This is general information, not mortgage or debt advice. Do not take new borrowing to repair a credit file without independent debt advice. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
What mortgage lenders can assess
“Bad credit” is not one category. Lenders can distinguish between an isolated late payment, repeated arrears, a satisfied default, an outstanding judgment and formal insolvency. They also assess income, committed spending, deposit source, loan-to-value and whether the property is acceptable security.
| Credit issue | Details that can affect an assessment |
|---|---|
| Missed or late payments | Account type, number, amount, recency, whether the account recovered, and the wider payment pattern. |
| Default | Default date, balance, satisfied status, explanation and whether later credit has been maintained. |
| County Court Judgment (CCJ) | Judgment date, value, whether it was paid or set aside, and any certificate or court record. |
| DMP or IVA | Current status, payment conduct, creditor records, completion evidence and the lender's policy. |
| Bankruptcy | Discharge status, time elapsed, cause, conduct since discharge and the rest of the application. |
How long entries can remain visible
The ICO explains that a defaulted account may show for six years from the default date. A CCJ can also remain for six years unless it is set aside or removed after being paid within the applicable one-month period. An IVA can remain for six years from the arrangement date, or longer if the arrangement itself continues. Visibility and lender acceptance are separate questions: an entry disappearing does not guarantee approval, and some lenders can ask about previous events.
ICO guidance on credit recordsBefore requesting a mortgage decision
- 1. Get your credit files.
Check information held by the main credit reference agencies and note any differences.
- 2. Correct factual errors.
Raise a dispute with the credit reference agency and data provider; keep the response and evidence.
- 3. Gather status documents.
Keep satisfaction, completion or discharge documents and an accurate timeline of events.
- 4. Avoid speculative applications.
Ask whether a check will be soft or hard before consenting. Search type varies by lender and stage.
- 5. Prepare a realistic budget.
Include committed debt payments, household spending, mortgage costs and an emergency margin.
- 6. Get debt help where needed.
Use a free, independent debt-advice service before changing an IVA, DMP or priority-debt payment.
Does a bigger deposit help?
A lower LTV can reduce lender risk and may widen product choice, but there is no deposit that guarantees acceptance. Source of deposit, current debt, income stability, property type and the nature of the credit history still matter. Compare the benefit of waiting and saving with current housing costs and the possibility that rates or criteria change.
What a mortgage broker can do
A broker can review the record, explain which lenders it can consider and screen published or intermediary criteria before a formal application. Ask about lender scope, broker fees, lender commission and the type of credit search. Neither specialist experience nor an agreement in principle guarantees a mortgage offer.
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