How long do mortgage arrears stay on your credit file?

Mortgage arrears stay on your credit file for six years. That is the single figure that answers the question, and it applies whether the record is a missed payment, a run of arrears or a formal default. Information about the debt is taken off your file after six years even if you still owe it¹.

The six years normally runs from the date the account defaulted, or from the date the debt was paid off, whichever applies to your situation¹. Paying the arrears does not wipe the record early. It stops the situation getting worse and it changes how lenders read the file, but the missed payments themselves remain visible for the full period.

What follows sets out what counts as arrears, how a missed payment differs from a default, when the clock starts, what paying up does and does not change, and where to get free help. If you are behind now, the practical steps and the protection that applies to you are covered on mortgage arrears: what to do if you cannot pay.

What counts as mortgage arrears on your credit file

You have mortgage arrears if you are behind with your payments³. That is the whole of the definition, and it does not require a formal default notice or any court action. A single missed monthly payment is enough to create a record.

Missed mortgage payments are recorded on your credit file, and all missed, late or partial payments are recorded there for at least six years³. The record shows the fact of the missed payment and, in many cases, the number of months you have been in arrears⁷. That running count is what a lender reads when it assesses a new application: not just that something went wrong, but how long it lasted.

Two features of the record catch people out. The first is that it is shared. On a joint mortgage, a missed payment shows up on both credit reports regardless of whose fault it was, and the same is true of any joint debt where one person was supposed to pay⁸. The second is that rent does not work the same way. Missed mortgage payments appear on credit reports for six years, but rent payments and rent arrears do not appear⁵. A tenant who falls behind with rent does not build the same credit file record, though the landlord can still take other action.

Arrears are not the same as a default, and the difference matters for how the file reads. Arrears are the running state of being behind. A default is a formal marker a lender places on the account, usually after a longer period of non-payment, and it is the default date that normally anchors the six-year clock².

Missed payments, arrears and defaults: how each is recorded

The three terms describe different stages of the same problem, and each leaves a different mark.

A missed payment is a single failure to pay on the due date. It is recorded on your credit file and can leave a mark for six years¹⁰. A late payment is treated the same way: late payments stay on your credit history for six years, as do missed payments and defaults¹¹.

Arrears describe the ongoing position of being behind. Lenders record the number of months in arrears, and the record updates as the position changes⁷. Where a lender agrees a reduced payment or interest-only arrangement during illness, the shortfall becomes agreed arrears and can be recorded on the consumer's credit file¹². Agreed or not, it is still a record of falling behind.

A default is the formal marker. Credit accounts in default stay on your credit report for six years from the date of default². A default will stay on the consumer's credit file for six years¹³. It makes it harder to borrow more money because it stays on your credit file for six years¹⁴.

The pattern is consistent across the credit reference agencies: six years is the standard retention period for adverse information, whether it is a missed payment, a default notice or a court judgment¹⁸. The same six years applies to a debt relief order, and the debts listed in it will not show as paid or settled during that time¹⁷.

When the six years start and when the record drops off

The start date depends on what is being recorded, and getting it wrong is one of the most common sources of confusion.

For a default, the clock runs from the date the default was registered. Details will stay on the credit reference agency's files for six years from the date the default was registered, for mortgage debts and secured loans². For a debt that has been paid, the clock runs from the date of payment: debts show on your credit file for six years from the date they are paid off, or the date the account defaulted¹.

For a county court judgment, the six years runs from the date of judgment, and the information stays on your credit reference file and the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for six years from that date unless it is paid in full within one calendar month¹⁵. Paying a judgment later does not shorten the period, but the record will show that you have paid the debt¹⁹.

The same six-year rule applies to a debt that has been written off. Any records on your credit file will stay on there for six years²⁰. Accounts appear on your credit file for six years from when they default²¹. A written-off debt remains on the file for up to six years²².

There is one further wrinkle worth knowing. A court judgment is recorded on your credit reference file for six years and can affect your ability to get further credit²³. Where a judgment is set aside, the position changes, but that is a separate legal process rather than a credit file correction.

Paying off arrears: what changes on your file

Clearing the arrears is the right move for your home and your wider finances, but it does not reset the credit file. A record of arrears stays on your credit report for six years and is then removed, as long as the arrears have been repaid in full³. The removal happens at the six-year point either way; paying up determines whether the record shows as settled when it goes.

What paying does change is the direction of travel. Missed payments go on your credit file and can make it harder to get credit in future and to remortgage²⁴. Once the arrears are cleared and payments resume, the file stops accumulating new adverse entries, and the most recent behaviour is what lenders weight most heavily.

Arrangements that reduce your payments usually still show as arrears. A payment holiday or a reduced payment arrangement will show as arrears on your credit file, and interest continues to be charged on the mortgage while payments are paused²⁵. A debt management plan affects your credit score because payments are lower than what you agreed, so arrears build up each month and are recorded in the payment history²⁶.

