Lenders never see the number in your credit app. They read the information on your credit report, apply their own scoring and criteria, and assess affordability. What matters is why your score is low: a thin file, an error, a financial link to someone else, or real adverse credit such as missed payments. Some causes can be fixed before you apply. Others narrow the options but do not always rule a remortgage out.
This page explains what lenders look at, the common reasons for a low score and the checks worth doing first. If you already know the cause, for example a county court judgment or defaults, the dedicated pages go into more detail.
On this page
In short
- Lenders see your credit report, not the score shown in an app.
- Each agency uses its own scale, so your scores will not match.
- Errors, thin files and financial links can often be fixed before you apply.
- You can get your statutory credit report free from each agency.
Do mortgage lenders see your credit score?
No. The scores in credit apps are calculated by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion for consumers. Each uses a different scale, so a score that looks poor with one agency may look fair with another. None of these numbers is what a lender uses.
A lender searches one or more agencies, reads the report and runs it through its own scoring model, alongside its lending criteria and your application details. Two lenders can reach different decisions from the same report. That is why a decline from one lender does not mean every lender will say no, and why a high app score is no guarantee of acceptance.
The entries on your credit report, and whether they are accurate, are what lenders assess. Improving the report is what improves your position.
Why is my credit score low?
| Reason | What a lender may see | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Missed or late payments | Payment markers on cards, loans, phone contracts or utilities. | Keep every account up to date from now on. See remortgaging with missed payments. |
| Thin credit file | Little or no credit history to assess. | Check you are on the electoral register and that existing accounts are being reported. |
| High credit use | Balances close to your credit limits. | Reducing balances where you can may help over time. |
| Recent applications | Several hard searches in a short period. | Space out applications and use eligibility checks that only leave a soft search. |
| Errors or old addresses | Accounts you do not recognise, wrong details or missing address links. | Raise a dispute with the agency showing the error. |
| Financial associations | A link to someone with poor credit through a joint account or mortgage. | Ask for the link to be removed if you no longer share finances. |
General information only. Each lender decides how much weight to give each entry.
Thin files, the electoral roll and financial associations
Thin credit files
A thin file means there is not much for a lender to assess. It is common if you have avoided credit, moved to the UK recently or not used credit for many years. A thin file is not the same as bad credit, but it can make scoring harder.
The electoral register
Being on the electoral register at your current address helps lenders confirm who you are and where you live. If you are not registered, you can register to vote on GOV.UK.
Financial associations
A joint mortgage, joint bank account or joint loan links your file to the other person’s, and lenders may look at their credit as well as yours. If you no longer have any joint finances with someone, for example after a separation, you can ask each agency to remove the link.
How to check your credit reports for free
Everyone is entitled to their statutory credit report free of charge from each of Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Lenders may search any of them, and not every creditor reports to all three, so check each one.
- Every account is yours and the balances look right.
- There are no late payment markers or defaults you do not recognise.
- Your current and previous addresses are correct.
- You know who you are financially linked to.
- You know which hard searches have been recorded recently.
If you find an error, raise a dispute with the agency, which will check with the organisation that reported it. If an entry is accurate but there was a reason for it, you can add a short notice of correction explaining what happened. Lenders may read it, although it does not change the entry itself.
Hard and soft searches when you are looking to remortgage
A hard search is recorded when you apply for credit, and other lenders can see it. Several in a short time can suggest you are struggling to get credit, which may make the next lender more cautious. Soft searches, such as eligibility checks and checking your own file, are not visible to lenders.
After a decline, applying elsewhere straight away can add more hard searches. It is usually better to find out why first. A specialist adviser can often look at your situation before any lender carries out a hard search.
When a low score reflects adverse credit
Sometimes a low score reflects real problems, such as mortgage arrears, defaults, CCJs or insolvency. Accurate entries cannot be removed, but their effect tends to fade with time, and most drop off after 6 years. In the meantime, some lenders specialise in adverse credit, usually at higher rates than the high street.
Equity can help too. A lower loan-to-value may widen your options, as our guide on how LTV affects a bad credit remortgage explains. Our guide to what counts as adverse credit covers how different entries are viewed.
