According to a recent CNBC report, even though it’s estimated landlords receive $1.4 trillion in residential property rent annually, only 20% of housing providers report rent paid to credit bureaus.

This helps render some tenants “credit invisible”. In other words, they don’t have a credit history. In turn, this makes it tough for them to get a credit card or loan to help establish a positive track record.

More than 90% of tenants pay their rent on time and receive no benefit for that good behavior on their credit score.

This financial inequity and ultimately, wealth. Just 16% of White and Asian consumers are credit invisible. Meanwhile, 27% of Black and 26% of Hispanic consumers fall into this category.

Enter a new credit score reporting service called Esusu, which has partnered with 75% of the country’s largest rental companies to help correct this. Better yet, they’ve recently added a service that allows residents to report their own rent payments.

Either housing providers or tenants can make the reports to Esusu, which in turn files them with credit report services. Should the resident connect directly with Esusu, they are charged a monthly fee of $2.50 for the company to report on-time rent payments on their behalf. This shows up on the resident’s credit report about a month later.

Esusu can report on-time rental payments for up to 24 months. It does not report missed or late payments.

While the fee for landlords to participate is a bit steep ($3500 setup fee, then $2 per month per unit), there may be an alternative. Fannie Mae offers a program where eligible multifamily owners and operators can get the company’s services free for one year and at a discounted rate afterward.

The company also offers tenants facing temporary financial hardship interest-free loans to help with rent payments.