Rental Exchange

The Rental Exchange is a rent reporting initiative developed by Experian in partnership with Big Issue Invest, the social investment arm of The Big Issue Group, that adds a tenant's rent payment history to their Experian credit report at no cost to the tenant or the landlord. It exists to give renters the same credit recognition for paying their housing costs that mortgage holders have always had, and it reports to Experian only.

How the Rental Exchange works

Participating landlords, letting agents, local authorities and housing associations share their tenants' monthly rent payment data directly with Experian, where it appears on the tenant's statutory credit report and in Experian's CreditExpert service. More than 150 social housing providers, councils and agents report into the scheme, covering over a million tenants, and in social housing tenants are typically included automatically with the right to opt out. The data works both ways: a clean payment record builds positive history, while arrears can be recorded as negative data, and some providers continue sharing former-tenancy arrears until the balance is cleared. Experian's own analysis found that around three quarters of tenants would see a credit rating improvement once rental data is taken into account, and that the proportion able to prove their identity online rises from 39% to 84%, which matters for opening accounts and passing digital checks.

How private tenants join

Most private landlords are not members, so a private tenant has two routes. Their landlord or letting agent can sign up to report data directly, which costs nothing, or the tenant can self-report through one of Experian's partner services such as CreditLadder or Canopy, which use open banking to verify the payments. The self-report route is how rent can also reach Equifax and TransUnion, since the Rental Exchange itself feeds only Experian. The full landscape of providers, costs and what rent reporting genuinely does to a credit score is covered in our guide to rent reporting and CreditLadder.

What it means for landlords

Joining costs nothing and involves supplying accurate monthly payment data, which makes the quality of a landlord's own records the practical barrier. From supporting self-managing landlords across the UK, we find the payment record is usually the weak link: a landlord relying on scanning bank statements each month cannot easily produce the clean, dated payment history the scheme depends on. August's rent tracking builds that record automatically through FCA-regulated open banking, matching every payment as it arrives, so the data exists whether or not a landlord chooses to share it anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Rental Exchange free? 

Yes, for both tenants and landlords. The scheme was designed as a financial inclusion initiative rather than a commercial product, which is why Big Issue Invest co-developed it.

Does the Rental Exchange report to all credit agencies? 

No. It reports to Experian only. Rent can reach Equifax and TransUnion through self-report services such as CreditLadder and Canopy, which is the main reason private tenants often use those routes instead.

Can the Rental Exchange hurt my credit score? 

It can if you fall behind, since arrears may be recorded as negative data on your Experian file. Tenants with unpredictable payment histories or existing arrears should think carefully, and social housing tenants who are included automatically can opt out through their landlord.