How to Improve Your Credit Score for Renting

Why your credit score matters when renting

When you apply to rent a property, the landlord or letting agent will almost certainly run a tenant referencing check. This includes a credit check carried out by a referencing company like Homelet, Goodlord, or OpenRent through one or more of the three UK credit reference agencies.

The referencing company looks at your credit report and gives the landlord a recommendation — usually acceptable, acceptable with conditions, or not acceptable. A not acceptable result doesn't mean automatic rejection, as the landlord makes the final call. But it does make things significantly harder, potentially requiring a guarantor or advance rent.

The goal is to get your credit report in shape so you receive an acceptable result without needing conditions. Even modest improvements can make the difference between these outcomes.

Quick wins you can do this week

Register on the electoral roll at your current address. This is the single biggest quick win for your credit standing. Being registered confirms your identity and address to credit reference agencies. If you're not registered, your profile will be significantly weaker regardless of everything else. Register at gov.uk/register-to-vote — it takes five minutes and typically appears on your credit report within a few weeks. If you're not eligible to vote, you can add a notice of correction to your file explaining your situation.

Check your credit report for errors across all three agencies. You can check Experian free at experian.co.uk, Equifax free through ClearScore, and TransUnion free through Credit Karma. Alternatively, use Checkmyfile to see all three at once. Look for accounts that aren't yours, payments marked as missed that you actually made, closed accounts still showing as open, and financial associations with people you're no longer connected to. Dispute any errors directly with the relevant agency — they have 28 days to investigate.

Reduce your credit utilisation. If you have a £1,000 credit card limit and a £900 balance, your utilisation is 90% — and that looks bad. Aim for below 30%, ideally below 10%. Even partial payments make a difference, and your score will improve within a month of the lower balance being reported.

Stop applying for credit. Every application triggers a hard search on your credit file, and multiple hard searches in a short period suggest financial stress. Each hard search stays visible for 12 months.

Sever outdated financial associations. If you had a joint account with an ex-partner, their credit history may be affecting yours. Contact the credit reference agencies to request a notice of disassociation.

Medium-term strategies

Use a credit builder service. Wollit costs £9.99 per month and reports a credit-building payment to all three UK credit reference agencies. There's no credit check to sign up, and you start building history from your first payment. Wollit advances a small amount each month as a credit agreement, your subscription fee repays it, and the on-time repayment is reported to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. How quickly this affects your credit profile depends on your individual circumstances.

Consider a credit builder credit card if you can get approved. Cards from Aqua, Vanquis, Capital One, and Barclaycard Forward are designed for people with poor or thin credit. They typically have low limits and high APRs, but the APR doesn't matter if you pay the full balance every month. Use the card for one small regular purchase, set up a direct debit for the full balance, and don't touch it otherwise. Only take this route if you're confident you can pay in full every month — carrying a balance at 35% APR will worsen your financial position.

Report your rent payments. Your rent is probably your biggest monthly expense, but historically it hasn't appeared on your credit report. Services like Wollit can report your rent payments to credit reference agencies, adding another line of positive data to your file.

Keep old accounts open. The length of your credit history matters. If you have old credit cards or bank accounts you don't use, keep them open as long as they don't have annual fees. Closing your oldest account shortens your average credit history and can reduce your score.

How long does it take to improve your credit score?

It depends on your starting point and individual circumstances. There's no guaranteed timeline, and results vary from person to person.

Some actions have a relatively quick effect. Registering on the electoral roll, correcting errors, and paying down credit card balances can all change what appears on your credit report within weeks. Other actions, like building a consistent payment history through a credit builder or rent reporting, take longer to establish a pattern.

Be realistic: if you have a CCJ or default on your file, it stays there for six years regardless. You can't remove it. But you can build positive history alongside it, and many landlords look at recent behaviour more favourably than old problems.

The important thing is to start. Consistent, responsible behaviour over time is what builds a stronger credit profile — but no one can tell you exactly how long it will take or guarantee a specific outcome.

What to avoid

Not all credit advice is good advice. Don't apply for multiple credit cards at once — each application is a hard search, and multiple applications in a short period damage your score. Don't pay for credit repair services, as there's no way to magically remove legitimate negative information from your credit report. Everything you need to do, you can do yourself for free or at minimal cost.

Don't close old accounts unless they have annual fees, as they contribute to your credit history length. Don't max out credit builder cards — using more than 30% of your limit hurts your score even on a builder card. Don't ignore your credit report; check it at least every few months because errors, fraud, and outdated information can drag your score down without you knowing.

Don't take out payday loans. Some lenders view payday loan usage negatively even if you repay on time, and they're expensive. Payday loans on your credit file can signal financial distress to lenders and referencing companies.

Building credit while you search for a property

Improving your credit score takes time, and if you need to rent now while your credit is still recovering, you need strategies that work in parallel. The most effective approach combines long-term credit building with immediate actions that strengthen your rental application.

For the long term, a credit builder like Wollit plus consistent good habits will improve your credit report over months. For immediate help, gather strong documentation — employer references, bank statements showing consistent income, and any evidence of previous rent payments.

Consider targeting private landlords who are more flexible with credit requirements. You can also offer a guarantor or advance rent to reduce the landlord's perceived risk. If your credit is the weak point, make everything else in your application as strong as possible.

As your credit profile strengthens over time, each subsequent rental application becomes easier.

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