Rental for poor credit history

Goggage

My wife and I will divorce within the next two months and I'll be leaving this house, however I'm finding it almost impossible to find somewhere to rent due to my Debt Management Plan, which I have been in for two years and two years left to run. Basically my credit check fails and the rental is withdrawn.

I have had a joint mortgage for 12 years, so some money will be coming to me but not enough to clear the debt, and agents are simply not interested when I explain my situation, telling me they wouldn't get it past their insurers.

I'm concerned about becoming homeless, is there anything I can do?

Dellgrad12

Do you have CCJ’s registered on your credit files or is it simply late payments and defaults?

Most letting agents cannot see defaults and late payments as they are not privy to that data, but they will see CCJ’s.

If you don’t have CCJ’s (or a bankruptcy or IVA) you shouldn’t find that your credit history is the reason for being declined a tenancy.

Goggage

Dellgrad12 said:

Do you have CCJ’s registered on your credit files or is it simply late payments and defaults?

Most letting agents cannot see defaults and late payments as they are not privy to that data, but they will see CCJ’s.

If you don’t have CCJ’s (or a bankruptcy or IVA) you should find that your credit history is the reason for being declined a tenancy.

County Court Judgements? No, I entered the DMP when I knew there was a problem.

Dellgrad12

Goggage said:

Dellgrad12 said:

Do you have CCJ’s registered on your credit files or is it simply late payments and defaults?

Most letting agents cannot see defaults and late payments as they are not privy to that data, but they will see CCJ’s.

If you don’t have CCJ’s (or a bankruptcy or IVA) you should find that your credit history is the reason for being declined a tenancy.

County Court Judgements? No, I entered the DMP when I knew there was a problem.

Yes County Court Judgements. 

So in that case your credit history shouldn’t be causing issues for a rental application. As mentioned missed payments and defaults from credit cards and the like are not viewable by letting agents so they cannot decline your application based on this.

Have you actually had an application submitted for a credit check and it has failed? Or has your concern come from conversations with letting agents prior to an application?

Goggage

Dellgrad12 said:

Goggage said:

Dellgrad12 said:

Do you have CCJ’s registered on your credit files or is it simply late payments and defaults?

Most letting agents cannot see defaults and late payments as they are not privy to that data, but they will see CCJ’s.

If you don’t have CCJ’s (or a bankruptcy or IVA) you should find that your credit history is the reason for being declined a tenancy.

County Court Judgements? No, I entered the DMP when I knew there was a problem.

Yes County Court Judgements. 

So in that case your credit history shouldn’t be causing issues for a rental application. As mentioned missed payments and defaults from credit cards and the like are not viewable by letting agents so they cannot decline your application based on this.

Have you actually had an application submitted for a credit check and it has failed? Or has your concern come from conversations with letting agents prior to an application?

Well now I’m coming to the conclusion I’ve been too honest, which I thought was recommended when “applying for credit,” I guess the test would be to apply and say nothing?

Dellgrad12

Goggage said:

Dellgrad12 said:

Goggage said:

Dellgrad12 said:

Do you have CCJ’s registered on your credit files or is it simply late payments and defaults?

Most letting agents cannot see defaults and late payments as they are not privy to that data, but they will see CCJ’s.

If you don’t have CCJ’s (or a bankruptcy or IVA) you should find that your credit history is the reason for being declined a tenancy.

County Court Judgements? No, I entered the DMP when I knew there was a problem.

Yes County Court Judgements. 

So in that case your credit history shouldn’t be causing issues for a rental application. As mentioned missed payments and defaults from credit cards and the like are not viewable by letting agents so they cannot decline your application based on this.

Have you actually had an application submitted for a credit check and it has failed? Or has your concern come from conversations with letting agents prior to an application?

Well now I’m coming to the conclusion I’ve been too honest, which I thought was recommended when “applying for credit,” I guess the test would be to apply and say nothing?

You only need to answer the specific questions that will be put to you on the application itself. These are often such questions as ‘do you have any CCJ registered in your name? Are you registered bankrupt’ etc. You can honestly answer those as no. There is no need to share any additional information with the agent.

Good luck with your home search.

ireallycantyodel

I was in a DMP ages ago, all debt has now been repaid. We never had a CCJ. And we rented just fine. They only ask if you have any CCJ's. You answer no, they do the credit check and all will be fine

Goggage

Thank you so much for your replies Dell & ireally, I can't tell you how low I felt this afternoon, this is a hard enough as it is without more knocks.

ivavoucher

Good luck on your journey, the sun will shine when you get past the difficult bit.

yksi

Make sure you're applying for what you can afford - calculate your yearly income and divide it by 30, this is the amount that agents will deem "affordable". If you're applying for rentals over this amount it is likely to fail the income check, which a lot of people confuse with the credit check.