What Is Equifax Rental History?

Equifax Rental History is a record of your rental‑payment behavior that may be added to the file you see when you pull your Equifax credit report. It shows whether you paid rent on time, late or missed, and lenders, landlords and some insurers can view it when they evaluate your application.

For example, a tenant who consistently pays rent on time may see a modest credit‑score boost and qualify for a lower‑interest loan or a reduced security deposit. A tenant with several late‑payment entries might face higher loan rates or be denied a new lease. A renter with no reported rent history will not receive any credit benefit, but also avoids negative entries that could hurt future applications.

Equifax Rental History records the dates you paid rent and whether those payments were on time, while your Equifax credit report records credit‑card balances, loan amounts, payment history, and public records such as bankruptcies.

Rental history is supplied by landlords or third‑party reporting services and appears only when a property manager opts‑in; it does not factor in credit utilization or revolving debt.

In contrast, the credit report aggregates data from banks, credit unions, and collection agencies, calculates a score based on utilization ratios and delinquency severity, and includes all credit‑related activity whether or not you rent a home. See the next section to learn where to view your Equifax Rental History online via the official Equifax Rental History portal.

You can view your Equifax Rental History by logging into Equifax's online portal or the myEquifax mobile app.

1. Go to Equifax personal account login and sign in, or download the myEquifax app and enter your credentials.
2. From the dashboard, select 'Credit Products' and then click 'Rental History' - this section is separate from the standard Equifax credit report.
3. Complete the identity verification step, which may involve answering security questions or entering a code sent to your email or phone.
4. Review the listed rental accounts; each entry shows the landlord, payment dates, and reporting status.
5. Use the 'Download' or 'Print' button to save a PDF copy for your records or to share with lenders.

If you cannot locate the Rental History tab, visit Equifax rental‑history help page for troubleshooting tips.

Only landlords, property‑management firms, and approved rent‑reporting services can send your payments to Equifax Rental History. Tenants cannot report rent directly.

• Property‑management companies that have a contract with Equifax
• Individual landlords who subscribe to a third‑party platform such as RentTrack rent reporting service
• Large apartment complexes using Equifax's own reporting portal
• Banks or credit‑union programs that include rent‑payment reporting, for example Bank of America's rental reporting feature
• Online payment platforms partnered with Equifax, like Zillow Rental Payments or Apartments.com

Equifax Rental History can change your credit score when the data is fed into Equifax's scoring models. On‑time rent payments are treated as a positive payment‑history item, so a consistent record may lift the score by a few points, especially for thin files. Conversely, reported late or missed rent appears like a delinquent credit account and can pull the score down.

The effect is not universal; only models that incorporate rental data will reflect the change, and lenders decide whether to weigh that information. For example, a tenant who pays $1,200 each month for two years and has those payments reported may see a modest bump, while a tenant with a 60‑day late rent entry could experience a comparable dip. Because Equifax Rental History lives separate from the traditional Equifax credit report, its impact depends on which score version a creditor uses.

Add missing rent payments to Equifax by having your landlord submit them through Equifax's rental‑history reporting system.

1. Collect your lease, rent receipts, and bank statements that prove each payment.
2. Contact your landlord or property manager and ask them to file a rental‑history report with Equifax.
3. Give the landlord your full legal name, current address, and exact tenancy dates to avoid mismatches.
4. If the landlord cannot report directly, use Equifax's online portal via The Credit People rent‑reporting service to submit the proof yourself.
5. Upload the documents, confirm the submission, and wait 30‑45 days for the update to process.
6. Log into your Equifax account, view the Rental History section, and verify that the missing payments now appear.

You can correct an inaccurate entry on your Equifax Rental History by filing a dispute directly with Equifax.

First, pull the latest Equifax Rental History report so you can pinpoint the erroneous line. Then gather any proof that shows the entry is wrong - lease agreements, bank statements, cancelled checks, or a letter from your landlord.

