Credit score and mortgages

The number on your credit report app is not what mortgage lenders look at. Understanding the difference between your score and your credit file can save you from surprises at application.

Last checked 13 September 2026.

Seven sections. Each anchored to a first-party source, checked 13 September 2026.

1. Lenders don't use your credit score

The number on your Experian, Equifax or TransUnion account is their proprietary estimate of your creditworthiness. Mortgage lenders don't use that number. They access the raw data on your credit file and run their own internal scoring model. Two applicants with the same public-facing score can receive very different assessments from the same lender. A score that looks low by one agency's scale may correspond to a file that most mainstream lenders would accept; a high score doesn't override a recent serious default.

2. The three UK credit reference agencies

The three main credit reference agencies (CRAs) in the UK are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. They hold slightly different data because not every lender reports to all three agencies. Checking only one gives an incomplete picture: a missed payment on an account that reports only to Experian won't appear on your Equifax or TransUnion report. Before a mortgage application, it's worth checking all three.

3. Your right to access your credit file

You have a statutory right to access the information held on you. Under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (section 158) you can request a statutory credit report for £2, though all three UK agencies now provide a free online version. You can also obtain your full statutory file under UK GDPR (Article 15), which requires the agency to respond within one month and at no charge. The ICO explains the process: ICO — Credit reference agencies.

4. What's on your file and how long it stays

Most negative information stays for six years from the event date: missed payments, defaults, county court judgments and insolvency orders. Current account information stays while the account is open. Your electoral roll entry stays until you move or deregister. See the bad credit guide for the full table with sources.

5. What lenders look at in practice

Beyond the raw data, the factors that carry most weight in a mortgage application are: whether you have any missed payments or defaults (especially on secured debt); the age and settlement status of any adverse marks; how much of your available revolving credit you are using; whether you are on the electoral roll at your current address; and the length of your credit history. A thin file (very few credit accounts) can be harder to assess than one with a few minor marks, because the lender has less evidence to work with.

6. Steps to take before applying

• Check your reports from all three agencies and look for errors. Each agency has a dispute process; correct errors before applying. Equifax: equifax.co.uk. Experian: experian.co.uk. TransUnion: transunion.co.uk.
• Register to vote at your current address via GOV.UK. Lenders use this to confirm your address history; it is one of the simplest improvements you can make.
• Avoid applying for new credit in the months before a mortgage application: each application leaves a hard search on your file. See the Agreement in Principle guide for what hard and soft searches mean.
• Keep your credit utilisation low in the months before applying: using a high proportion of your available credit limit signals financial pressure to some lenders' models.

7. When the score is a symptom, not the cause

If your credit file contains actual adverse marks, score optimisation alone won't open the mainstream market to you. The route is finding a broker who matches your case to the right specialist lender. See the bad credit guide for how lenders treat different events, or the Cifas guide if a fraud marker is involved.

Brokers whose website mentions bad or adverse credit

280 firms in our directory mention bad or adverse credit on their own website. That's what they say about themselves, not an assessment by us, so check that a firm handles your situation and look it up on the FCA Register before taking advice.

More guides

• How to choose a mortgage broker
• Mortgage declined
• Cifas markers and mortgages
• Mortgages with bad credit
• Mortgages for the self-employed
• First-time buyer mortgages
• Buy-to-let mortgages
• Remortgage guide
• Contractor mortgages
• Agreement in Principle
• Mortgage broker fees
• Divorce and mortgages
• Gifted deposit
• Should you use the estate agent's recommended broker?
• Documents for a mortgage application
• What happens at a mortgage fact-find
• New build mortgages

General information, not advice. Mortgage Brokers List is a directory and a set of free tools. Only an FCA-authorised adviser can recommend a mortgage for your circumstances. See our editorial standards.