report, since those are the steps that depend on people outside your control.
Rental Kharma’s FAQ says it can’t promise a specific score increase, which is the honest answer. No rent reporting service can guarantee points, because your result depends on everything else in your credit file and on which scoring model a lender uses.
Is Rental Kharma worth the cost?
Rental Kharma can be worth it if all of these are true:
- Your landlord or property manager is willing to verify your payments every month.
- You have a long, on-time history at your current rental that you want added at once.
- You mainly care about TransUnion and Equifax.
It is probably not the best fit if your landlord won’t participate, if you want your rent on all three credit bureaus, or if you’d rather not pay a $75 setup fee. In those cases, compare it with services that report to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion without involving your landlord. Our side-by-side guide to the best rent reporting services compares prices, bureaus, and past rent options.
How Credit Rent Boost compares
Credit Rent Boost is another rent reporting service, so here is how it differs on the points above:
- All three bureaus. Rent is reported to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- No landlord involvement. Your payments are verified without your landlord having to sign up or verify each month.
- No signup fee. Ongoing reporting is $6.95 a month, or $49 a year.
- Past rent, including a previous address. Add up to 24 months of past rent for a one-time $59, including payments from a previous address.
- Extras included. Utility and cell phone reporting to TransUnion and credit monitoring with a monthly VantageScore 3.0 are included at no extra cost.
- Positive-only. Only on-time payments are reported, and there is no credit check to enroll.
See the full details on the rent reporting plan page. If you’re still deciding whether to report rent at all, read Is Rent Reporting Worth It?
The bottom line
Rental Kharma is a real, established service with a useful past-rent feature, but its value depends on your landlord’s cooperation and on which bureaus your lenders check. If you want your rent on all three credit reports without asking your landlord for anything, Credit Rent Boost can get you started in a few minutes.
Start reporting your rent with Credit Rent Boost
Frequently asked questions
Is Rental Kharma legit?
Yes. Rental Kharma is an established rent reporting company that adds verified rent payments to your credit report. Like any service, check current pricing and recent reviews before you enroll.
How much does Rental Kharma cost?
Rental Kharma charges a $75 enrollment fee and $8.95 a month for one renter, or $100 and $13.95 a month for two renters. Utility reporting costs extra.
Which credit bureaus does Rental Kharma report to?
Rental Kharma’s homepage says it reports rent to TransUnion and Equifax. It does not list Experian.
Does my landlord have to verify my rent with Rental Kharma?
Yes. Rental Kharma requires your landlord or property manager to verify your rent payments.
How long does Rental Kharma take to show up on my credit report?
Rental Kharma says most renters see payments within about 7 days of its first upload, and the whole process takes about 2 weeks to 30 days.
Is there a Rental Kharma alternative that doesn’t need my landlord?
Yes. Credit Rent Boost reports rent to all three bureaus without landlord involvement, for $6.95 a month with no signup fee.
