Will high credit utilization show up on tenant referencing check?

Dolly867

Hi there, 

I'm looking to rent a flat with my partner and I am nervous about failing estate agent credit checks as I currently have high credit utilization (about 7k across two credit cards which is 46% of my total available credit). Long story but I am working to pay off and have never missed a payment. The minimum payments are affordable, about £160 p/m and so I often pay off more than that.

My credit score on Experian/Clearscore is 'Fair'. From what I can gather, estate agent credit checks can only see CCJs or Bankrupty notices not how much credit card debt you are in but I have also read instances where tenants show up as high risk even if they don't have any court/late payment issues. My concern is also that if the estate agents ask to see my bank statements, they will see my debt repayment transactions and will be concerned that I won't afford the rent. I have rented for years and have never missed a rent payment so my previous landlord references will come back positive and so will my employment reference. 

For what it's worth, my partner has no credit issues and makes almost double my income, so I don't know whether they will see that as balancing out any flags that come up when they do my credit check. Do they score you seperately or as a couple?

Any advice?

macman

Forget your fictitious credit score: it's a made-up number that lenders can't even see.
If you are both on the TA then your collective incomes should be taken into account, as you are jointly and severally liable.
No-one scores you; they look at your credit history.

Dolly867

macman said:

No-one scores you; they look at your credit history.

Thanks. It seems that estate agent checks can't see a break down of anything other than bankruptcy/CCJS (which I don't have) so I'm trying to find out whether they will somehow know that I have high credit card utlization and whether this will count against me.

MrSilk

No, Estate Agents only check public information (Court information).