Late Rent to Ding Credit Score As of 2012

Renting has long had some advantages over buying a home. One of the biggest may be that late rent payments don't ding your credit score like late mortgage payments do. But in 2012, that will change, as Lynnette Khalfani-Cox reports at our sister site, WalletPop.com.


For years, renters who got behind on their housing payments could do so without worrying about the impact that a late payment would have on their credit rating.

Next year that's going to change.

One of the big three credit bureaus, Experian, recently began collecting data about consumer rental paymentsand including that data in its credit reports.

For 2011, Experian is only reporting positive rental payment information about consumers. But starting in 2012, Experian will also keep tabs on and report negative information too, such as late rent payments.