Affirm Now Offering “Buy Now, Pay Later” for Rent Payments: What Real Estate Pros Need to Know (and How to Add It)

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) isn’t just for sneakers and sofas anymore. Affirm is piloting a BNPL-style option for monthly rent, designed to let renters split rent into two payments that better match biweekly pay schedules.

The move is happening through a partnership with Esusu, a fintech known for rent reporting and resident financial tools.

For real estate professionals—especially property managers, leasing teams, and brokers advising investor-clients—the practical questions are: When is this rolling out? What are the terms? And how do you actually offer it inside your rent-payment workflow? Here’s what we know right now, plus an operator-friendly implementation checklist.

What exactly is Affirm’s BNPL option for rent?

According to reporting on the pilot, select renters who use Affirm through Esusu can apply to pay rent in two equal payments every two weeks at 0% APR, and the pilot is described as having no hidden fees, no late fees, and no compounding interest.

A few details matter for operators:

• It’s a pilot (not a full national rollout yet). Affirm has not publicly committed to a broad launch date.

• Eligibility is application-based. Affirm states it underwrites applications and approves only what it believes a consumer can repay responsibly.

• The on-ramp is Esusu. Esusu’s own site menus reference an Affirm-powered rent payment option as “coming soon” and “subject to eligibility.”

Translation: This is not “turn on Affirm in your portal tomorrow.” It’s closer to: partner with (or already be using) Esusu’s ecosystem, then enable the Affirm option as it becomes available to properties and residents.

Why this matters to property managers and investor clients

Rent is usually a household’s largest monthly bill, and it’s due on a schedule that often doesn’t match paychecks. That mismatch drives late payments, payment plans, and operational overhead.

Affirm and Esusu are positioning this pilot as a “smoothing” tool—split the rent into two predictable debits instead of one big hit.

At the same time, BNPL is under a brighter spotlight. The CFPB’s BNPL market report notes the category’s rapid growth and tracks metrics like loan volume, late fees, and charge-offs—exactly the stuff operators should watch when a credit product touches housing payments.

Rollout timing: when is this actually happening?

Here’s the most accurate, non-speculative way to describe timing as of January 20, 2026:

1. Affirm confirms it’s in “early stages” of a pilot and did not confirm an official rollout date for broad availability.

2. Esusu’s site indicates the Affirm rent option is “coming soon” (and subject to eligibility), which suggests productization is underway but not fully open everywhere.

3. Coverage across multiple outlets describes the program as a pilot available to “select” or “eligible” renters through Esusu.

Operator takeaway: Treat this like a limited pilot with staged onboarding. If you want it, you’ll likely need to get in line with Esusu sales/partnerships and ask about property eligibility, rollout waves, and resident requirements.

How to add Affirm’s rent-splitting option to your rent payment platform

Because the public information is clear that the delivery mechanism is Esusu, your implementation path is best thought of as: “Enable Esusu → then enable Affirm via Esusu as it becomes available.” 

Step 1: Map your current rent payment stack

Write down:

• Your PMS (AppFolio / Buildium / Yardi / RealPage / etc.)

• Your resident portal/payment processor

• Any add-ons (rent reporting, flexible payments, collections)

This matters because your integration may be:

• a native integration (ideal),

• an add-on workflow (Esusu sits alongside your portal), or

• a resident-led option (resident applies in an Esusu flow).

Step 2: Contact Esusu and ask the right operator questions

Esusu is the gatekeeper here. Their site actively promotes Esusu Pay and references Affirm as a “pay your rent over time” option (coming soon).

Ask Esusu:

• Property eligibility: What property types/portfolios are being onboarded first?

• Resident eligibility requirements: Any credit, income, employment, or account-linking requirements?

• Funding/settlement mechanics: When does the property receive funds, and how are reversals handled?

• Fees: Any operator fees, resident fees (even if “no hidden fees,” confirm the full schedule), and reconciliation costs.

• Posting rules: How are partial payments posted? How are late policies treated if the resident is “current” via Affirm/Esusu but “late” by lease terms?

• Support: Who handles resident disputes—Esusu, Affirm, or your onsite team?

Step 3: Update your payment acceptance and delinquency policies

Even if the product is designed to reduce delinquency, you’ll want written clarity on:

• Whether you accept third-party financed rent payments

• How you treat partial payments and payment plans

• Posting order (rent vs fees)

• NSF handling and chargeback-like scenarios

• Eviction timeline triggers (especially if rent is “split”)

Step 4: Create resident messaging that avoids “steering”

If your team introduces BNPL as an option, keep the language neutral:

• “Optional payment flexibility tool available to eligible residents”

• “Subject to approval/eligibility”

• “Consider your budget; avoid taking on overlapping obligations”

This protects residents and reduces fair housing risk from inconsistent explanations across households.

Step 5: Track outcomes like an operator, not a marketer

If you pilot it, measure:

• On-time payment rate

• Late notices issued

• Delinquency aging

• Resident satisfaction/renewals

• Staff time saved on collections calls

Pros and cons (from an operator’s point of view)

Potential benefits

• Better alignment with pay cycles → fewer “rent week” cash crunches

• Possible reduction in late payments (if eligibility targets residents likely to succeed)

• Pairs naturally with rent reporting (Esusu’s core lane)

Real risks to monitor

• Debt stacking: Residents could be paying last month’s split while the next month comes due (a concern raised by consumer advocates/analysts).

• Operational complexity: Posting, delinquency triggers, and resident expectations can get messy if your policies aren’t updated.

• Regulatory attention: BNPL is being studied and measured more closely by regulators.

FAQ

Is Affirm offering “Pay-in-4” for rent?

Current reporting describes two biweekly payments at 0% APR via Esusu—not a typical pay-in-4 structure.

When will it be available everywhere?

Affirm has described this as a pilot and has not confirmed a national rollout date. Esusu lists the Affirm option as “coming soon.”

How can my property offer this?

The path described publicly is through Esusu. Start by contacting Esusu to ask about onboarding, eligibility, settlement, and rollout waves.

Will this reduce delinquencies?

It may help some residents smooth cash flow, but BNPL also carries debt-cycle risk if residents stack obligations. Track outcomes carefully in any pilot.

Bottom line

Affirm’s rent BNPL is real, but early: it’s being piloted through Esusu, framed as two biweekly payments at 0% APR with no late fees (per current reporting), and no confirmed nationwide launch date yet.

If you manage rentals—or advise owners who do—your best next move is simple: talk to Esusu now, get clarity on onboarding and settlement mechanics, and be ready with updated payment policies so your team isn’t improvising when residents ask, “Can I split my rent?”

Affirm Disclosure: Rates from 0–36% APR. Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required. CA residents: Loans by Affirm Loan Services, LLC are made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law license. For licenses and disclosures, see affirm.com/licenses. For example, a $800 purchase could be split into 12 monthly payments of $72.21 at 15% APR.

Do you plan to accept Affirm for your rent payments? Let us know in the comments below or share with a colleague in an upcoming CE Class!

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Refernces

Affirm rent BNPL pilot details (terms + pilot framing) — Payments Dive

Additional pilot details and “early stages/no rollout date” reporting — Fox Business

Consumer context + rent BNPL coverage — CBS News

Esusu site references to Affirm rent option (“coming soon,” eligibility) — Esusu

BNPL market oversight and metrics context — CFPB report page