✍️ Author: Darryl Dhoffer, CeMAP · CeRER · FCA 301173
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🕐 12 min read
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📅 Updated 15 August 2026
Default Mortgages — The Real Picture
Defaults are extremely common — millions of people across the UK have them. Having a default does not mean you can't get a mortgage. It means you need to work with a specialist broker who knows which lenders will look at your full situation rather than just declining on sight.
Darryl Dhoffer has arranged mortgages for clients with a single small default and with multiple large unsatisfied defaults. He knows exactly which lenders specialise in adverse credit, what their criteria are, and how to present your case in the strongest possible light.
Start with a free assessment — no credit search, no obligation. Darryl will tell you honestly what's possible and what the best route forward is for your specific situation.
💰 Deposit Needed by Age of Default
Deposit requirements for a default depend heavily on how long ago it was registered and whether it's been settled. This is the real tiered breakdown Darryl uses when assessing every default case — the same logic built into the free Geezer Score tool.
| Registered |
Settled Default |
Unsettled Default |
| Under 12 months | 15%–25% deposit | 25%–30% deposit |
| 12–24 months | 10%–15% deposit | 15%–20% deposit |
| 24–36 months | 5%–10% deposit | 10%–15% deposit |
| 3–6 years / dropped off | 5% deposit | 5%–10% deposit |
Note: mobile phone or utility defaults under £500 are often ignored entirely by specialist lenders, regardless of age. Figures are typical ranges — your exact position depends on the specific default, your deposit, and the rest of your credit profile.
Not Ready to Talk Yet?
A lot of people in this exact situation never even enquire — they assume the answer is already no. Check your Geezer Score first: completely private, no commitment, and no one to talk to until you're ready.
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📊 What Credit Score Do You Need With a Default?
There's no single score that guarantees approval — lenders weigh your score alongside income, deposit and employment. But knowing where you sit helps set realistic expectations.
| Band |
Experian |
Equifax |
TransUnion |
| Excellent | 961–999 | 466–700 | 628–710 |
| Good | 881–960 | 420–465 | 604–627 |
| Fair | 721–880 | 380–419 | 566–603 |
| Poor | 561–720 | 280–379 | 551–565 |
| Very Poor | 0–561 | 0–279 | 0–550 |
A default will typically place you in the Poor or Very Poor band — but specialist lenders look past the headline number to the full picture. Not sure where you actually stand? Get your free Geezer Score for a personalised readiness check in 60 seconds.
Also dealing with a different credit issue?
💬 What Clients Say
★★★★★
"Excellent service from start to finish. Darryl was extremely responsive throughout, always replying quickly to questions and keeping me updated at every stage. His communication was clear and easy to understand, even with the more technical parts of the mortgage process. Darryl worked hard to find the right options for my situation and made the whole process feel straightforward and stress-free. Would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a mortgage broker."
Fizz Solmon — Google Review
★★★★★
"Darryl was absolutely amazing from the first phone-call to the very quick mortgage offer! As first-time buyers who weren't even sure we could get a mortgage, this actually feels like nothing short of a miracle!"
Kate Dalton — First-Time Buyer
★★★★★
"Just when I had lost all hope, I found Darryl and within weeks my mortgage was approved. Given my bad credit history, I honestly didn't think any of this would be possible."
Tim Ellis — Bad Credit Mortgage
★★★★★
"After approaching Darryl with what I thought was going to be a tricky case, he immediately put my nerves at ease. Within a few weeks he had secured us a deal."
Hayley Beale — Complex Case
⭐ Industry First · Free · 60 Seconds
What's Your Geezer Score?
Answer 9 quick questions and get an instant, personalised readiness score out of 100 — built from the same lender criteria Darryl uses on real cases. No credit check. No upload. No obligation.
🎯 Get My Free Geezer Score →No other UK broker offers this · Your score in 60 seconds
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a mortgage with defaults in the UK? ›
Yes. Defaults are one of the most common types of adverse credit Darryl sees, and there's a real, active specialist market for them. What actually matters is how many you have, how old they are, the total amount, and whether they're satisfied. A £20 default on an old mobile phone contract from four years ago is a completely different conversation to a £4,000 unsatisfied default on a credit card from eight months ago — Darryl has placed mortgages for clients at both ends of that spectrum, and everywhere in between.
Does having a default make it harder to get a mortgage? ›
Honestly, yes — it's a real red flag to a lender, and pretending otherwise wouldn't be fair to you. A default signals you've previously failed to keep up with a debt, and the more recent it is, the more cautious lenders get. Most high street banks will decline outright. But "harder" doesn't mean "impossible" — it means you need a specialist lender who assesses the full picture rather than an automated computer decision, which is exactly the kind of case Darryl works on every week.
How many defaults can I have and still get a mortgage? ›
There's no hard cap — Darryl has placed mortgages for clients with a single default and for clients with five or more across different accounts. What matters more than the raw count is the total combined amount, how old they are, and whether they've been satisfied. Someone with three small, old, satisfied defaults is often in a stronger position than someone with one large, recent, unsatisfied one.
