Can you get a mortgage with a low credit score?

Yes. A low credit score makes a mortgage harder to get, but many applicants with low scores still get one, sometimes from a specialist lender. Lenders do not use the number shown in a credit app. They run their own scoring on the credit file, so the reasons behind a low score matter more than the score itself.

A score can be low because of missed payments, defaults or county court judgments, high balances on cards, many recent applications, or simply a short credit history. Each of these reads differently to a lender, and some are easier to fix than others.

A low score suggests the credit file contains something a lender will weigh against the application, such as recent missed payments, a default or a high use of available credit. Lenders look at what the item is, when it happened and how credit has been run since, then decide using their own model and criteria.

Each credit reference agency uses a different scale, so a score that is low at one agency may look fair at another. How each agency scores a file, and what lenders take from it, is explained in the credit scoring guide, which covers credit files and scores in more detail.

A fair or average score usually means the file has a few minor problems or limited history, rather than serious adverse credit. Many mainstream lenders consider applicants in this position, particularly with a reasonable deposit and stable income. The pricing offered may be less competitive than for applicants with clean files.

Applicants with no credit score at all, because they have little or no credit history, are a separate case. Some lenders consider them, often with a larger deposit, and building a short record of on-time payments first can help.

Lenders check the detail of the credit file, including payment history, defaults, judgments, insolvency, current balances and recent searches. They also check income, outgoings, the deposit and the property. A larger deposit lowers the loan-to-value and opens up more lenders, while affordability checks apply in full whatever the score.

Being declined by one lender does not mean every lender will decline. Criteria vary widely between mainstream and specialist lenders, which is why matching the application to a suitable lender first matters. How lenders treat each type of credit problem is set out in the adverse credit mortgages guide.

Registering on the electoral roll, correcting errors on all three credit files, paying every account on time and keeping card balances well below their limits are the usual first steps. Closing unused accounts, removing old financial links to former partners and avoiding new applications before a mortgage application also help.

Improvements show on the file as each month's payments are reported, so starting a few months before applying gives the changes time to appear. Keeping copies of each credit report, and noting the date each change was made, makes it easier to track progress and to explain the file to a lender. Brokers who arrange adverse credit cases can be compared on the adverse credit mortgage brokers page, by rating, reviews and region.