A County Court Judgment (CCJ) on your credit file does not automatically rule out a remortgage. Many homeowners and landlords with a CCJ of up to around £10,000 do refinance successfully – but the lender, the rate and the loan size available depend heavily on the detail: how old the judgment is, whether it has been paid, what caused it and how the rest of your credit history looks. This guide explains how lenders assess CCJs on residential and buy-to-let remortgages in 2026 and how to prepare an application that gives you the best chance of approval.
What a CCJ is and how long it stays on your file
A CCJ is a court order in England and Wales requiring payment of a debt after a creditor has taken legal action. It is recorded on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and on your credit file for six years from the date of the judgment, whether or not it has been paid. If you pay the full amount within one calendar month of the judgment date, you can ask for it to be removed from the register entirely. If it is paid after that month, it stays on file for the full six years but is marked as satisfied, which lenders view far more favourably than an unsatisfied judgment. A judgment entered wrongly – for example where you never received the claim – may be capable of being set aside by the court, and you should take legal advice if that applies.
How lenders assess a CCJ on a remortgage
There is no single market rule. Each lender sets its own criteria, and they usually look at a combination of the following factors:
| Factor | What lenders typically consider |
|---|---|
| Age of the CCJ | The older the judgment, the wider the choice. Judgments registered within the last 12 months narrow the market significantly; those over three years old are accepted by a much wider range of lenders. |
| Amount | Many lenders set value caps. Smaller judgments (often under a few hundred pounds) may be disregarded by some mainstream lenders if satisfied and older; judgments in the £1,000–£10,000 range are more commonly placed with specialist or near-prime lenders. |
| Satisfied or unsatisfied | Most lenders require the CCJ to be satisfied, or to be repaid from the remortgage funds on completion. |
| Number of CCJs | One isolated judgment is treated very differently from several, or from a CCJ alongside missed payments, defaults or arrears. |
| Reason | A one-off event such as a disputed bill, divorce, illness or a business failure can be easier to place than a pattern of unpaid debts. |
| Loan-to-value | Lower LTV materially improves options. With a recent CCJ, many lenders cap lending at around 75–85% LTV on residential and lower on buy-to-let. |
As a broad guide only, a satisfied CCJ of up to £10,000 that is more than two or three years old, with an otherwise clean recent history and reasonable equity, can often be placed with a specialist lender, and sometimes with mainstream lenders. A recent, unsatisfied judgment of a similar size will generally attract higher rates, lower maximum LTVs and more detailed underwriting.
Residential remortgages with a CCJ
For a residential remortgage, the lender will carry out a full affordability assessment under the FCA’s mortgage conduct rules alongside the credit review. Expect to provide bank statements, payslips or accounts, and an explanation of the circumstances behind the judgment. If the CCJ is still outstanding, a common route is to raise enough on the remortgage to clear it on completion, sometimes with other unsecured debts as part of a debt consolidation. Consolidating short-term debt into a mortgage can reduce monthly payments but may increase the total amount repaid over a longer term, and you should consider this carefully before going ahead.
If you are approaching the end of a fixed rate, compare the option of staying with your current lender: a product transfer often involves no fresh credit assessment, which can be valuable where a CCJ has been registered since your mortgage began. Our guide to product transfer vs remortgage when your fixed rate ends explains the trade-offs, and our wider UK remortgage guide for 2026 covers the process from start to finish. Where you want to raise money without disturbing your existing mortgage, a second charge loan may also be an option – see second charge mortgages vs remortgaging.
Buy-to-let remortgages with a CCJ
On a buy-to-let remortgage, the lender is primarily concerned with the rental income and the property, but personal credit still matters because the borrower (or the directors and guarantors of a limited company borrower) remains responsible for the debt. Specialist buy-to-let lenders are generally more flexible on adverse credit than mainstream ones, provided the rent passes the lender’s interest coverage test. Our article on buy-to-let interest coverage ratios explains how that test sets the maximum loan. Portfolio landlords should note that a CCJ against one director can affect a company application, so disclose it at the outset.
Most buy-to-let remortgages are not regulated by the FCA, but a consumer buy-to-let (for example an accidental landlord letting a former home) follows a separate regulatory regime, and lending on a property you or a close family member will live in is a regulated mortgage.
How to prepare your application
- Get your full credit reports. Check all three main credit reference agencies so you know exactly what a lender will see, including dates, amounts and whether the CCJ is shown as satisfied.
- Satisfy the CCJ if you can. Pay the creditor, obtain confirmation and apply to the court for a certificate of satisfaction so the register is updated.
- Write a short explanation. Lenders value a clear, factual account of what happened and why it will not recur.
- Avoid new credit applications. Multiple searches in a short period can count against you. Let your broker select the lender before any full credit search.
- Keep bank conduct clean. Lenders will review recent statements; unarranged overdrafts or returned payments can be as damaging as the CCJ itself.
Why the choice of lender matters
Applying to the wrong lender can lead to a decline and an extra search on your file, which can make the next application harder. A broker with access to specialist and mainstream lenders can match the age, amount and status of your CCJ to a lender whose criteria fit before an application is made. For residential cases, see our remortgage advice service; for landlords, see our buy-to-let mortgage service and the Buy-to-Let & Portfolio Landlord Hub. We advise clients across east London, Essex, south-west London and the West Midlands – see the areas we cover.
Talk to us in confidence
If you have a CCJ of up to £10,000 and need to remortgage a home or a rental property, contact Giles Finance on 020 8088 2211 for a confidential review of your options.
YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Most buy-to-let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a loan secured against it. All lending is subject to status, affordability and valuation. There may be a fee for mortgage advice; the actual amount will depend on your circumstances.
Giles Finance is a trading style of Giles Finance & Consultancy Services, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 726857).