 TITLE: Is My Rental History on My Credit Report? CONTENT: What Information Is Included in a Credit Report?\n------------------------------------------------\nBecause landlords and property management companies aren't considered creditors, they do not automatically report your payment history to the three major consumer credit reporting bureaus—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Nor will they report evictions, bounced checks, broken leases or property damage. You might, however, end up with a collection account on your credit report if you leave behind unpaid debt after you move out.\nMost of the information that appears on consumer credit reports comes from lenders, banks, credit unions and, in some cases, the courts. These entities regularly furnish the three credit reporting bureaus with data regarding your credit application and usage activity. Each credit report has four sections:\n*   **Personal information:** Your name, birth date, current and past home addresses, phone numbers and employers you've listed on credit applications will be here.\n*   **Accounts:** This lists your tradelines, such as credit cards, loans, lines of credit and collection accounts. It will include partial account numbers, last-reported balances, payment history and account status (open, closed, etc.).\n*   **Public records:** If you've filed for bankruptcy, details about it will appear in this section.\n*   **Inquiries:** If a company requests your credit report for business purposes or if you check your own, a soft inquiry will appear. When you apply for credit, such as a loan or credit card, it will be noted as a hard inquiry. Both types of inquiries vanish after two years and only hard inquiries can affect your credit score.\nIn 2010, Experian became the first credit reporting bureau to include on-time rental payment data on its credit reports via Experian RentBureau. Since a pattern of timely rent payments can be a predictor of positive credit use in the future, and it can greatly benefit those looking to build their credit history and gain access to things like credit cards and loans. END