Can you get a mortgage with a DRO? Not while it's active — a Debt Relief Order stops you taking on most new credit, including a mortgage, for its 12-month duration. Once it completes, specialist lenders will consider you, typically from 12–24 months after completion with a 25–30% deposit, falling as more time passes. The DRO itself is registered on the Insolvency Register and stays on your credit file for 6 years from the date it was approved, not from when it completed.
Most specialist lenders want at least 12 months since the DRO completed, some ask for 2–3 years for better rates. The clock that matters most is the approval date, not the completion date — since the DRO shows on your file for 6 years from when it was approved. A DRO approved 3 years ago that completed 2 years ago will look different to lenders than one approved and completed within the last 12 months, even though both technically "completed."
Only your side of it. If you had a DRO and your partner didn't, lenders assess the application together — your partner's clean history alongside your DRO history. Joint debts included in a DRO are only written off for the person who held the DRO; the other party can still be pursued for their share, which is worth knowing before assuming a joint DRO clears both of you.
A DRO is for people with debts under £50,000, low spare income and minimal assets — bankruptcy has no such debt ceiling and is used for larger, more complex cases. Lenders generally view a completed DRO similarly to a smaller-scale insolvency event, and the specialist lender criteria that apply to bankruptcy cases often apply in a similar shape to DRO cases too, just scaled to a lower debt level.
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Lender criteria, rates and deposit requirements quoted on this page are indicative and subject to change without notice. Individual circumstances vary. This page provides general information only and does not constitute regulated financial advice. The Mortgage Geezer is a trading style of Access Financial Services Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Financial Services Register number is 301173. Registered in England No. 04427489. Registered office address Access Financial Services Ltd, Unit 1 Furtho Court, Towcester Road, Old Stratford, Milton Keynes, MK19 6AN. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP YOUR REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER LOAN SECURED AGAINST IT.