Can You Get a Mortgage With Missed Payments? What UK Lenders Actually Do

A missed payment is a scheduled repayment you did not make on time and which your lender reports to the credit reference agencies. Yes, you can get a mortgage with missed payments on your record. Approval depends on three things: what you missed, how recently, and how many times. This guide explains exactly how UK lenders read those markers and what your realistic options are.

Two different worries usually sit behind this question. If you have missed payments on your credit file and you want a new mortgage, that is the main focus of this guide, so read on. If you have missed, or are about to miss, a payment on your current mortgage, skip to the arrears section further down, then speak to us.

Can you get a mortgage with missed payments?

Yes. A missed payment does not automatically block a mortgage. Lenders assess the pattern, not a single line on a report. A couple of minor, aged, unsecured missed payments with a clean recent 12 months are often accepted by mainstream lenders at normal rates. More recent, more frequent, or more serious markers push you toward specialist lenders who price for the risk.

The reason competitors leave this vague is that there is no single yes or no answer. What decides it is the combination below: the type of account you missed, how many months you fell behind, how long ago it happened, and whether it is now up to date. A whole-of-market broker matches your specific profile to the lender most likely to accept it, rather than you applying blind and collecting a decline that damages your file further.

How do missed payments show up on your credit file?

Missed payments appear as a monthly payment status marker on each account, running from 0 to 6. Lenders read these markers directly. They tell a far more detailed story than your headline credit score, which is why two people with the same score can get different decisions.

Marker	What it means
0 (or “OK”)	Paid on time, up to date
1	One month behind (a late or missed payment)
2	Two months in arrears
3	Three months in arrears
4 to 5	Four to five months in arrears
6	Six months in arrears, usually the point a default follows
AR	Arrangement to pay (a reduced payment plan agreed with the lender)
D	Default: the account has been closed as unpaid

Missed and late payment markers stay visible for six years from the date they were reported. Recent markers, especially the last 12 months, weigh most heavily. Their impact tapers noticeably after two years and again after four.

Does it matter what you missed?

It matters a great deal. Lenders rank missed payments by how serious the underlying commitment was. A missed payment on a mobile phone contract is not read the same way as a missed payment on a mortgage or secured loan. The more the account resembles a mortgage, the more weight it carries.

Type of account missed	How lenders treat it
Mobile, utility, mail order	Mildest. Often overlooked if aged and now clear
Credit card, overdraft, unsecured loan	Moderate. Recency and count matter
Car finance, hire purchase	Higher weight, seen as a committed repayment
Mortgage or secured loan	Most serious. A recent one can restrict you to specialist lenders

This is the single most useful thing to understand. A late Vodafone bill from two years ago is not the same problem as a missed mortgage payment last month, even though both show as a “1” on your file. If your missed payments are minor and unsecured, your options are far wider than most panic-Googling suggests.

How many missed payments can you have on a mortgage?

There is no fixed limit. As a working guide, the fewer and the older, the better your options. One or two minor, unsecured missed payments from more than 12 months ago keep you in mainstream territory. Several recent missed payments, or any recent missed payment on a mortgage, move you to specialist lenders with a larger deposit.

Your situation	Likely lender route	Typical deposit
1 to 2 minor missed payments, over 12 months old	Mainstream, often standard rates	5% to 10%
Missed payments in the last 12 months, unsecured	Mainstream or specialist, case by case	10% to 15%
Multiple recent, or a recent secured miss	Specialist, human underwriting	15% to 25%
Missed payments that became a default	Specialist adverse-credit lender	15% to 25%+

These are principles, not a lender list, because criteria change constantly. Specialist lenders underwrite the story: they look at why the payment was missed, whether it was a one-off, and how stable your finances are now. That human assessment is exactly why the right placement matters.

What is the 6 month rule for mortgages?

There is no single “6 month rule”, and that is worth saying plainly, because the phrase gets used loosely. Two separate things sit behind it.

• The property ownership rule. Most mainstream lenders will not lend against a property that the current owner has held for under six months. It is an industry guideline from UK Finance, introduced to reduce fraud, measured from the HM Land Registry date, not the day you completed.
• Mortgage offer validity. A mortgage offer typically lasts three to six months. High street lenders usually give six; some specialist lenders give three.

Neither is a rule that your missed payments vanish, or become acceptable, after six months. Markers stay on your file for six years. What lenders genuinely value is a clean recent run of conduct, and six months of on-time payments does help evidence that. So the honest version is: there is no magic six-month reset, but six months of clean payments strengthens your case.

Can you have a 700 credit score with missed payments?

Yes, you can. A 700 score can sit alongside missed payments, and it can still be approved or declined depending on the arrears pattern behind it. There is no universal UK credit score. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion each score on different scales, and every lender applies its own internal scorecard on top.

This is why the score number matters less than the detail. A lender does not see “700”; it sees the actual markers, the account types, the dates, and how you compare to its own risk appetite. Two applicants with identical 700 scores can get opposite decisions if one has a recent secured miss and the other a two-year-old phone blip. Focus on the markers and the recency, not the headline number.

