Credit · 7 min read
Defaults and timing: what can and cannot be said
In short
The honest answer to 'how long after a default can I get a mortgage' is that no source we consulted sets a universal waiting period, and we will not invent one. The FCA rules place an affordability duty on lenders; they do not create eligibility timetables. A default is information recorded about an account, held by credit reference agencies and used by lenders as one input when assessing creditworthiness. How long a particular record will be held is a question for the agency holding it — we deliberately do not state a period here, because during our 30 August 2026 source check we could only find the commonly quoted figure on commercial pages rather than an official source.
Who this is for
- Anyone with a default recorded who is planning ahead
- People who have been told a specific number of years and want to know where it comes from
- Applicants preparing a factual summary for a qualified adviser
Key points
No universal waiting period exists in the sources
MCOB 11.6 requires a lender to assess affordability and evidence income. Nothing in it, or in the government and regulator material we checked, sets a period after a default before an application may be made or would succeed.
We are not stating a retention period
The widely repeated figure for how long a default stays on a credit file was found only on commercial credit-reference marketing pages during our check, not on an ICO, FCA or government page. Until we can verify it against a primary source, we will not print a number. Ask the credit reference agency holding your record.
A default is recorded data
The ICO explains that credit reference agencies hold information lenders use when assessing creditworthiness. A default is a description of what happened on an account.
Accuracy is checkable
If a default is recorded inaccurately — wrong date, wrong amount, wrong account, or not yours at all — the ICO sets out your data protection rights, including having inaccurate personal data corrected.
Lenders differ from one another
How a default is treated is set by each lender's policy. A difficulty with one says nothing reliable about another, and we do not publish lender criteria.
What you can influence is the record and the explanation
You can check the entry is accurate, know its date, know whether it has been satisfied, and be able to describe it in one sentence. That is the part within your control.
Exceptions and things that vary
- A default and a late marker are different records. So is an arrangement to pay. Ask the creditor what has actually been reported.
- Different agencies may hold different information about the same account.
- Nothing here says a default does, or does not, affect any particular application.
How to work through it
Obtain your files from more than one agency
Our suggestion: get the actual records rather than relying on what you were told at the time.
Note the factual details of each default
Our suggestion: record the creditor, the account, the default date, the amount and whether and when it was satisfied.
Ask the agency how long it will be held
Our suggestion: ask the credit reference agency holding the record directly. They are the authoritative answer for your record, and we are not.
Challenge anything inaccurate
Our suggestion: raise factual errors with the agency and the firm that reported the entry, and keep a dated record of the correspondence.
Discuss options with a qualified adviser
Our suggestion: a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser can talk about your actual position. We cannot assess it, and we will not estimate timescales.
Illustrative example (not a real case)
Imagine someone who has been told to 'wait six years' by a friend. They obtain their files, find the exact default date and status, ask the agency how long that record will be held, and take the written facts to an adviser. They have replaced a rumour with a fact about their own record — which is the only thing this page can help with. Illustrative only.
Illustrative only. Figures and situations in examples are made up to show a method. They are not typical, not a benchmark and not a prediction of any outcome.
What not to assume
- Do not assume there is a waiting period. No source we consulted sets one.
- Do not assume the number you have been quoted for how long a default stays on file is right. Confirm it with the agency.
- Do not assume satisfying a default removes the record.
- Do not assume every lender treats a default the same way.
- Do not assume this page can estimate when you might be able to borrow. It cannot, and neither can anyone who has not seen your circumstances.
Questions for a qualified adviser
We cannot answer these for you, and we do not introduce or recommend advisers. Take them to a suitably qualified FCA-authorised mortgage adviser of your own choosing.
- Given the actual dates and status of my records, what would you suggest I prepare?
- What evidence would you want alongside an explanation of a default?
- Are there any steps you would suggest before an application is considered at all?
- What should I be asking the credit reference agency directly?
Check my readiness
Eight broad preparation questions. No figures, no personal details, no eligibility result.
Related reading
A resource that may help you organise the next step
Optional educational preparation resources. Nothing here is mortgage advice, a lender or product recommendation, an eligibility assessment or a prediction of whether an application would be accepted.
- Mortgage Preparation Starter Checklist — free
A one-page starting point for the paperwork most people are asked for.
- Readiness checker
Eight broad preparation questions. It never says whether you would be eligible, approved or declined.
- All-Access Preparation Bundle — £19.99
A preparation resource, not mortgage advice or a lender recommendation. Purchases are not switched on yet.
Sources
No statistic, regulator citation or third-party claim is published until its source is verified. Unverified entries are shown as placeholders.
- VerifiedICO, Credit — information for the public
- VerifiedFCA Handbook, MCOB 11.6 Responsible lending and financing
- PlaceholderDefault retention period — not verified against a primary source
Written by
Before You Apply editorial
Written by the publisher's editorial function, not by a named individual and not by a mortgage adviser. Before You Apply is not FCA authorised.
Reviewed by
Independent reviewer — to be appointed
No independent reviewer has been appointed yet. No review, qualification, FCA status or endorsement is claimed for this content.
- Last fact-checked 2026-08-30
- Not yet independently reviewed
- Next review due 2027-02-28
Disclosure: this guide is educational. Before You Apply receives no payment for mentioning any lender, product or firm, and none are named.
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