Unlike a CCJ or a default, mortgage arrears do not have a single "satisfied" marker. Instead, each month you were behind was recorded at the time, and each of those entries stays on your file for 6 years from when it was recorded, whether or not you have since caught up. What changes once you clear the arrears is what your file shows next: on-time payments from that point on, sitting alongside the earlier record.
This page looks at how cleared arrears actually appear on your credit file, why the clearing date itself does not reset anything, and what tends to matter most to a lender once you are back on track. For arrears that finished some years ago, see arrears from over 2 years ago. If you are still behind, our page on current arrears covers that instead.
On this page
This page covers
- Credit issue
- Mortgage arrearsUsually stays on your credit file for 6 years from the date recorded.
- Status
- Satisfied or settledSettled issues are generally viewed more favourably than ones still outstanding, though they remain on your file for the full period.
In short
- Mortgage arrears do not have a single "satisfied" marker like a CCJ or default.
- Each month you were behind stays on your file for 6 years from when it was recorded.
- Catching up starts a new, cleaner run of payments, which lenders can see alongside the earlier arrears.
- How long ago the arrears ended, and how clean your record has been since, both matter to a lender.
How do cleared mortgage arrears actually show on your file?
A CCJ or a default has a single status that changes to satisfied once you have paid. Mortgage arrears work differently. Each month, your lender reports how up to date your account was, so a period of arrears shows as a run of monthly entries, each one recorded at the time. Once you catch up, later months simply show as up to date again. The earlier entries do not update to say "cleared"; they stay as they were, and each one drops off 6 years after it was recorded.
That means a file can show a clear run of on-time payments for the last two years, sitting above an earlier period of arrears that is still visible further down the record. A lender reading the file can usually tell the difference between an old, resolved period and a current one.
Does clearing the arrears change the 6-year clock?
No. Each monthly entry stays for 6 years from when it was recorded, not from when you caught up. If you fell behind in 2023 and cleared it within a few months, the record of those months still runs its own 6 years from 2023, separately from your clean payments since.
| What has happened | How it usually reads |
|---|---|
| Arrears cleared very recently | Still viewed cautiously; a clean run needs time to build |
| Arrears cleared a year or more ago, clean since | Often viewed more favourably, especially with a longer clean run |
| Arrears cleared, but other issues followed | The later issues are likely to carry more weight than the resolved arrears |
General illustration only. Every lender weighs this differently, and there is no fixed time period after which arrears stop mattering.
What helped you clear the arrears, and does it matter?
How the arrears were cleared can be worth mentioning to an adviser. Catching up through your own budgeting, a temporary arrangement with your lender, or a lump sum from savings or a family gift can each tell a slightly different story. None of these are better or worse on paper, but being able to explain what changed, and why it is unlikely to happen again, helps an adviser present your case clearly.
If part of what you owed was capitalised, meaning added to your mortgage balance rather than repaid separately, see our page on capitalised arrears for how that is treated differently.
Should you consider a product transfer first?
If your current deal is ending, ask your existing lender about a product transfer before looking elsewhere. Where you are not borrowing more, FCA rules allow lenders to move existing customers to a new deal without a full affordability assessment, which can be useful while your record since the arrears is still building. A lender can still decide what it offers, so this is not guaranteed, but it is usually worth asking about.
If the same period left other debts unpaid, free help is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange and National Debtline to help you get a full picture before you apply.
What may affect options once arrears are cleared
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| When the arrears were cleared | More recent clearance is usually viewed more cautiously than arrears settled some time ago. |
| Length of the clean run since | A longer run of on-time payments after the arrears generally widens options. |
| How the arrears were cleared | Being able to explain what changed helps, even though the method itself is not scored. |
| How far behind you were at the worst point | A brief, small arrears position often reads differently to a deeper or longer one. |
| Whether any of it was capitalised | Capitalised arrears affect your balance and may still show as a historic period of arrears. |
| Other credit issues since | A clean record on everything else since the arrears usually helps the most. |
| Loan to value | More equity generally widens the range of lenders who may consider the application. |
| Income and affordability | Evidence that the position causing the arrears has genuinely resolved. |
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.
- Recent mortgage statements showing the arrears and the payments since
- A short explanation of what caused the arrears and how they were cleared
- Details of any arrangement your lender agreed at the time
- Proof of your current income and outgoings
- An estimate of your property’s value
- Details of any other credit issues from the same period
Frequently asked questions
Why does my credit file still show arrears I cleared months ago?
Mortgage arrears do not have a "satisfied" marker that clears the record. Each monthly entry stays for 6 years from when it was recorded, whether or not you have since caught up. What changes is that your months since then show as up to date.
Does clearing arrears quickly count in my favour?
It can help your case, and it may shorten how long the position looks unresolved, but it does not remove the recorded entries or shorten the 6 years each one stays on your file.
How long after clearing arrears can I remortgage?
There is no fixed waiting period. Some people explore options soon after, others wait to build a longer clean record first. It depends on the rest of your file, your equity and how the specific arrears are viewed.
Is a product transfer easier than a new lender after cleared arrears?
It can be, because a product transfer where you are not borrowing more does not always need a full affordability assessment under FCA rules. It is worth asking your current lender before applying elsewhere.