New service enables millions of renters to build their credit score by ensuring their rental payments are recognised on their credit report, solving a long-standing inequality in the credit system

LONDON, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ClearScore, a global, data-driven, financial services platform that allows people to understand credit and access financial products, has today launched completely free rent reporting for millions of renters in the UK.

The new service enables users to report their rent payments to all three major credit bureaus - Experian, Equifax and TransUnion - directly through the ClearScore app or website.

Free to use and simple to set up, the service helps renters build a fuller financial track record through their regular rental payments. By bringing rental payments into credit reports, the service also gives lenders a more complete picture of an individual's financial history when assessing creditworthiness.

ClearScore's Rent Reporting addresses a long-standing gap in the credit system, where one of the biggest and most consistent payments renters make each month has not always been reflected in their credit history. While mortgage payments are recognised on credit reports, rental payments have historically not received the same recognition, putting renters at a disadvantage.

UK governments have backed pilots and considered parliamentary proposals to make rent reporting law since 2017, most notably the Creditworthiness Assessment Bill. ClearScore has now solved one of the UK's long-running financial inclusion and fairness issues, with a completely free service that can be set up in minutes using ClearScore, the UK's leading credit score and report app.

Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of The Purpose Coalition and Former Secretary of State for Education, said:

"Opportunity should be determined by talent and hard work, not by the barriers built into our systems. Back in 2018, I championed the Creditworthiness Assessment Bill because I believed it was fundamentally unfair that millions of renters could pay their rent reliably every month without that financial responsibility being properly recognised.

"Eight years on, it is fantastic to see ClearScore develop a practical, free solution to this longstanding issue. By using technology to ensure rental payments are reflected in people's credit histories, ClearScore is helping to break down a barrier that has held too many people back from accessing affordable credit and taking the next step towards homeownership.

"This is what social mobility is about: ensuring that people's efforts count and that innovation translates into real opportunities. ClearScore's work demonstrates how businesses can help change systems for the better, giving more people the chance to get on in life."

Justin Basini, Co-founder and CEO at the ClearScore Group, said:

"ClearScore is giving UK renters something that we feel is long overdue: free rent reporting, connected to all three credit bureaus, means that every rent payment finally counts.

"Completely free and simple to set up in the ClearScore app, this is a service to help millions of renters finally get greater recognition for the financial track record they are already building. It's an issue that policymakers have been grappling with for almost a decade, and we are delighted to have developed this solution, bringing rent reporting to people across the UK helping them build positive credit history and demonstrate their creditworthiness."

David Bernard, CEO at Equifax UK&I, said:

"This expansion of our strategic long-term partnership with ClearScore marks a major step forward for financial inclusion. Our latest Financial Health Report revealed that up to one in four UK adults have a limited credit file or no traditional credit footprint at all. By bringing more rental data into Equifax credit reports, we're giving the UK's nine million renters greater control over their credit profiles and helping to unlock their access to credit. At the same time, it equips lenders to make more informed decisions, promote responsible lending and helping people live their financial best."

The launch comes as new research - commissioned by ClearScore and carried out by 3Gem* - reveals the average renter has paid almost £60,000 in rent over their lifetime, while one in five (19%) say they have paid more than £100,000. For many, those payments are already comparable to the cost of owning a home, with seven in ten (71%) estimating they are paying the same as or more in rent than they would on a mortgage for a suitable home.

Yet many renters do not feel that their financial track record is helping them move closer to homeownership. Three in five (61%) feel frustrated they can afford their rent but do not believe they could qualify for a mortgage, while two-thirds (66%) believe their rental payment history would help them get a mortgage if lenders could see it.

This comes at a time when renting is both expensive and, for many people, increasingly long-term, with Office for National Statistics figures** showing the average UK private rent reached £1,393 a month in July 2026, up 3.7% year-on-year.

The rent reporting service, leveraging open banking technology, builds on ClearScore's wider financial services ecosystem, spanning consumer credit, mortgages and embedded finance. Across the Group, consumer-permissioned data and technology are used to help people better understand and manage their finances, as well as access credit and mortgages.

Notes to editors

*Research conducted online by 3Gem among 1000 renters in September 2026.
** https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/august2026

About The ClearScore Group

The ClearScore Group is a leading, data-driven, financial services platform, helping over 27 million people understand credit, access financial products and manage their borrowing. The Group operates a network of financial marketplaces and B2B data platforms across the UK, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
As well as a consumer app, the Group includes technology platforms for businesses, including an open banking platform for lenders (D•One), a CRM software platform for mortgage brokers (Score) and an embedded credit marketplace for retailers and financial services providers (ClearScore Everywhere).
The Group combines user-permissioned data at scale, cutting-edge technology and a strong consumer brand to match a loyal user base with a network of over 200 partners across five markets.

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