Reporting rent payments to credit bureaus is an excellent credit-building opportunity and a proactive way to appear as a reliable tenant. Although this process requires initiative from your end, this is a great financial move that can impact your credit and renting credibility in the long run.
In this article, you’ll learn exactly how to report rent payments to the credit bureau in Canada, including four services you can use.
Why Should You Report Your Rental Payments?
The practice of reporting rent to credit bureaus was only recently introduced. Many Canadians are either unaware it exists or uncertain whether this financial move is worthwhile.
Below are two key benefits of rental payment reporting that will help you make an informed decision.
Build Your Credit
For many Canadians, rental payments stand as their single largest monthly expense. So, if these payments are consistently paid on time and reported to credit bureaus, they have the potential to significantly boost one’s credit score more than any other daily expenditure.
Once you achieve a higher credit score, of course, you can continue enjoying more financial benefits, such as getting:
- A higher credit card limit
- Potentially lower loan interests
- A better chance of securing loans
- More employment and rental opportunities
Become A Reliable Tenant
Another reason why it makes sense to report rent to a credit bureau in Canada is because, over time, your records will make you appear credible and reliable.
When potential landlords see that you’ve never missed rental payments, there’s a higher chance that they’ll approve your rental application, even if your credit score may be relatively low.
Not to mention, current landlords may naturally favour tenants who actively choose to report their rental payments to credit bureaus, as these tenants are typically more reliable in meeting their rent obligations.
Does Reporting Rent Build Your Credit?
Yes, reporting rent payments can now improve your credit score. As long as you consistently pay your rent on time, you can establish a positive rental payment history, which can boost your credit score significantly, way more than your smaller expenditure can.
However, keep in mind that while reporting rent payments can build your credit, it can negatively impact your creditworthiness if you fail to pay those payments.
So, if you do decide to report rental payments for credit-building purposes, ensure you consistently pay rent on time, as this strategy can potentially backfire if you’re not careful.
How to Report Rental Payments to Credit Bureaus
KOHO
KOHO, one of the first tenant-facing rental payment platforms in Canada, is an excellent service for reporting rental payments to credit bureaus.
Without relying on your landlord’s assistance, this website allows you to build your credit score and earn rewards for every timely rental payment you make.
The best part? It’s very convenient to use.
Here’s all you need to do to optimize your rental payments through KOHO:
- Sign up for an account and choose from one of the paid plans (starts at $4/mo). Alternatively, you can opt for its credit-building service.
- Select Rent Reporting to set up your account.
- Pay your landlord from your KOHO account through e-Transfer, a pre-authorized debit, or your KOHO card.
KOHO will report your monthly rent payment to Equifax, helping you build your credit score with each timely payment.
Additionally, if you are subscribed to the KOHO Everything Plan, you earn 0.25% cash back on every rent payment you make and report through KOHO.
All KOHO accounts (free and paid) offer up to 5% cash back on purchases, and you earn up to 5% savings interest on your balance. You also get a free budgeting app.
Landlord Credit Bureau (LCB)
Landlord Credit Bureau (LCB) is another reputable credit reporting agency that receives rent reporting data through FrontLobby, an online tool trusted by over 30,000 landlords and property owners.
When proper consent is provided by both the landlord and tenant, LCB collects and reports the rental data, allowing tenants to establish a rental payment history that can directly impact their future tenancy.
With LCB, you can start credit building through your rental records for as little as $4 a month.
However, when using this platform, you may want to consistently double-check if your rental payments are indeed being recorded, as your landlord is the only one who can directly report to the Credit Bureau.
Borrowell Rent Advantage
Want to report rent without needing to involve your landlord?
Borrowell Rent Advantage is another excellent rent reporting service to consider. Simply sign up with your lease details, connect a bank account, and select your rent amount and payment schedule.
Each time your rent is up, your payments will be reported to Equifax Canada, helping you to build your credit score. Just be sure to log in every month so you can confirm that you’ve indeed paid your rent.
Borrowell Rent Advantage charges $8 a month, and you have the flexibility to cancel this plan at any time. However, Borrowell recommends sticking around for at least six months so you can truly see the benefits of rent reporting.
Dwello
If you want to report rental payments to a credit bureau for free, Dwello is a service you can try. This platform will report your rental payments to credit bureaus as long as your landlord willingly cooperates with your rental reporting.
To use Dwello in reporting rental payments, you and your landlord must sign up for an account and create a lease contract within the platform. After that, both parties must follow the on-screen instructions to set up their automatic Interac payment process.
Once everything is set up, Dwello will automatically deposit the tenant’s payment to the landlord and report it to Equifax on the exact day that the rent is due.
Is Rent Reporting Worth It?
For renters who consistently pay on time, rent reporting is definitely worth it. This practice can help build your credit score without accumulating more debt, and it lets you establish yourself as a responsible tenant.
Remember that once you opt to record your rental payments, missing the payments’ deadlines can negatively affect your credit score. So, if you’re not too confident that you’ll consistently make on-time payments, it may be a better decision not to report your rent in the meantime.
FAQs
Yes, you can report your rent to Equifax, one of Canada’s two major credit reporting agencies. In fact, all of the services mentioned above directly report to Equifax.
One of the primary reasons landlords may want to report to credit bureaus is that rent reporting tends to attract responsible tenants who will put extra effort into paying on time. Helping landlords avoid the stress of chasing missed or late payments from their renters.
Paying house rent doesn’t automatically affect your credit score. However, if you decide to report your rental payments to credit bureaus, then paying rent will start to affect your credit.
Building your credit fast involves optimizing various financial strategies. To name some tactics you can use to increase your credit score, you should ensure you’re always paying on time, vary your credit and keep your debt balance as low as possible.
Related:
This policy change to the credit bureau is such a huge deal! This is going to improve so many Canadians’ lives! Thanks for telling me about it so I can take advantage ASAP. This is the first place I found out about it.