Does CreditLadder Actually Work? Honest Review
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How CreditLadder Reports Rent and Whether It Improves Your Credit Score
If you rent privately, you’ve probably had this thought: You pay your rent every month, on time, in full, and it often costs more than a mortgage would, yet when you apply for credit, none of that payment history counts!
For years, rent payments were not reported to UK credit reference agencies. That meant responsible tenants built no formal credit history from their biggest monthly outgoing.
Services like CreditLadder aim to fix that, but the big question people ask is simple: Does CreditLadder actually work?
Based on my experience using it since March 2025, yes. It does exactly what it says it will do.
What CreditLadder Does
CreditLadder allows tenants to have their rental payments reported to the UK’s three main credit reference agencies:
Different lenders use different agencies when assessing mortgage, loan and credit card applications. There is no single universal UK credit score. Each agency holds its own data.
CreditLadder uses Open Banking technology to securely read your bank transactions and identify your rent payment. It does not collect your rent. It simply detects outgoing transactions and reports them to the selected credit agencies.
You can see full details on the official Credit Ladder website.
My Experience Using CreditLadder
I have been using CreditLadder since March 2025 and have had no issues with the service. I use the free option, which means I am not paying a monthly fee. Under my current setup, my rent payments are being reported to Experian and TransUnion.
The Open Banking connection lasts for 90 days. After that, you need to reconnect your bank account to continue reporting. That is a standard Open Banking security requirement, not something unusual. The reconnection process is straightforward and completed through your banking app.
The access provided is read-only. The service can view transactions to identify rent payments, but it cannot move money or make changes to your account.
Since signing up, my rental payments have appeared on my credit reports as expected. I simply pay rent as normal, and the system detects it.
In practical terms, it does exactly what it claims to do!
Has It Improved My Credit Score?
No legitimate credit service can guarantee that your score will increase; however, since I started using CreditLadder, my credit score within the Experian app has increased.
The app does not specifically label the increase as being caused by rent reporting, but the timing aligns with when my rental payments began appearing on my file.
It is reasonable to say there is a very good chance that consistently reporting on-time rent payments has had a positive impact on my credit profile.
That does not mean it will transform every situation. If someone has missed payments, high credit utilisation or defaults, rent reporting alone will not fix those issues. It simply adds another positive data point to your file.
How Much Does CreditLadder Cost?
CreditLadder offers both a free and a paid version.
The free plan reports rent payments to one credit reference agency. You choose either Experian, Equifax or TransUnion when you sign up, and that choice generally cannot be changed later.
The paid plan costs £8 per month or £5 per month if paid annually. The paid version reports to all three major credit reference agencies.
Reporting to all three can be beneficial because lenders may check different agencies. If your rent history appears only in one file, it may not be visible in every application.
Is CreditLadder Safe?
CreditLadder states that it is FCA-regulated and uses secure Open Banking technology. The connection to your bank provides read-only access.
Every 90 days, you must reconnect your bank account due to standard Open Banking rules. This is designed as a security feature, not a flaw.
As with any financial service, you should read the terms carefully before signing up, but the structure is similar to many other UK financial apps that rely on Open Banking.
When Might It Not Be a Good Idea?
Rent reporting works best when you pay consistently on time. If you sometimes miss payments or are frequently late, those negative records may also be reported. In that case, rent reporting could work against you!
It is also not a substitute for good credit habits. Keeping credit card balances low, avoiding missed payments and maintaining a stable financial profile still matter more overall.
Are There Alternatives?
CreditLadder is not the only rent reporting service in the UK.
The Rental Exchange, formed in conjunction with The Big Issue organisation, works through Experian and allows landlords and letting agents to share rental data; it is a free service.
Canopy offers rent reporting alongside other tenant services.
Some alternatives only report to a single credit reference agency, which may limit how widely your rent history is seen.
Is It Worth It?
If you are planning to apply for a mortgage and you have a strong track record of paying rent on time, reporting those payments makes sense.
If you are using the free version, there is little downside, provided your payment history is clean! If you are paying for the full version, the cost needs to be weighed against your long-term goal. For many people aiming to secure a mortgage, improving the strength of their credit profile can easily justify the monthly fee.
It is not a miracle solution. It is a practical way to make your existing financial behaviour visible to lenders and give you a better chance of getting out of the rental market and into homeownership!
You can sign up for Credit Ladder for free here, and no credit check is undertaken at any point!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does CreditLadder actually work?
Yes. It successfully reports rent payments to credit reference agencies when connected via Open Banking. Whether your credit score increases depends on your overall credit profile.
Does CreditLadder improve your credit score?
It can help by adding a positive payment history for the rent you pay. However, improvements are not guaranteed and depend on your wider financial situation.
How long does it take for rent to appear on a credit file?
Rent payments usually appear on statutory credit reports within six to eight weeks of signing up.
Is CreditLadder free?
There is a free version that reports to one credit reference agency and a paid version that reports to all three major agencies.
Is it safe to connect your bank to CreditLadder?
CreditLadder uses Open Banking with read-only access and states that it is FCA-regulated. You must reconnect every 90 days due to standard security requirements.
Can reporting rent hurt your credit score?
Yes. If you miss payments or pay late, negative payment data may be recorded and could affect your credit profile.
