The Real Annual Value of Paying Rent with Bilt in 2026

Paying rent isn't the "money pit" critics claim it is, it buys you shelter, flexibility, and freedom from surprise repair bills. But while renting is a perfectly valid financial choice, the payment itself usually earns exactly zero rewards.

📢 Update (January 14, 2026): Bilt has launched a completely overhauled card lineup with new earning structures, mortgage payments, and "Bilt Cash." Read our full Bilt Card 2.0 Review for the breakdown.

The Bilt Mastercard has long been the exception to this rule. It is one of the few setups that allows you to turn rent payments into valuable travel points, often without a transaction fee. But at CardSavvy, we like to move past the marketing hype and look at the hard numbers. The right question isn’t just "is this a cool perk?" but rather:

How much annual reward value do you actually get from putting rent on Bilt?

Below is a clean breakdown of that value. We have crunched the numbers using rent ranges from $1,000 to $6,000 per month, and we even added a realistic estimate for the "risk-free float" you get by keeping your cash in high-yield savings or T-Bills until the credit card bill is due.

1. The Rules of the Road

First, let’s look at what you actually earn based on the current Bilt terms (as of late 2025). The annual value is driven by three main factors:

• 1x Points on Rent: You earn 1 point per $1 paid on rent through the Bilt app, capped at 100,000 points per calendar year.
• The "5 Transaction" Rule: You must make at least 5 transactions per statement period to earn points. If you don't hit this minimum, you only get a flat 250 points for the rent payment.
• One Property Limit: Rent payments are limited to one rental property per month.

Since you are likely already paying rent, the goal here is to capture the value that is currently slipping through your fingers.

2. What is a Bilt Point Worth?

Points are useless if you can't redeem them for good value. Bilt points are generally considered highly valuable because they transfer to a robust list of travel partners like Alaska Airlines, United, Hyatt, and Air Canada Aeroplan.

Valuations can be subjective, but we use two benchmarks for our analysis:

• Conservative (1.5 cents/point): This is a solid redemption where you get good value, but you aren't spending hours hunting for the perfect award flight.
• Aggressive (2.2 cents/point): This aligns with valuations from major sites like The Points Guy (TPG) and assumes you are maximizing transfers for high-end travel.

3. The Math: Annual Value from Points

Here is the raw value you generate just by paying rent, before we even get to the float.

Monthly Rent	Annual Rent	Points Earned	Value @ 1.5¢	Value @ 2.2¢
$1,000	$12,000	12,000	$180	$264
$2,000	$24,000	24,000	$360	$528
$3,000	$36,000	36,000	$540	$792
$4,000	$48,000	48,000	$720	$1,056
$5,000	$60,000	60,000	$900	$1,320
$6,000	$72,000	72,000	$1,080	$1,584

Note: You would only hit the 100k annual point cap if your rent exceeds roughly $8,333 per month.

4. The Hidden "Float" Value

This is the part most people miss. When you pay rent on a credit card, you hold onto your cash for an extra ~30 days before the statement balance is due.

If you are CardSavvy, you aren't letting that cash sit idle. You are keeping it in a high-yield vehicle like short-term Treasuries or a fund like $SGOV.

Using January 2026 yields (~3.67%) and assuming a 30% tax rate, the after-tax benefit is roughly 2.57%. It might sound small, but on thousands of dollars of rent, it adds up to a nice dinner or two every year.

Monthly Rent	Annual Float Value (After-Tax)
$1,000	~$25
$2,000	~$51
$3,000	~$76
$4,000	~$101
$5,000	~$127
$6,000	~$152

5. The Total Annual Payoff

When you combine the points with the interest earned on the float, the total value becomes clear. This is the "return on spend" for a bill you have to pay anyway.

Monthly Rent	Total Value (Conservative)	Total Value (Aggressive)
$1,000	~$205	~$289
$3,000	~$616	~$868
$6,000	~$1,232	~$1,736

The takeaway: While the float is a nice kicker, the points are the main event. If you are paying $3,000 in rent, you are effectively "earning" between $600 and $860 a year just by switching your payment method.

6. Urgent Update: The February 2026 Transition

We cannot talk about Bilt right now without addressing the elephant in the room.

If you currently hold the Wells Fargo-issued Bilt Mastercard, you need to pay attention. Wells Fargo has stated that accounts will automatically convert to a Wells Fargo Autograph Visa on February 7, 2026, unless you opt into the new Bilt program.

Make sure you check your email or the Bilt app to handle this transition so you don't lose your ability to earn on rent.

7. Future Outlook: Mortgages?

Update: The wait is over. Bilt officially launched Bilt Card 2.0 on January 14, 2026, which includes earning points on eligible residential mortgage payments. However, the mechanics have changed significantly—you now earn two currencies simultaneously (Bilt Points + Bilt Cash), and unlocking points on housing payments requires either fees or Bilt Cash.

For a complete breakdown of the new earning structure, fees, and whether the Blue, Obsidian, or Palladium cards are right for you, see our Bilt Card 2.0 Review.

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Bottom Line It is not a life hack that will let you retire tomorrow, but paying rent with Bilt is a clean, repeatable edge on a massive expense category. Whether you value the points at $180 or over $1,000, it beats getting zero.

Stay savvy.