CBA-Esusu Rent Reporter - FAQ for Residents
Q: What is rent reporting?
A: Rent reporting is the monthly reporting of tenant rent payments to at least one of the major consumer
credit bureaus for inclusion on a traditional consumer credit report.
Q: What is CBA-Esusu Rent Reporter and how does the process work?
A: After you sign up for the program, each month your housing provider will send your rental payment
information through a secure site to Esusu, which will then submit it to the credit bureaus. This will allow you
to get credit for paying your rent.
Q: Can CBA-Esusu Rent Reporter help me build my credit score?
A: Yes, the addition of rental payments as trade lines on a traditional credit report can help you build or
establish a credit score. There are no guarantees, but a participants in a rent reporting pilot conducted by
Credit Builders Alliance from 2012 - 2014 saw an average credit score increase of 23 points.
Q: How long will it take before my rental payments appear on my credit report?
A: It typically takes 45 to 60 days before reported rent payments appear on your credit report. For example,
your October 1 payment should appear on your credit report by December 1.
Q: What credit bureau(s) does CBA-Esusu Rent Reporter report to?
A: CBA-Esusu reports into the three major consumer credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Q: Can Esusu report my past on-time rent payments or just on-time payments once I enroll
and moving forward?
A: Yes, CBA-Esusu can report up to 24 months of your historical rental payments depending on how long you
have been renting from your current landlord. That means the first time your rental payment information is
reported to any of the credit bureaus, you may benefit immediately from up to two years of positive rental
payment history!
Q: Is my data and personal information, such as banking information, address and social
security number, safe?
A: Yes, Esusu hosts your data on our secured rental reporting platform and reports it securely into the credit
bureaus. Esusu prides itself on its security and complies with many standards of the financial services
industry.
Q: Do I have to opt in to have my rental payment information reported?
A: Yes, you must opt in. CBA-Esusu will not report your data to the credit bureaus without your permission
to do so. Your consent can be collected by your housing provider.
Q: What if I want to opt out of the program?
A: Please reach out to your housing provider immediately and they can unenroll you from the program and
the rent will stop being reported to the credit bureaus. Once you opt-out, you cannot opt back in for six
months.
Q: What are potential unintended consequences from opting in?
A: For those that already have multiple positive lines of active, open credit rent reporting may not boost their
score. The addition of a new rent reporting tradeline may cause a temporary dip in “length of credit history”:
one factor among many that make up a credit score. In addition, any payment over 30 days late will be
reported as so and can damage a person’s credit score. For this reason, it’s important to make sure a resident
is a good fit for rent reporting before enrollment, and, once a resident is enrolled, maintain an open line of
communication so they have access to support and can disenroll if need be.
Q: What happens if I notice a mistake in the rental payment information listed on my credit
report?
A: CBA-Esusu has a robust dispute resolution process. Please communicate the issue to your housing provider
as soon as you see it and we will work with your housing provider to resolve the matter within the timeframe
mandated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Q: If I enroll, will the rental tradeline show up on everyone in my household’s credit report?
A: No. Anyone on the lease can enroll, but each person must opt-in themselves in order for the rental
tradeline to show up on their credit report. This means that an individual can enroll, and their spouse or co-
head-of-household can come to their own decision about opting-in. Multiple members of the household can
benefit from rent reporting!
Q: What happens if I pay my rent late or miss a payment?
A: If your rent payment is more than 30 days late, or you miss a payment completely, CBA-Esusu is required
to report that information, and it could hurt your credit score. Contact your housing provider ahead of time if
you think you may be late with or miss a payment.
Q: What if I move?
A: If you move and have a new housing provider, your rental tradeline will report as closed and will no longer
benefit but will not hurt your credit. You can ask your new housing provider if there is opportunity to report
your rent.
Q: What will the rental tradeline look like on my credit report?
A: The tradeline will list your housing provider’s name and Esusu as the “creditor.” The amount paid will
equal whatever your rental payment amount was the prior month.
Q: I know that there are many different types of credit scores. Will rent reporting impact all of
these scores?
A: Rental tradelines are only factored into newer versions of credit scores. While the rental tradeline will show
up on your Equifax credit report no matter what type of score they reflect, the tradeline will only influence
your score if the score is a Vantage Score 3.0 and 4.0 and FICO 9.
Q: Where can I learn more about building and improving my credit profile?
A: There are many websites and tools that can be helpful for learning more about credit. The Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau is a good place to start. You can also ask your housing provider for on-site
services or referrals to other resources in your community.
