Yes, you can build credit by paying rent on time through Zillow, which reports on-time payments to major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). This service allows renters to turn their monthly rent into a credit-building tool, often without cost if they use Zillow’s platform to pay. Late payments are not reported, minimizing negative impacts.
Making payments simple and reliable: Through Zillow Rental Manager, renters can pay online, set up recurring payments and receive reminders. Not only does this help avoid late fees, but for those who opt into credit reporting, each on-time payment can build their credit history, too.
Paying rent can help you build credit. However, it will only do so if your rent payment is reported to credit bureaus. Otherwise, rent payments typically won't appear on your credit report or affect your credit score.
When generating your credit report through Zillow to apply to a rental property, a soft pull is used and does not have an effect on your credit. When verifying your identity through Zillow to view screening reports, a soft pull is used and does not have an effect on your credit.
Yes. The big three consumer reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, use rental payment and related debt collection information in their credit reports, although the way they handle this information varies.
For most people, increasing a credit score by 100 points in a month isn't going to happen. But if you pay your bills on time, eliminate your consumer debt, don't run large balances on your cards and maintain a mix of both consumer and secured borrowing, an increase in your credit could happen within months.
For Zillow Home Loans, you generally need a minimum credit score of 620 for most loans, but this varies by product; FHA loans can go as low as 500-580 with higher down payments, while jumbo loans often require 700+, and VA loans typically start around 580-620, depending on the lender. Zillow also factors in debt-to-income (DTI) and down payment.
Yes, a 650 credit score is often enough to rent an apartment, as many landlords consider scores from 600-650 acceptable, though it falls into the "fair" range, and approval can depend heavily on location, the specific property (luxury vs. budget), and other factors like income and rental history. In competitive markets or for upscale buildings, a score above 700 (considered "good") might be preferred, but a 650 shows reasonable financial responsibility, placing you in a safer range for approval.
Once you enroll in rent reporting through Zillow payments, the following will happen: We'll identify on-time payments made on our platform (within 30 days of the due date) We'll report those to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
While your rent payments don't directly affect your credit score, there are circumstances where rent can impact your credit report. If late or missed rent payments exceeding $150 are overdue by more than 60 days, they may be recorded as a default on your file if a collection agency gets involved.
You want your payment information to stay private, and so do we. That's why we partner with Stripe and Plaid for processing. They're experts on payment security, and together we make it safe to pay your rent from anywhere there's internet.
If you regularly pay your rent on time and in full, you can have your good payment history reported to credit bureaus to help raise your credit score through a rent-reporting service. Know that any rent-reporting services could require a fee for the service, which is usually paid on a monthly basis.
No, requesting a credit report will not affect your credit score. This type of credit report is considered a “soft pull” and has no impact on your credit. The request will appear as “Zillow” on the credit inquiry table of your user's report.
The 2-2-2 credit rule is a guideline for building strong credit, suggesting you should have two active credit accounts (like cards or loans) for at least two years, with consistent on-time payments for those two years, often with a minimum credit limit of $2,000 per account, to demonstrate financial responsibility to lenders, especially for mortgages. It's a benchmark to show you can handle credit well over time, reducing lender risk and improving approval odds for major loans.
Credit and background reports
Each Zillow application is complete with a trusted Experian® tenant credit check, as well as a comprehensive background check from CIC. View a sample report here.
Getting an 800 credit score in just 45 days is challenging, as significant scores usually take time, but you can make rapid progress by focusing on paying down credit card balances to lower utilization (under 30%, ideally under 10%), paying all bills on time, disputing errors on your credit report, and possibly becoming an authorized user on a trusted account, while avoiding new credit applications. The most impactful actions for quick changes involve reducing high balances and fixing mistakes, as payment history and utilization are key factors.
The 15/3 credit card payment method is a strategy to potentially boost your credit score by making two payments per billing cycle: one about 15 days before your statement closes (to lower reported utilization) and another around 3 days before the payment due date (to cover the rest and avoid late fees), though its actual impact on credit scoring is debated. It works by keeping your reported balance lower when the card issuer reports to bureaus, but experts note the specific timing isn't magical, and focusing on the reporting date is key.
Nationwide, the average credit score is 715. State by state, however, the numbers are all over the map. The average U.S. credit score is 715, according to FICO's Score Credit Insights, which examined data from April 2025.