My ORDER today (thanks to my boss, POTUS) will allow for Americans to use their RENT to qualify for a mortgage. Credit history will no longer just include credit cards and loans. This is HUGE.
— Pulte (@pulte) July 8, 2025
Prospective buyers can now securely share 12 months of bank statements digitally to verify rent payment history when these payments don’t appear on credit reports.
This is great news for anyone trying to qualify for their first home loan 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 https://t.co/pEHBGUepgm
— Michelle Maxwell (@MichelleMaxwell) July 9, 2025
REALTOR
A new policy change at mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could help first-time homebuyers qualify for a mortgage if they have a track record of paying their rent on time.
Effective immediately, Fannie and Freddie will allow mortgage lenders to use VantageScore credit ratings to assess borrower creditworthiness, in addition to or instead of traditional FICO scores, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte said on Tuesday.
Unlike FICO, VantageScore takes rent payment history into account, if those payments are reported to either Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, the three major credit bureaus.
“We are expanding credit access to millions of forgotten Americans—people who live in rural areas, renters who pay their rent on time every month—and bringing down closing costs,” said Pulte, who is also the chairman of Fannie and Freddie, in a social media post.