Do my defaults need to be settled to get a mortgage? ›
Not always — some specialist lenders will accept unsatisfied defaults, others insist they're cleared first. If you can afford to settle before applying, it genuinely widens your options and improves the rate you'll be offered. But Darryl has arranged mortgages for clients with defaults still outstanding — the lender's assessment of risk will simply be reflected in the rate and deposit required, not a flat refusal.
How long do defaults stay on my credit file? ›
Six years from the date the default was registered — not from when it's paid off, and this is fixed regardless of whether it's satisfied. That said, specialist lenders will often consider defaults that are only 12–24 months old, and the pool of available lenders opens up meaningfully once you're past the 3-year mark. By year 6, it drops off your file entirely and mainstream high street lending is back on the table.
How soon after a default can I get a mortgage? ›
In principle, as little as 6 months after — though your options are genuinely limited at that stage. Under 12 months, Darryl's working with a small, specific panel of lenders. Past 12 months, that panel grows. Past 24 months, considerably more choice opens up, and past 36 months — especially if the default is satisfied — you're often looking at near-mainstream rates. There's no fixed rule; it depends on the amount, the age, and the rest of your credit profile together.
Are some defaults worse than others? ›
Yes, significantly. A default on a payday loan is treated as a genuine red flag by most lenders — it signals a level of financial distress that goes beyond an ordinary missed bill, and it's one of the harder situations Darryl deals with. Mobile phone and utility defaults, by contrast, are extremely common and far more tolerated — lenders see them constantly and rarely treat a small one as a dealbreaker. Generally, unsatisfied defaults over £500 get much closer scrutiny than anything smaller.
What deposit do I need with defaults on my credit file? ›
Most specialist lenders want a minimum of 10–15% when defaults are present, though this shifts depending on how recent and how large the default is — a fresh, unsatisfied default can push that closer to 25–30%, while an old, small, satisfied one might only need 5–10%. A deposit of 25%+ genuinely opens up more lenders and meaningfully better rates. Darryl will tell you exactly where you sit once he's seen your actual situation, not a generic range.
How much can I borrow if I have defaults? ›
Having a default doesn't directly reduce how much you can borrow — that's a separate calculation based on your income, outgoings and circumstances, same as any other applicant. What a default actually affects is which lenders will consider you and what deposit they'll ask for. Once you're matched to the right specialist lender, the amount you can borrow follows their normal affordability rules, not a reduced "bad credit" scale.
Do only certain lenders accept defaults? ›
Yes — there's a real, active specialist lending market built specifically around adverse credit, defaults included, and some lenders have built their entire proposition around it. Beyond those specialists, most mainstream lenders also have their own default policy — some will accept an old, small, satisfied default without much fuss. Darryl's job is knowing which lender's specific criteria actually matches your specific default, rather than applying blind and risking a hard search that doesn't lead anywhere.
What types of mortgages are available with defaults? ›
The same range you'd expect on any mortgage — fixed rate or variable, repayment or interest-only, terms from 2 to 10+ years. Having defaults doesn't restrict you to a narrower product type; it restricts which lender will offer it to you and on what rate. The right structure depends on your default profile and your wider circumstances, which is exactly what Darryl works through with you.
How can I improve my chances of getting a mortgage with defaults? ›
Settling the default if you can afford to is the single biggest lever — even an old, small one. Beyond that: keep everything else on your file spotless from today onwards, since lenders want to see stability building, not just an isolated past issue. A larger deposit helps meaningfully. And speak to a specialist broker before you apply anywhere, since an application to the wrong lender leaves a mark on your file and can make the next attempt harder.
Can I get a mortgage if my partner has defaults? ›
Yes. Defaults on a partner's file don't automatically block a joint application — lenders assess the case together, weighing both incomes and both credit histories. Your chances come down to the specific defaults: how many, how old, and whether they're satisfied, exactly as they would for a sole applicant. Telling your broker upfront whose file the defaults sit on helps target the right lender first time.
Can I get Right to Buy with defaults? ›
Yes. Several specialist lenders will consider a Right to Buy application with defaults still on file, assessed the same way as any adverse credit case — by age, amount and settlement status. The Right to Buy discount often strengthens your position further, since it functions as an effective deposit boost.
Can I get shared ownership with defaults? ›
Yes. Shared ownership lenders assess defaults on the same basis as a standard mortgage — recency, amount, and whether satisfied. Several lenders on Darryl's panel will consider shared ownership applications with unsatisfied defaults, which is often the more realistic route for buyers with defaults and a smaller deposit.
📚 Defaults & Your Specific Situation
📚 More Guides & Situations (34)
Ready to Find Out What's Possible?
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✉️ contact@themortgagegeezer.co.uk
🔒 FCA No. 301173
⭐ 48 Five-Star Reviews