A real example of how this plays out

Consider a first-time buyer earning £38,000, buying at £190,000 with a 10% deposit of £19,000, needing to borrow £171,000. Their file shows two missed credit card payments (marker “1” twice), the most recent 14 months ago, both since cleared. Their last 12 months are spotless.

Because the missed payments are minor, unsecured, aged over 12 months and now satisfied, several mainstream lenders will consider the case at standard rates. The 10% deposit is comfortable. No specialist lender is needed. The outcome hinges entirely on the recency and clean recent conduct, not the fact that a missed payment exists at all. Had those same two misses been on a mortgage three months ago, the same borrower would likely be placed with a specialist lender and asked for a 15% deposit instead.

The bad advice you should ignore

Plenty of online advice on this topic is simply wrong. It costs people mortgages they could have had. Three claims to disregard:

• “You must wait six years.” False. You do not need to wait for markers to drop off. Many lenders accept applications with live markers still on file.
• “You have to clear every debt first.” False. Clearing an account does not remove the marker, and lenders would rather see managed, affordable credit than a scramble to zero.
• “One late payment ends it.” False. A single minor missed payment rarely stops a mortgage, especially if it is unsecured and aged.

If you have been declined before, that is not the end of the road either. Previously declined applicants are one of the groups we place most often, because a decline is usually a sign of the wrong lender, not an unlendable borrower.

What if you’ve missed a payment on your current mortgage?

If the missed payment is on the mortgage you already hold, the priority is different: act quickly. Contact your lender before the next payment is due. Missed mortgage payments become arrears, and sustained arrears can lead to a default and, ultimately, repossession action, so silence is the worst option.

Lenders are obliged to treat borrowers in difficulty fairly and will often agree a temporary arrangement, a repayment plan, or a product transfer to reduce the monthly cost. A missed mortgage payment does also affect future applications more than an unsecured miss, so getting the account back on track and documented matters. If you are unsure what to ask for, book a call and we will talk through the options with you.

How to strengthen a mortgage application with missed payments

A few practical steps genuinely move the needle:

• Register on the electoral roll at your current address.
• Bring every account up to date and keep it there; recent clean conduct is what lenders look for.
• Let the marker age. Even a few extra months of distance helps.
• Add a larger deposit where you can. It widens lender choice and offsets risk.
• Check your file with all three agencies and correct any errors before you apply.
• Use a whole-of-market broker to place the case with a lender that tolerates your specific markers, rather than applying blind.

For more serious markers, our related guides go deeper: read about a mortgage with a CCJ, a mortgage after an IVA, and how long bankruptcy lasts in the UK. To rebuild before you apply, see our guide on how to improve your credit score for a mortgage, or explore our bad credit mortgages service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to get a mortgage with missed payments?

Yes. Missed payments do not automatically disqualify you. Mainstream lenders often accept one or two minor, aged, unsecured missed payments with a clean recent 12 months. Recent, frequent, or secured missed payments usually mean a specialist lender and a larger deposit, commonly 15% to 25%.

How many missed payments can you have on a mortgage?

There is no fixed number. One or two minor missed payments over 12 months old keep most people in mainstream lending. Several recent missed payments, or any recent missed payment on a mortgage or secured loan, typically move you to specialist lenders who assess each case individually.

What is the 6 month rule for mortgages?

There is no single rule. The term usually refers to the industry guideline that most lenders will not lend against a property owned for under six months, or to mortgage offers lasting three to six months. It does not mean missed payments disappear after six months; those stay on file for six years.

Can you have a 700 credit score with missed payments?

Yes. A 700 score can coexist with missed payments and can still be approved or declined. There is no universal UK score: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion score differently, and lenders apply their own scorecards. Lenders read the actual markers and their recency, not just the number.

How long do missed payments stay on your credit file?

Six years from the date they were reported. Recent markers, particularly the last 12 months, carry the most weight, with the impact tapering after two and four years. Paying off the account does not remove the marker early, though it does show as satisfied.

Does one missed payment affect a mortgage application?

Rarely on its own. A single minor, unsecured missed payment, especially an aged one that is now cleared, is usually manageable. A recent missed payment on a mortgage or secured loan is more serious and may restrict your lender choice, so it is worth taking advice before applying.

Will a bigger deposit help if I have missed payments?

Yes. A larger deposit reduces the lender’s risk and widens your options. Applicants with older issues may only need 10% to 15%, while recent or multiple missed payments often call for 15% to 25% or more. More deposit generally means better rates and more lenders willing to consider you.

Speak to a Mortgage Adviser

If you have questions or want to discuss your options, book a free discovery call below.

Book a Free Discovery Call

---

Your home may be repossessed if you don’t keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Knox Mortgages is a trading style of Fort Advice Bureau which is regulated and authorised by the FCA to conduct Mortgage and Protection business, FRN: 972730