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- Can I Get A No Credit Check Mortgage In 2025?
Can I get a mortgage without a credit check?
Almost all lenders will run a credit check when you apply for a mortgage with them. However, some specialist lenders don’t place as much importance on your traditional credit score, instead more thoroughly reviewing your individual financial situation.
Quick jargon buster
You’ll come across these terms a lot when reading about credit, so it’s important to understand what each of them means and how they relate to one another.
Credit check: When a lender requests to see your credit report to assess whether you’ll be a suitable borrower
Credit score (or rating): A number that summarises your creditworthiness based on your credit history
Credit history: A record of how you’ve borrowed and repaid money in the past
Credit report (or file): A detailed record of your credit history and financial behaviour, compiled by credit reference agencies (CRAs) based on information provided by lenders, credit providers and public records
Creditworthiness: How likely a lender thinks you are to pay back the money you borrowed, based on your track record
Why do lenders run a hard credit check during the mortgage application process?
A hard credit check provides lenders with a detailed snapshot of your credit file (which is essentially your borrowing history). It includes information on your past borrowing and repayment behaviour, including any missed payments, defaults or County Court Judgements (CCJs).
They use this to assess how reliable you’ve been when paying money back in the past (your creditworthiness), and to verify the information you provided in your application. This helps lenders to determine how risky it might be to lend to you.
If you have a good credit history, lenders may feel more confident you’ll be a good borrower as there is evidence that you’ve managed money well in the past.
If you have a bad credit history, lenders may be more wary of your application as there’s more of a risk of you repeating the behaviour that led to bad credit in the first place.
Each lender has their own idea of what an acceptable credit file looks like. Generally, the more severe and more recent the credit issues, the more likely they are to impact your mortgage application.
Do all lenders run a hard credit check?
The vast majority of mortgage lenders rely on credit checks to help them make a decision on your application. However, in some cases, a specialist lender may be willing to take a more holistic view of your overall financial situation. This usually involves a deeper look at your income, employment history, savings and your ability to manage money.
This allows the lender to assess whether you are able to comfortably afford your monthly mortgage repayments (rather than focusing too much on your credit score). So you may need to provide more extensive documentation, such as your payslips, bank statements and bills in your name.
It’s important to note that even specialist lenders may still run a hard credit check - they’re just more likely to consider applicants with poor credit or limited credit history.
You should expect to pay a higher deposit and higher interest rates if you do decide to go ahead with a specialist lender who has more flexible eligibility criteria.
The difference between a hard credit check and a soft credit check
Soft credit check
A soft credit search does not leave a footprint on your credit file, so it won’t be visible for future creditors to see and won’t have an impact on your credit score. Soft searches are typically used at the very early stages of a credit application, such as at rate comparison or mortgage in principle stage.
Hard credit check
A hard credit search leaves a 'search footprint' on your credit file. This will be seen by all future searchers of your credit file. Whilst a single footprint won’t affect your credit score too much, multiple hard searches over a short period of time could be a red flag for lenders. That’s because lots of applications make you look desperate for credit, and it could even come across as though other lenders have turned you down (even if they haven’t). It’s therefore important to ensure a hard credit check is only used once you’re confident you want to apply with one specific lender.
Find a mortgage with the help of an expert broker
Our broker partners, Mojo Mortgages, can help you compare your mortgage options. They have impressive knowledge of lender criteria and, while they don’t help with bad credit mortgages directly, you may find it helpful to discuss your options with an expert.
When do mortgage lenders do credit checks?
Your lender is likely to perform credit checks throughout the mortgage process:
At mortgage in principle stage. The first time your credit will need to be assessed is when you first approach a lender or mortgage broker for a mortgage in principle (which, if successful, shows how much the lender might offer you). Usually they will run a soft credit check, which won’t impact your credit score.
When you put in your formal mortgage application. Once you’ve had an offer accepted on a property, you’ll prepare and submit a mortgage application. At this stage, your lender will use a hard credit check to help them decide whether or not they’re able to offer you a mortgage.
Before completion. Some lenders may run a final search either just before or just after you exchange contracts or prior to completion. Not all lenders do this - it’s more likely if there were concerns earlier in the application.
What affects mortgage eligibility?
You’ll be pleased to know lenders don’t just look at your credit history when deciding whether to accept your mortgage application. As well as your credit status, they also look at your affordability and deposit size.
Affordability criteria
Mortgage providers look at your income and outgoings to determine how that could impact your ability to make your monthly mortgage payments. They also assess whether you could cope financially if you experienced a sudden change of circumstances which would affect your finances.
Top tip: Be mindful of your budget before applying for a mortgage. Try to cut down your daily living expenses and pay down existing debts if you can. Reducing your outgoings can improve your affordability, which may support your mortgage application.
Mortgage deposit
The size of your mortgage deposit is a major determining factor when lenders decide how much you can borrow. That’s because your deposit determines the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of your borrowing, which is essentially how much of the property price you’d be borrowing.
Top tip: Each lender will have a maximum LTV that they are comfortable with for your circumstances, so a larger deposit may sway a borderline application. You will also be offered a better rate of interest, the lower the LTV, so a larger deposit will help you save interest on the mortgage loan.