Steps to dispute an incorrect rental entry

• Visit the Equifax online dispute portal and select 'Equifax Rental History.'
  
• Choose the specific entry you want to challenge and write a concise description of the error.
• Upload copies of supporting documents (PDFs are preferred). Label each file clearly, e.g., 'Lease_April2022.pdf.'
• Submit the dispute and note the case number. Equifax must investigate within 30 days.
• Monitor the status through your online account or the email updates Equifax sends.
• When the investigation closes, review the updated Rental History report. If the entry remains unchanged and you still believe it's wrong, file a formal complaint with the CFPB complaint portal or contact the landlord's reporting service directly.

Keeping the dispute paperwork organized helps speed the resolution and ensures your Equifax Rental History reflects only accurate rent payments.

File a dispute with Equifax Rental History and attach any court filings, lease termination letters, or settlement agreements that prove the eviction is inaccurate or should be removed, using the Equifax dispute portal.

If the eviction is legitimate, request a written statement from the former landlord confirming any repayment or remediation, then submit that documentation to Equifax Rental History to have the record annotated; adding recent on‑time rent payments can also help offset the negative entry.

Watch the updated record in the 'where to find your Equifax rental history online' section and note the upcoming '3 realistic tenant scenarios' that illustrate how cleared or annotated evictions affect future applications.

• You pay rent on time each month and your landlord reports to Equifax; the payment shows as an on‑time entry in your Equifax Rental History, which may lift your credit‑score algorithm modestly even though it does not appear on the traditional Equifax credit report.
• You occasionally miss the due date, your landlord submits the late payment; the late‑payment flag lands in your Equifax Rental History, potentially nudging your score downward a few points, while your standard credit report remains unchanged unless the landlord also reports to the credit bureaus.
• You fall behind on multiple months, receive an eviction notice, and the landlord reports the eviction; the eviction record appears in your Equifax Rental History for up to seven years and can significantly drag down any future credit‑score calculations, mirroring the impact of a major derogatory entry on a regular credit report.

You can halt new entries in your Equifax Rental History by sending an opt‑out request straight to Equifax.

1. Collect your full name, Social Security number, and current address.
2. Visit the Equifax opt‑out portal and log in or create an account.
3. Choose the option to 'opt out of rental‑payment reporting' and confirm the request.
4. If any existing rental entry is wrong or incomplete, file a dispute instead of an opt‑out; Equifax must investigate the dispute within 30 days.
5. After submission, check your Equifax Rental History dashboard weekly to verify that no new rental data appears.
6. To keep future reports from being added, decline enrollment when a landlord or rent‑payment service asks to share your rental payment information.

When you share a lease with roommates, rent a sublet, or act as a co‑signer, Equifax Rental History may record each party's payment activity in distinct ways. Understanding how the reporting works helps you protect your credit and avoid surprise entries.

• Roommates: If the landlord reports payments under each tenant's name, every roommate can earn a positive Equifax Rental History entry; if the landlord reports only the primary lease holder, the other roommates typically do not appear in the rental‑history file.
• Sublets: The sub‑tenant's rent shows up in Equifax Rental History only when the original landlord (or the sub‑landlord acting as the reporting party) submits the sub‑tenant's payment data; the original tenant's record remains unchanged unless the landlord also reports the original lease.
• Co‑signers: A co‑signer receives a rental‑history entry only when the landlord lists the co‑signer as a reporting party; the co‑signer's file does not inherit late‑payment marks unless the primary tenant defaults and the landlord reports that default to Equifax.
• Overlap with earlier steps: The primary lease holder can add missing payments (see 'how to add missing rent payments') and dispute any inaccurate entries (see 'how to dispute incorrect rental entries') for themselves or for roommates, sub‑tenants, and co‑signers.
• Score impact: On‑time payments may improve the Equifax Rental History score for each reported party, while missed or late payments can lower it; this effect is separate from the traditional Equifax credit report.