x
By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies to enhance your experience.

TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Rent payments should automatically be added to tenant’s credit score, say MPs

Rent payments should be used as part of credit scores to help private renters secure a mortgage to buy a home of their own, MPs have said.

MPs took part in a debate yesterday over whether rent payments should be taken into account when private renters apply for a mortgage to buy their own property.

The debate took place at Westminster Hall after a petition on the issue raised by Plymouth construction worker Jamie Pogson attracted 147,307 signatures, which is significantly more than the 100,000 needed to force a debate in parliament.

Advertisement

Credit rating agencies do not currently routinely include rent payment history when calculating credit scores. This means a tenant can find it difficult to access a mortgage, even if they have a long history of rent being paid in full and on time.

However, a recent survey of almost 3,000 buy-to-let landlords carried out by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) found that 61% of landlords would support rental payments being added to tenants’ credit histories in the same way mortgage payments are.

The RLA believes that including rent payment in this way would also make it easier for landlords to make a more accurate assessment of a prospective tenant’s credit and rent payment history.

The RLA’s chairman, Alan Ward, commented: “With many tenants wanting to buy a house of their own, it is absurd rent payment is not routinely included when undertaking credit checks for mortgage applications.

“Moving to such a scheme would help not just tenants, but also landlords by giving them a clearer sense of whether a prospective tenant has historically paid their rent in full and on time.”

Steve Burrows, managing director of LateRent and Landlord Secure, a company which already offers a free service allowing landlords to report payment history to credit reference agencies so tenants who pay on time can build up a good credit history, also believes that rent payments should be included when calculating credit scores to support tenants wanting to buy a home of their own.

He said: “It is no secret that owning a property has become a distant prospect for many and the private rental sector continues to grow as a result. It’s therefore oddly out of step that tenants are unable to utilise rental payments as part of their credit profile – particularly as the government increasingly seeks to promote homeownership across the UK.

“We know this has been a rising frustration amongst renters for many years, which is why we launched LateRent – a free service which allows landlords to report payment history to credit reference agencies so tenants who pay on time can build up a good credit history. It has been hugely welcomed by tenants and landlords alike, showing the importance of yesterday’s debate.

“Clearly it’s time for the government to sit up and listen to this often-overlooked market, and stop simply paying lip service to their own housing policies.”

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

  • Asa Bentley

    At www.creditladder.co.uk our research shows that rent can account for up to 40% of income but currently counts for nothing in the eyes of lenders even though there is clear evidence that they are reliable payers. It should be a tenants right to have their biggest expense recorded on their credit file to help gain access to better rates for a more secure financial future.

    CreditLadder’s partnership with Experian means we are the only organisation at the moment who can offer smaller portfolio landlords a way to include tenants’ rental payments onto their credit profiles. This service is free and doesn't rely on landlords to report the information.

    What is especially encouraging for landlords is that arrears for tenants reporting their rent through CreditLadder is below 2% (September 2017), which is way below the industry average seen between June and September this year of just under 11% (Your Move - Buy to Let index June, July, August & September 2017).

    It is encouraging to hear so many MPs in support of adding rent payments to tenants credit scores.

    Yesterday's debate in parliament was a major step forward.

  • icon

    good idea,as long as they are not on Universal credits! as their record of paying rent could be really bad news!

icon

Please login to comment

MovePal MovePal MovePal
sign up