Personal circumstances
Your age, employment history and residential stability can all influence whether a lender is willing to offer you a mortgage, and on what terms. Some lenders may even have strict criteria when it comes to what type of property they’re willing to lend on.
Top tip: Lenders want to see stability and reliability so, if possible, avoid frequent house moves and try not to move jobs before submitting a mortgage application.
Credit check
Your credit report shows lenders your history with financial products such as loans, credit cards, and even utility or mobile phone bills. If you regularly pay all your debts on time, you’ll typically have a good credit score. On the flip side, though, if there are issues with your credit history (such as a missed payment) this could make it more difficult for you to get a mortgage with some lenders.
Top tip: Check your credit report before your lender does. This will give you an idea of what to expect when they do run a hard credit check, and will also give you the opportunity to spot (and correct) any errors or inaccuracies.
Getting a mortgage with bad credit history
When it comes to mortgages, bad credit is a spectrum, so it’s not as simple as saying that if you have bad credit you won’t be able to get a mortgage.
Amongst the main high street lenders there is a degree of variation in their criteria. Some are willing to look at less severe credit issues such as defaults and CCJs when they are two to three years old, and/or have been satisfied (the debt has been cleared).
If you have poor credit history, or no credit history at all, here are some of your other options:
Specialist bad credit mortgage providers
Certain mortgage providers specialise in offering bad credit mortgages. They’re often referred to as subprime lenders, and are not always as easy to find as mainstream banks or building societies (a broker could help you to find a willing lender that you might not otherwise know about, though). However, specialist lenders are often more willing to receive applications from customers who don’t have a perfect credit rating.
There are drawbacks to getting a bad credit mortgage, though. You will typically pay a higher rate of interest and/or may be offered a slightly lower loan amount. It’s a good idea to compare the deals available to you now, to those that may be available if you wait until your credit record is in better shape, before making a decision.
Guarantor mortgages
Another option for those with bad credit are guarantor mortgages. If you’re lucky enough to have a close friend or relative with a good credit rating and ideally a property of their own to guarantee the mortgage for you, then this could be an option.
The person acting as your guarantor will need to fully understand the risk and responsibility that they are taking on. If you can’t afford to keep up payments, your home and their home could be repossessed.
Taking out a guarantor mortgage can allow you to get a mortgage if you’ve been declined due to bad credit, because you failed affordability criteria due to a low income, or because you can’t afford to save the size of deposit you need.
Inequalities in accessing credit
Studies examining financial inclusion in the UK have, unfortunately, found that people from minority backgrounds are more likely to be denied credit than those who identify as being white British.
The Equality Act 2010 protects your rights as a consumer, making it illegal for a creditor to discriminate based on certain characteristics, including race, religion, colour, nationality, gender identity, sexuality, marital status, pregnancy status, disability and age.
Thankfully, more leading banks and building societies are becoming aware of issues of financial inclusion, and measures are being put in place to ensure the financial workforce represents people from a wide range of backgrounds. However, if you feel you have been unfairly treated with a credit application you can contact Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS).
FAQs
How can I improve my credit history before applying for a mortgage?
Building your credit history (and improving your credit score) can improve your likelihood of being accepted for a mortgage by one of the mainstream lenders.
There are lots of different ways to improve your credit score, such as:
Pay off existing debts on time
Get on the electoral roll
Avoid making too many credit applications over a short space of time
Consider a credit builder card (though never take out credit just because you’re trying to boost your score)
Demonstrate your ability to manage regular payments by putting utility bills in your name or getting a mobile phone contract
It’s a good idea to get a copy of your credit report, too. You might find that your credit rating isn’t as bad as you think. For example, even paying a phone contract or utility bill can contribute positively to your credit score. Having a clearer understanding of your credit history can help you work out the best route forward.
Will a bigger deposit help me secure a mortgage?
A larger deposit will lower your loan-to-value (LTV), which is the ratio of the mortgage amount compared to the property’s value. A lower LTV can improve your chances of approval with lenders. That’s because, as they’re financing a smaller portion of the property’s value, their risk is reduced.
YOUR HOME/PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP WITH YOUR MORTGAGE REPAYMENTS.
The FCA does not regulate mortgages on commercial or investment buy-to-let properties.
Uswitch makes introductions to Mojo Mortgages to provide mortgage solutions. Uswitch and Mojo Mortgages are part of the same group of companies. Uswitch Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 312850. You can check this on the Financial Services Register by visiting the FCA website. Uswitch Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No 03612689) The Cooperage, 5 Copper Row, London SE1 2LH. Mojo Mortgages is a trading style of Life's Great Limited which is registered in England and Wales (06246376). Mojo are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and are on the Financial Services Register (478215) Mojo’s registered office is The Cooperage, 5 Copper Row, London, SE1 2LH. To contact Mojo by phone, please call 0333 123 0012.
*Average savings are based on Mojo Mortgages residential remortgage sales data, compared to the average SVR in May 2025. Actual savings will depend on individual circumstances.