What may affect your remortgage options
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Age of any negative entries | Recent missed payments or defaults usually weigh more than older ones. Most negative entries drop off after 6 years. |
| Size of any debts in arrears or default | A small default on a phone contract may be viewed differently from a large unpaid loan, depending on the lender. |
| Whether problems are settled | Settled or satisfied accounts show the debt has been dealt with, even though the record stays for its full period. |
| Number of entries | One isolated late payment is very different from a pattern of problems across several accounts. |
| Current mortgage payment history | Your mortgage record is often the account lenders look at most closely. A clean record can go some way to offsetting weaker areas. |
| Property value | An up-to-date valuation sets how much equity you have to work with. |
| Outstanding mortgage balance | What you owe, plus any extra borrowing, decides the loan size and your LTV. |
| Loan-to-value and equity | More equity can widen the choice of lenders when your credit file is weaker. |
| Income and affordability | Lenders assess income and committed outgoings. High card balances can affect affordability as well as your credit file. |
| Employment type | Employed, self-employed and contract income are evidenced differently. A thin file combined with recent self-employment can mean more questions. |
These are general points, not lender rules. Each lender sets and changes its own criteria.
Information an adviser may ask for
You don’t need all of this to make an enquiry. It helps to know where to find it, because an adviser is likely to ask about most of it.
- Copies of your statutory credit reports from all three agencies
- Details of any disputes or notices of correction you have raised
- Your address history, commonly for at least the last 3 years
- Confirmation that you are on the electoral register
- Anyone you are financially linked to through joint accounts
- Any recent credit applications and whether they were declined
- Details of your current mortgage and its payment history
- Proof of income and your regular monthly outgoings
Specific credit score situations
More detail for particular circumstances.
What to do if you have been declined for a remortgage before
Why a decline from one lender does not mean every lender will say no, how to find out what happened, and how to prepare before applying again.
Remortgaging with a history of payday loans
How payday loans show on your credit file, why some lenders may view them differently to other credit even when fully repaid, and what tends to help.
Remortgaging with a thin credit file
Why a thin credit file is different from bad credit, how your mortgage and other everyday accounts help build a track record, and what to check before applying.
Remortgaging when you have had several recent credit searches
What a hard search is, why several close together can affect a lender’s view, and how to avoid adding more before a remortgage.
Frequently asked questions
Which credit reference agency do mortgage lenders use?
It varies. Some lenders use one agency, others use two or all three, and you will not always know in advance which one will be searched. That is why checking your reports from all three is sensible. An entry that appears on one report may be missing from another, because not every creditor reports to every agency.
Will checking my own credit report lower my score?
No. Checking your own report is a soft search. It is visible to you but not to lenders, and it does not affect how they assess you. The same usually applies to eligibility checks that are clearly described as soft searches. It is full credit applications that leave a hard search other lenders can see.
How quickly can I improve my credit file before remortgaging?
Some changes can show fairly quickly, such as correcting an error, registering to vote or removing an old financial link, because agencies update as organisations report to them. Paying down card balances may also help. Accurate negative entries such as defaults cannot be removed, but their effect fades with time. If your current deal is ending soon, an adviser can look at what may be possible now rather than waiting.
Can I remortgage with very little credit history?
A very thin file can make scoring difficult, because lenders have little to judge you on. Your existing mortgage helps, as it is usually reported to the agencies and shows a record of payments. Being on the electoral register and having a bank account in your name also help lenders verify you. Some lenders are more comfortable with limited histories than others.
Can a partner’s bad credit affect my remortgage?
Their problems are not copied onto your file, but if you share a joint account or mortgage you are financially associated, and a lender may look at their file too. On a joint remortgage both files are assessed. If you no longer share finances, you can ask the agencies to remove the link. If their credit issue is serious, such as bankruptcy, an adviser will want to know.
I was declined. Should I apply somewhere else straight away?
It is usually better to pause and find out why. You can ask the lender which credit reference agency it used, then check that report for errors or entries you did not expect. Applying repeatedly adds hard searches, which other lenders can see. An adviser can review the likely cause and suggest lenders whose criteria may fit.