How Long After a CCJ Can You Get a Mortgage?
Harry Mansell, CeMAP · Mortgage Specialist at Keyholder Mortgages · From the cases we see
Sometimes it's possible straight away. Whether you can depends on the lender, the CCJ's value, what the debt was for and your overall credit profile. Because rules differ widely between lenders, one decline doesn't mean every lender will say no.
What is a CCJ?
A CCJ, or County Court Judgment, is a court order made in England and Wales when someone hasn't repaid a debt and the person or business they owe takes them to court. Once registered, it shows on your credit file, which is how mortgage lenders find out about it. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own versions under different names.
Satisfied: debt paid in full after the judgment.
Unsatisfied: debt still outstanding.
How long after a CCJ can you get a mortgage?
There isn't a single waiting time that applies to everyone. Some lenders will consider an application straight after a CCJ, while others won't consider it until it's older, or at all.
What decides it is a mix of four things: when the CCJ was registered, how much it was for, what the debt was and the rest of your credit profile. Each lender weighs these differently, which is why one decline tells you very little about the market as a whole.
As a whole-of-market bad credit mortgage broker in Sudbury, Suffolk, we check criteria across the market rather than relying on one lender's rules.
Does it matter when the CCJ was registered?
Yes, timing is one of the first things lender criteria ask about. In our experience, a more recent CCJ tends to narrow the number of lenders available, though it depends on the lender and your circumstances. An older one may open up more options, but age on its own doesn't decide anything.
For that reason we always ask for the date the judgment was made before we start looking.
Does the size of the CCJ matter?
Yes, the amount can make a real difference. Certain lenders' criteria include a limit on CCJ value, and a few will set very small ones aside altogether. This is why the exact figure matters more than people expect.
Does it matter what the CCJ was for?
It can. Criteria at some lenders treat a judgment for an unpaid parking charge or a disputed bill differently from one linked to a loan or credit card. The reason behind it matters too.
Explaining what happened in your own words helps us present your case clearly to a lender.
How does the rest of your credit profile affect things?
Your wider credit history often matters as much as the CCJ itself. One small CCJ on an otherwise clean file is a very different case from one sitting alongside missed payments, defaults or a debt management plan.
Depending on the whole picture, some lenders may cap your loan to value. Loan to value is the size of your mortgage compared with the property's value. Put simply, a cap can mean putting down a bigger deposit. Not every lender does this, and a larger deposit isn't always needed.
The most common mistake: going straight to your own bank
Assuming a CCJ rules you out completely is the mistake I see most. Usually it starts with an application to the bank someone already uses. That bank's criteria may not cover CCJs, so the answer is no, and they take it as the final word.
Lenders have very different rules, though. Being declined by one tells you about that lender, not about your chances elsewhere. Getting advice before the next application means you're not guessing which lender might fit.
From experience: We had a client come to us with a CCJ for £150 from an unpaid parking ticket. Checking across the market, we found a lender that would accept the CCJ, and because of what it was for and how small it was, they weren't concerned by it. His purchase went through and he moved in smoothly, with no complications caused by the CCJ at all.
What should you bring after booking your call?
After you've booked a free call, two things make the biggest difference:
A Check My File credit report.
Details of the CCJ: when the judgment was made, whether it's satisfied and what it was for.
With those and the rest of your credit profile, we can go away and see what's possible.
Our bad credit mortgage guide covers defaults, missed payments and more.
CCJ mortgage FAQs
Can you get a mortgage with a CCJ?
Yes, it can be possible, depending on the lender, the CCJ and your wider credit profile.
Does a satisfied CCJ help?
Paid or unpaid is one of the details lenders ask about, and criteria can treat satisfied and unsatisfied CCJs differently. We'll look at where yours stands on your first call.
