Renting and credit checks

[Pickleypickles]

Hi all, posting for traffic and because I didn't know where else it belonged.
My parents are selling the house I live in, I need to move before the end of September and it's just dawned on me that I don't have a credit score, I have never had a loan/credit card or even a store card, I have never privately rented and even my phone bill I just ring and pay every month not on a direct debit, rang experian and they said they couldn't do a credit check as I've never had credit and then said that's just as bad as having bad credit.
I can't improve my credit score before September and really don't want to go into a housing association property, does anyone know if I will be able to rent privately without a credit score?
TIA!

Your phone bill will be on there if it's on a contract, regardless of how you pay for it.

Normally a credit check for a tenancy is just looking for ccjs and bankruptcy. As you have no credit, you won't have those so should be fine

Is your phone a contract phone or PAYG?

You might me able to find a private landlord without going through an agency, but you'll need to pay deposit and some rent in advance, I'd imagine.

My old landlord never did credit checks - asked for a deposit and one month's rent before moving in and that was it - he was very old school though and rent was paid by cheque/cash and he did handwritten receipts.

It was a legitimate tenancy and it all went through the council but so long as the rent was paid he didn't require anything else.

You have had credit, your phone contract needed a credit check and as you've paid it every month that will go on your credit score. Try a different company such as Noddle, and see what they say. Don't panic.

Get some credit and store cards to get the ball rolling.

If you can prove you have no credit score at all because you've had no credit then I would accept you as my tenant as long as my agency didn't advise me completely against it.

Good luck.

Are you on the electoral roll?

Do you have a bank account? That would be on there

Not necessarily @YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake.

A lot of places think it's suspicious when grown adults (as in, over 21/25) don't have any sort of credit history. It's one of the reasons I got a credit card and a phone contract!

If you're on the electoral roll and have a bank account you will show up. Letting agents generally look for CCJ's and bankruptcy. If your score is super low you might be asked for a guarantor, would that be an option?

Have a bank account and phone is on contract, I needed to get one of experian when they changed the government website and they said they couldn't do it as phone didn't count if it was not on a DD. I will try some other companies today thank you

A phone does count, regardless of payment method.

Are you on the electoral roll?

Try clearscore.com

The absence of any credit history, as opposed to an actively bad credit history, can be tricky. I think it predominantly affects you if you're trying to get a loan. As Youcan'tbesad said, many tenancy credit checks focus on the negatives like CCJs, and if you have a provable income (preferably from a salaried employed position) then that's what most LL are interested in.

But... a total lack of credit can be a problem when renting. I know expats who've returned to the UK with good jobs and still been knocked back for this in competitive rental areas. In most cases putting up 6 months or even a year's rent in advance did the trick.

It really does vary depending on LL and local market conditions, though.

Are you sure you have absolutely zero credit history, though? Even if you make manual payments each month, is your phone on a contract? Do you have any insurance which you pay for in monthly installments? Ever bought anything from an online retailer who sets you up with an account (Next?)? Did you have a tenancy agreement for your parents' property (it doesn't sound like you lived with them) or pay any rent?

You would have had to have a credit check carried out if your phone is contract and not pay as you go so if you've been paying off that with no issues every month you'll have a good credit score. Another option to boost credit score is using a credit card for small purchases and paying it off in full every month.

I got one off noodle! Thank you guys I just resumed if experian said no they all would and I got 4/5 of noodle so a lot less worried now. Thank you all again!!