Lenders typically expect arrears to be cleared over a set period. Lenders will sometimes ask you to pay off the arrears over 12 to 24 months⁶. Where the arrears are added to the loan instead, most lenders will usually expect you to meet your regular mortgage repayments for at least six months before they will agree⁶.

How arrears affect your credit score over time

The effect is real but it fades, and the shape of that fade is what matters when you plan ahead.

While the record is live, mortgage arrears will put a mark on your credit record and may prevent you from buying a house in the future²⁸. If you are in arrears with your mortgage or any other debts, your credit rating will be affected and it is unlikely you will get a good mortgage offer²⁹. That is the position during the six years, not permanently.

The record does not sit still. Missed payments will show on your file for six years and will not affect your credit score after that time⁹. Late or missed repayments and bankruptcies stay on your report for up to six years³⁰. Once the period ends, the entry drops off and stops being counted.

Two practical points follow. First, the age of the arrears matters as much as their existence: a lender reading a file sees a problem that ended four years ago differently from one that ended last month. Second, the six years runs whether or not you are still in arrears, so time passes either way. Regulatory reporting data shows the average amount of time for a customer to be in arrears is approximately 12 months³¹, which means many borrowers are clear of the arrears themselves well before the credit file record expires.

A mortgage shortfall after repossession: six years on your file

Where a home is sold after repossession for less than the mortgage owed, the leftover amount is a shortfall, and it has its own credit file and legal consequences.

The credit file entry follows the same six-year rule. It will be recorded on your credit file for six years³². If you have fallen behind with your mortgage, this will show as a default on your credit file and will stay on there for six years⁴. When your home is repossessed it stays on your credit record for up to 6 years³³.

The debt itself can be pursued for longer than the credit file entry lasts, and the two periods differ. Mortgage lenders have 12 years to try to recover a mortgage shortfall from you through the courts, and six years to recover interest owing³⁴. The six-year figure applies to the interest part of the shortfall in England and Wales³⁵. That gap between six years on the file and 12 years of legal exposure is the reason a shortfall deserves separate attention; it is covered in more detail on do I still owe a mortgage shortfall after repossession?.

Can I get another mortgage with arrears on my credit file?

It is possible, but the terms and the available lenders narrow. Lenders assess the size and age of the arrears alongside your wider position, and some borrowers are shut out of the cheapest options entirely.

The eligibility rules bite hardest on switching. Those clients with mortgage arrears remain ineligible to move to a more affordable deal, either with their current lender or another provider, under the up-to-date with payments over the previous 12 months clause³⁶. That means a borrower in arrears can be stuck on a more expensive deal precisely when they can least afford it.

Where a lender is willing to help, the options include extending the term. The likelihood of your lender agreeing to do this usually depends on how large your arrears are, your age and expected retirement date, whether you have a permanent job, and the remaining term³⁷. If you cannot meet the extra payments, you may be able to delay them for a while or add them to your loan³⁸. Adding arrears to the loan is known as capitalising them, and most lenders will usually expect you to meet your regular mortgage repayments for at least six months before they will agree⁶.

A time order is a separate route where you need more time than you have left on your mortgage agreement to repay the arrears³⁹. It is a court-based solution and is explained on what is a time order for mortgage arrears?.

Where to get help if you have fallen behind with your mortgage

The first step is telling your lender, and doing it early. If you are in arrears with your mortgage, let your lender know, and get advice as soon as possible to avoid penalty fees for late or missed mortgage payments⁴⁰. Lenders have duties here: on arrears they must provide the regulatory information sheet or the National Homelessness Advice Service, Shelter or Cymru booklet on mortgage arrears where appropriate, information on current monthly instalments and amounts paid for the last two years, and information on the amount of arrears including total arrears, total outstanding, and whether interest or charges have been or will be added⁴¹.

Free, impartial help is available and does not cost anything. MoneyHelper provides government-backed guidance, and debt advice charities including StepChange and National Debtline offer free support, as do Citizens Advice and, in Northern Ireland, Advice NI. If a complaint about how your lender handled the arrears is not resolved, the Financial Ombudsman Service can look at it; if you have already missed payments, any help you receive will impact your credit file⁴².

The rules differ slightly across the UK. In Northern Ireland, the Department for Communities publishes guidance on mortgage arrears and payment difficulties³⁸. In Scotland and Wales, the court process and the support schemes differ, and the relevant routes are set out on mortgage arrears: what to do if you cannot pay. Where repossession becomes a risk, the pre-action rules set out what a lender must do before going to court⁴¹, and free housing advice is available from Shelter in England and Shelter Cymru in Wales.