Why Lenders Are Finally Counting Rent Toward Mortgage Approval
- 14 Days To Close
- Jul 22
- 3 min read
You’ve been sending out rent like clockwork every month. $1,800, $2,200, whatever it is, it hits your landlord’s account without fail. But when you try to buy a home, you’re told that history doesn’t count for much. That’s changing in 2025. A new rule is finally giving renters credit where credit is due... literally.
If you’ve been asking, “Can I use rent payments to qualify for a mortgage?” the answer now is yes. And it could be the key to turning your rent into a real home.
Rent Payments Are Finally Getting Some Credit
Homeownership is the goal for most Americans. About 66% of people own their home. But that still leaves 34% of the country renting, and for a lot of them, not because they want to. High prices, strict credit rules, and outdated loan systems have kept millions stuck paying rent without a path to buy.
For years, lenders didn’t consider rent history when deciding whether you could get a mortgage. It didn’t matter if you paid rent on time every month for five years straight. What mattered was your credit score, debts, and what showed up on traditional credit reports. Rent just didn’t make the cut.
Now, as of July 2025, thanks to updated rules from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, many lenders now accept verified rent payment history as part of your mortgage application. And that could make all the difference. Until recently, most lenders only looked at your FICO Score, which is the older and more traditional credit scoring model. But that’s starting to change. Lenders are now able to use VantageScore, a newer model that takes a broader look at how you manage money. It can give credit for things like rent, utility, and streaming service payments, which don’t always show up under FICO.
FICO has been the go-to for decades, but it tends to reward people who already have credit cards, auto loans, or other long-term accounts. VantageScore works a little differently. It’s designed to give more people a fair shot by recognizing real-world financial habits. That means if you’ve been paying rent on time every month, VantageScore may help reflect that, even if your credit file is on the lighter side.
Who This Helps Most
This change is huge for first-time buyers. If you’re just getting started and don’t have a long credit history, rent gives you something solid to show. It proves you can handle a large, recurring expense — which is exactly what a mortgage is.
It’s also a big win for renters in cities where monthly rent is equal to or more than a mortgage payment. If you’ve been handling $2,900 rent each month, on time, without issues, that shows lenders you’re already doing the thing they want to see.
And if you’ve been turned down before because your credit wasn’t “thick” enough, this rule could be the thing that gets you over the finish line.
A Smarter Path to Homeownership
This update is part of a bigger shift in the mortgage world. Lenders are starting to look beyond traditional credit and see the full picture of your financial life. Rent is just the beginning. Utility bills, subscription payments, and other recurring expenses may one day follow. But rent? That’s here now.
The goal is to create more fairness and flexibility. It’s about making sure responsible people aren’t being held back just because they didn’t play the credit game the old-fashioned way.
And at 14 Days To Close, we’re leading the charge. We believe your rent should work for you, not against you. If you’re paying rent on time and dreaming of a home to call your own, this is your moment.
Ready to Make Your Rent Count?
Let’s make your rent work for you. Our team at 14 Days To Close helps people across the country turn steady rent payments into real mortgage approvals — often faster than they ever expected. We’re here nights, weekends, and whenever you need answers. If you’ve been renting like a homeowner, it’s time to start owning like one.
