Comparison
CertRent vs Boom: which rent-reporting option is right for you?
Boom is a dedicated rent-reporting service: it reports your rent to all three credit bureaus, bank-verified, including a lookback on past rent. CertRent is a broader verified-renter-profile platform where rent reporting is one feature, not the whole product. Here's the honest breakdown.
| CertRent | Boom | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A verified renter profile + rent-history platform | A dedicated rent-reporting service |
| How you get verified | One bank connection powers your whole profile | Bank connection, for reporting only |
| Bureaus reported to | Tri-bureau (planned) | All three (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) |
| Bank-verified | Yes (Plaid) | Yes |
| Reports past rent (lookback) | No | Yes, as an add-on |
| Downloadable, QR-verified rent certificate | Yes | No |
| Ownership-checked landlord references | Yes, against official public records | No — not part of the product |
| Document library + e-signature | ~85 templates across 4 markets | No |
| "Who owns my building" lookup | Yes, all 4 markets | No |
| Shareable profile a landlord can view | Yes, that's the core product | No — reporting only shows up on your credit file |
When Boom makes sense
If rent reporting to all three bureaus right now, including your past rent history, is the whole thing you want, Boom does exactly that and does it well — the lookback especially is a genuine feature CertRent doesn't offer. If you're specifically trying to build a thin credit file fast and are willing to pay the setup fee, it's worth a look.
Where CertRent is the better fit
CertRent isn't just a reporting pipe — it's a portable, verified record of you as a tenant that a landlord can actually view before you even sign a lease. The same bank connection that verifies your rent for reporting also builds a shareable profile, a downloadable rent certificate, and references checked against real ownership records — none of which a pure reporting service provides.
Plenty of renters use both: Boom (or a similar service) for tri-bureau reporting with a lookback, and CertRent as the profile they actually hand to their next landlord.