A single missed mortgage payment is treated more seriously than a missed payment on most other accounts, because it is exactly the kind of payment history a mortgage lender is trying to assess. One missed payment, caught up quickly and followed by a clean record, is a very different position from being currently behind, and it does not automatically mean you are in arrears.
This page looks at how one missed mortgage payment shows on your file, why lenders weigh it more heavily than other missed payments, and what to do if it happens. For a missed payment on another type of account, see our page on remortgaging with one missed payment instead.
On this page
This page covers
- Credit issue
- Missed paymentsUsually stays on your credit file for 6 years from the date recorded.
- How many
- One issueA single, explained issue is often easier to place than several.
In short
- A missed mortgage payment usually carries more weight than a missed payment on other credit accounts.
- One missed payment, caught up quickly, is not the same as ongoing mortgage arrears.
- Contacting your lender early, even before a payment is due, can open up more options.
- The marker stays on your file for 6 years from when it was recorded.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Borrowing over a longer term can mean paying back more in total.
Is one missed mortgage payment the same as mortgage arrears?
Not necessarily. Mortgage arrears usually describes an ongoing situation where you owe one or more monthly payments and have not caught up. A single missed payment that you pay shortly afterwards, so your account is back up to date the following month, is generally a narrower and less serious position. Our page on remortgaging with mortgage arrears covers the ongoing situation in more depth.
The distinction matters because some lenders draw a fairly hard line between the two. A lender that would decline an application with current arrears may still consider one where a single payment was missed some time ago and has not recurred.
How does a single missed mortgage payment show on your file?
Your mortgage lender reports your payment status to the credit reference agencies roughly once a month. If a payment is missed, that month is marked as behind, in the same way as any other loan account. The marker stays on your file for 6 years from when it was recorded, whether or not you have since caught up and kept the mortgage on track.
| Situation | What the record shows | How it is often viewed |
|---|---|---|
| Missed once, caught up the next month | One month marked as behind, then a return to up to date | Often viewed as a specific event rather than an ongoing problem |
| Missed once, still not caught up | One month behind and counting | Usually viewed as the start of arrears until it is resolved |
For illustration only. Each lender assesses the detail of your history in its own way.
Why do lenders weigh a missed mortgage payment more heavily?
Most missed payments tell a lender something indirect about how you manage money in general. A missed mortgage payment tells them directly how you handled a mortgage, which is the exact product they are being asked to lend on. That is why even one missed mortgage payment can prompt closer questions than a missed payment on a card or a phone bill, and why some lenders will look more carefully at your recent bank statements as a result.
What should you do straight after missing a mortgage payment?
Contact your lender as soon as you realise, even if you have already paid or plan to pay within days. Lenders must treat customers fairly and consider forbearance options if you are struggling, and getting in touch early tends to lead to a better outcome than waiting to be chased.
- Pay the missed amount as soon as you can, and check the following payment goes through as normal.
- Ask your lender to confirm in writing once your account is back up to date.
- Keep a note of what happened and when, in case you need to explain it later.
- If it happened because your budget is stretched more widely, speak to a free debt adviser as well as your lender.
Free, confidential advice is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange and National Debtline. Speaking to your lender and a debt adviser early can help stop a single missed payment turning into ongoing arrears.
Could it still affect a remortgage months or years later?
It can still show up, since the marker remains on your file for 6 years, but its effect on a remortgage tends to fade the longer your payments have stayed on track since. A single missed payment from two or three years ago, with a clean mortgage record ever since, is generally viewed very differently from the same marker last month.
If your deal is ending and your record has been clean since the missed payment, ask your current lender about a product transfer. Where you are not borrowing more, FCA rules allow lenders to switch existing customers without a full affordability assessment, though the lender can still decide what it offers you.
What may shape how a missed mortgage payment is viewed
With a mortgage account, lenders are usually trying to judge whether one payment was an isolated event.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How quickly you caught up | Paying within days or weeks and returning to up to date the next month is usually viewed differently from an account that stays behind. |
| How long ago it happened | A missed mortgage payment from several years ago, with nothing since, tends to carry less weight over time. |
| Whether it has happened more than once | A single event is generally easier to explain than a recurring pattern on the same mortgage. |
| Your record on the mortgage since | Every on-time payment since adds evidence that the missed payment was a specific event rather than an ongoing issue. |
| Other entries on your file | A missed mortgage payment alongside other credit issues, such as defaults, may be viewed more cautiously overall. |
| Property value and equity | More equity generally widens the range of lenders willing to consider an application after a missed mortgage payment. |
| Income and affordability | Lenders will want to see that whatever caused the missed payment has passed and the new payment is comfortably affordable. |
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.
- The month the mortgage payment was missed
- How quickly you caught up, and confirmation your account is up to date now
- A brief explanation of what caused it
- Recent mortgage statements showing your payment history
- Your mortgage balance, monthly payment and deal end date
- An estimate of your property’s value
- Recent proof of income
Frequently asked questions
Will one missed mortgage payment stop me remortgaging?
Not necessarily, particularly if it happened some time ago, was caught up quickly and your mortgage record has been clean since. It is treated more seriously than a missed payment on most other accounts, so expect an adviser to ask more about it, but it does not automatically rule out a remortgage.
Does my lender have to report a single missed mortgage payment?
Mortgage lenders generally report payment status to the credit reference agencies each month as a matter of course, so a missed payment is usually reported in the normal way. It is worth asking your lender to confirm once you have caught up, so your record is updated correctly.
Can I catch up before it gets recorded?
It depends on the timing of your lender’s reporting cycle. Contact your lender as soon as you realise a payment has been missed, since paying promptly may make a difference to how it is recorded, and it certainly helps limit any arrears building up further.
Is a missed payment during an agreed payment holiday different?
A payment arrangement agreed in advance with your lender is generally recorded differently from a payment that is simply missed, since it shows the lender was aware and agreed to it. Ask your lender in writing how any agreed arrangement will show on your credit file before it starts.