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Original poster

Renting - Credit Check

35 replies

SillyBillyyy · 10/12/2020 15:59

I’ve always paid my rent but my credit history is awful, with recent CCJs, lots of missed payments on stuff. I would like to move house as my house is two small now but it worries me about the credit check letting agents do. Is there any point in me applying?

And when I say my credit is awful, I literally can’t get excepted for ANYTHING that requires a credit check, mobile phone, high interest credit card etc
Thanks

OP posts:
murbblurb · 10/12/2020 16:00

as a landlord - no, sorry. As the system allows you to move in and pay nothing more, and now stay for 18 months, landlords need rock solid insurance against non payment. No landlord will get it with your history.

while there are no application fees now, you'd be wasting your time.

FoxyTheFox · 10/12/2020 16:17

Apply and be upfront about having poor credit. If you can provide a reference from your current landlord showing that you have no rent arrears and have always paid on time then that'll go in your favour, they may ask for a guarantor too so it could be worth lining someone up in advance in case needed. If you can't get a guarantor then some councils operate a bond scheme which might be able to help:

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/rent_deposit_bond_and_guarantee_schemes

MissBaskinIfYoureNasty · 10/12/2020 16:21

You'd probably save time and money if you just admit you have really bad credit and ask if they will accept a guarantor.

Walkerbean16 · 10/12/2020 16:24

We didn't get a rental as my husband had one CCJ (we didn't know about it all the letters had gone to a wrong address we paid it and got it taken off) so we lost 750 deposit! We had to pay 6 months upfront on another house before the ccj was taken off.

Leaannb · 10/12/2020 16:28

Yea...That would be an absolute no from me as a landlord. If you can't pay your bills on time then why would I trust you to pay rent on time. I wouldn't rent to you with a guarantor or 6 months rent. Instead of looking for a bigger house you can't afford I would concentrate on repairing your credit

SonjaMorgan · 10/12/2020 16:57

As a LL I wouldn't, even with a guarantor. How long ago are the CCJs from?

PotteringAlong · 10/12/2020 17:00

Also a landlord, also a no from me. I couldn’t afford to pay the mortgage for the length of time it would take to evict you if you didn’t pay the rent and the risk is far too high with that credit history.

PatriciaPerch · 10/12/2020 17:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gwenneh · 10/12/2020 17:06

As a landlord I made the mistake of accepting a tenant with bad credit and giving the benefit of the doubt.

I won't be making the mistake again.

LoveMyKidsAndCats · 10/12/2020 17:08

It's not worth the hassle for the landlord op.

triceratops12 · 10/12/2020 17:11

Unfortunately it is very very difficult for anybody to rent with less than perfect credit and savings for upfront deposits. You may find somewhere that allows you to pay six months rent however it might not be the nicest place in the world.

If I was you I'd hold tight and stay where you are until your credit is recovered. If can take six years for a CCJ to disappear.

PatriciaPerch · 10/12/2020 17:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

triceratops12 · 10/12/2020 17:19

@PatriciaPerch I honestly wonder this. I have less than good credit myself and I just figure if I'm lucky I'll be able to stay here long enough for mine to improve. If for what ever reason I'm forced to move... I wonder what would happen?

INeedADayOff · 10/12/2020 17:25

With a recent CCJ I think you’d be extremely lucky to find a landlord who’d take the risk in this climate!

With the rules on eviction it would be a good 12-18 months before they could get rid of you and many wouldn’t take that risks they have a mortgage on the property.

Whaleandsnail6 · 10/12/2020 17:36

We rented with poor credit but this was 10 years ago and from a landlord that had advertised in the classifieds of the local newspaper, not sure many people advertise properties like that anymore?
We could prove we could easily afford the rent and showed wageslip. we didn't even need a guarantor. He was a brilliant landlord, accepted our pet dog as well. We were there for 10 years with no problems on either part until we bought a house.

DianaT1969 · 10/12/2020 17:38

Presumably you don't have a partner to be the lead on the agreement? I'm not sure if the 2nd person's credit rating affects it.
I would stay put if I were you. In what way is the house too small?
In 6 years from the last CCJ you should be good to try.

andawaywego · 10/12/2020 18:43

I went through a stage of having terrible credit, a lot of stuff happened at once, and surprisingly, I did pass a credit check for a rental. It's better to be honest with them and let them know that your score might not be great.

Can you get a reference from current LL that states you've paid monthly on time since X date? It might help.

Private landlords can be good, if you can get a nice one. I don't think they tend to run credit checks, instead asking for proof of income etc. I found our current house on Gumtree, but obviously, look out for scams. Open Rent also has direct landlord rentals.

Woohoowoowoo · 10/12/2020 18:49

@PatriciaPerch

so what actually happens to people with bad credit who can't rent privately? The OP obviously is renting atm, so if she cant stay in that house -for whatever reason- do the LA have an obligation to house her? Renting, by it's very nature, must have loads of tenants with bad credit, otherwise most of them would have mortgages?

we rent with a 100% credit rating btw, so I am over simplifying somewhat as I know re self employed and loads of other reasons

Or maybe they simply don't have the income to save up the £30k needed for a 10% deposit whilst also paying their rent?
Treacletoots · 10/12/2020 18:55

I used to work for a reference company. They said, if an applicant had a CCJ and didn't declare it, it was an automatic fail as they hadn't been up front, and that didn't change when they afterwards were open about it.

If it's fully declared, and it's a one off and you earn enough to pay the rent it is possible to get accepted, but in the current climate with landlords being screwed from every which way, it's an entirely different matter to ask if they'd be happy to take such a risk.

Jammysod · 10/12/2020 19:06

With more than 1 recent CCJ & multiple missed payments I don't think you would stand a chance. Would you even be able to afford to pay more rent on a bigger place if you can't pay your bills now?
Like a previous poster said, I'd work on sorting your debts/credit history out first.

Jarstastic · 10/12/2020 20:44

I think the CCJs are an issue. I don’t think they will see your missed payments.
Some options:

  • does your current landlord own any bigger properties they rent out?
  • offer rolling 6 or 12 months in advance (some landlords will choose this just to avoid having to credit check people as these days they have to pay for credit checks themselves can’t charge to tenants)
  • Have a partner take out tenancy solely in their name/responsibility for rent and you officially live somewhere else eg a parents place and/or just go on the tenancy as a permitted occupier
  • go into a house share where they probably won’t check you
  • go into an annexe type accommodation where they probably won’t check you
  • ask as usual but if you think they will check you then be upfront

Of course you should try and clean up your credit record as well.

PatriciaPerch · 10/12/2020 20:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bluespace · 11/12/2020 06:51

I’m currently in the same situation, CCJ on file from 2017 and a couple of missed payments. I’ve paid them all off now, but all properties I’ve tried to rent have turned us away.

We’ve got a high salary, never missed a rent payment but due to the previous defaults we’ll be stuck here until 6yrs has passed

movingonup20 · 11/12/2020 06:55

Unless you live in an area with empty properties, you will need a guarantor. I strongly recommend getting your act in gear re missing payments before you increase your rent. They can see how recent defaults are, and you say recent which will reduce your chances even further.

dontdisturbmenow · 11/12/2020 07:54

It all comes down to demand. A LL would be a fool to take you over another prospective tenant with perfect credit history.

So your best chance would be to go for a property that hasn't attracted any interest and the LL getting desperate. The problem of course is that there is often a reason for a rental property to show no interest.

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