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Renting Deserves Credit (Literally): How To Finally Build Credit With Rent Payments

It’s Not A Phase, Mom!

As of 2025, nearly a third of renters are Gen Z (a number which jumped 3.5% in just the past year). Add in younger millennials to that group and people under 35 make up more than half of the rental market. Translation: renting isn’t just a pit stop on the road to adulthood anymore.

For millions of Americans, it is adulthood.

From the wide-eyed to the fully seasoned, today’s renters are juggling full-time jobs, credit cards, and probably have at least one war story about a roommate named Chad who never did his dishes. (Seriously, Chad? What. The. Heck.)

If this sounds eerily familiar, read on.

Rent Takes a Lot — But Rarely Gives Back

When it comes to building credit without help from mom and dad (especially the kind you need to own the roof above your head), the current rental system hasn’t exactly made things easy.

For better or worse, we’re a nation of renters. Gen Z and Millennials especially know this better than anyone, having spent most of their adult lives and their paychecks on rent.

Yet, rent payments are rarely reported to credit bureaus unless things go really wrong. Which means that all those years of on-time payments, and working overtime to make ends meet, often don’t show up on your credit report at all.

So while rent might be one of your biggest monthly expenses, it’s traditionally done little to help you build better credit or qualify for the life you actually want (like a home without Chad — or, if home ownership isn’t quite your thing, even just qualifying for a nicer apartment).

Responsible Renters Deserve Credit (According to Us)

In a world where one missed payment can sink your FICO score faster than the Titanic, it seems only fair that years of on-time payments should help raise it.

At-least, we think it should.

The team at Piñata Rent has been working to change that.

We’ve made rent reporting simple, secure, and actually rewarding by working directly with property managers and Piñata Pay users to report on-time rent payments to all the major credit bureaus, so you can finally start building better credit with the money you’re already spending.

Through our partnerships with various top-tier property management companies, we’re also able to offer resident benefit packages that make the renting experience feel a little less soul-crushing and a lot more satisfying.

Breathe Easy and Take a Crack at Piñata

The team at Pinata has always believed that responsible renters should get the credit they’ve earned. So, take a crack at us!

Building credit without a credit card shouldn’t feel impossible (or bring you to tears). In fact, we believe that building better credit should feel like building a better future. One that’s not only worth living, but also worth enjoying.

So, If you’re ready to boost your credit score and finally get rewarded for being responsible, choose Piñata as your rent-reporting partner. We’re the easiest way to report rent to credit bureaus and get the credit you’ve earned. You pay rent anyway, you might as well get something in return.

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