According to PYMNTS.com, Zillow launched CreditClimb on Wednesday, November 19, letting renters report their on-time payments to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion for $20 per year. The service allows users to monitor their credit score and add up to two years of previous rent payments to their reports. Close to 87% of renters don’t see rent payments reflected in their credit reports currently. Zillow’s partner Esusu reports users see average credit score increases of 45 points after consistent on-time reporting. Meanwhile, TransUnion data shows the share of consumers with reported rent payments climbed from 11% in 2024 to 13% in 2025, even as property manager participation dropped from 48% to 44%.
Why this matters
Here’s the thing: rent is often the single biggest monthly expense for most people, yet it’s historically been invisible to credit bureaus. That’s crazy when you think about it. People making $2,000 rent payments on time every month get zero credit for it, while someone with a $200 credit card payment gets all the benefits. Zillow‘s basically creating a bridge between two worlds that should have been connected ages ago.
The bigger trend
What’s really interesting is that TransUnion spotted this shift happening even before Zillow’s announcement. Property manager participation actually decreased for the first time in four years, yet more rent payments are being reported. That suggests exactly what CreditClimb represents: consumers are taking matters into their own hands through third-party services. They’re tired of waiting for landlords to figure this out. And honestly, can you blame them?
Who benefits
This is huge for younger renters, recent graduates, and anyone rebuilding credit. Think about it – you’re paying rent anyway, so why not get credit for it? For $20 a year, that’s less than two bucks a month to potentially boost your score by dozens of points. That could mean the difference between qualifying for a car loan, getting approved for a better apartment, or eventually buying a home. Michael Sherman from Zillow Rentals isn’t wrong when he talks about “moving confidently toward homeownership.”
The future of credit
Look, the traditional credit system is slowly waking up to reality. PYMNTS found that people want credit without necessarily wanting new credit cards – they just want their existing financial behavior to count. And that’s exactly what services like CreditClimb through Zillow’s partnership with Esusu are delivering. We’re probably going to see more of this – utilities, phone bills, even subscription services eventually getting reported. The question is, what took so long?
