The Rental Exchange is a database and system set up by a new partnership between Experian and Big Issue Invest, the social investment arm of the Big Issue Group.

The Exchange was set up to address the valid concerns of both lenders and potential buyers currently occupying property as tenants. The concern was that tenants potentially faced financial, digital and even social exclusion which might disadvantage them when it came time for them to try and get on the housing ladder.

The Exchange is primarily a database which aims to better record and score a tenant applying for a mortgage. It does this buy tracking a tenant’s rent payment record and thereby allows Experian to put a ‘score’ on the tenant’s rental past. This can be used by lenders or other creditors when they are assessing an applicant’s suitability for a new loan or supply account.

As a tenant, having additional information on your credit file can make it quicker and easier to:

  • Open a new bank account
  • Get a new credit card
  • Have a loan application approved
  • Shop online
  • Arrange a better utilities tariff, or qualify to pay for gas/electricity via a non-prepay tariff
  • Receive better mobile phone rates
  • Apply for a mortgage

If you are a tenant and would like to register with The Rental Exchange simply follow one of the following procedures;

  1. If you are a council or social housing tenant, ask your landlord to report your rental payment data into the Rental Exchange.
  2. If you are a private tenant, and your landlord or managing agent has more than 100 properties ask them to report your rental payment data into the Rental Exchange.
  3. If your landlord owns fewer than 100 properties and cannot transfer data directly into the Rental Exchange, you can sign-up (at no cost) and schedule payments to your landlord via the Credit Ladder platform, the information is then shared into the Rental Exchange. Click here for more details.

If you are a tenant and you pay your rent regularly and reliably why not take advantage of the Rental Exchange by Experian? For more details click here.

Download our Free First Time Buyers Guide

Recent posts

If you are looking at remortgaging your property but you are unsure whether it’s the right decision, we have listed five reasons why it might be for you.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues, many people across the UK are struggling financially, many of whom are finding it hard to get debt-free.

According to research by StepChange, there are five common reasons people don’t seek help and advice with debt concerns.

Friyay Rate Reviews

6 Feb 2024

Every Friday our experts search the market for the latest rates from every lender saving our clients some serious £'s!

Looking to Extend?

2 Feb 2024

Are you looking to extend your property? There are many benefits to adding an extension to your existing home, here are a few. 

Put simply, Equity Release is where you can release equity (money) tied up in your home for any purpose you like. In this short article, we share some reasons why you may want to consider Equity Release.

The team at Mortgage Required may not be able to lower the prices in your local supermarket, but we have come up with a list of tips to help you lower your food shopping bill.

Every year Big Energy Saving Week takes place to raise awareness about energy efficiency, reducing energy bills, and combating fuel poverty. Below are some ways you can get involved and hopefully make a saving!

In this blog we look at what happened in the housing market in relation to house prices last year, and look ahead at the forecast for 2024.