Getting A Joint Mortgage With One Bad Credit Applicant

You can still get a mortgage if one applicant has bad credit

Yes – it’s entirely possible to apply for a mortgage together, even if one of you has bad credit. But the key thing to understand is that lenders typically judge a joint application by the worst credit history involved. So, even if one person’s history is squeaky clean, the other applicant’s credit is what sets the limit.

That said, not all credit issues are treated the same. For less severe issues – like a single missed payment or an old, settled default – there are still lenders out there offering some of the best deals on the market, including from the high street.

For more severe issues, such as bankruptcy and IVAs, your options will be more limited, but there may still be some great deals available to you.

It’s not just what credit issues you’ve had that matters – lenders also look at:

• How old they are
• Whether they’ve been satisfied (settled)
• How many there are
• And sometimes, the reason behind them

👉 Read our guide on bad credit mortgages here

Every lender has their own rules about what they will and won’t accept

This means that finding the best possible deal from the mortgages you’re actually eligible for can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack – unless you’ve got the right help.

When to consider a sole application

In some situations, the best move is to leave the bad credit applicant off the mortgage entirely. If the stronger applicant can afford the mortgage on their own, they may be offered better rates.

But credit isn’t the only thing that impacts your eligibility. Lenders also care about:

• Income – Different lenders have different minimum loan-to-income thresholds, so not doing the mortgage jointly could restrict the number of lenders you’re eligible with (and, thus, the rates on offer) or reduce the overall amount you can borrow.
• Deposit source – Likewise, having a larger deposit can also increase the number of deals you’re eligible for.

So it’s not always straightforward.

It’s not just about the bad credit – it’s about the overall picture. Sometimes, applying under a sole name opens doors, and other times, it closes doors.

An additional bad credit applicant can both help and hinder

It’s easy to assume that adding someone with bad credit will always hurt your chances, but that’s not always true.

As mentioned above, including both applicants can actually improve your options. In others, it might reduce how much you can borrow, limit the lenders willing to consider you, or result in higher interest rates.

It’s a toss-up between:

• How much the bad credit applicant will improve the overall income and deposit, vs
• How much does their credit history restricts lender choice

For example, if you need two incomes to afford the mortgage, a joint application may be your only viable route – even if one of you has had credit issues in the past.

On the flip side, if the bad credit is recent or severe, including that person could close the door to deals that would otherwise be available to the stronger applicant alone.

There’s no fixed rule here. It really comes down to your unique circumstances, the mortgage you’re applying for, and how each relevant lender assesses your situation.

That’s why it’s so important to understand the full menu of options so you can decide which option gives you the best overall outcome.

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry – we’re not

Our advisors do this every day. What can feel like a minefield for borrowers (and many brokers) is a walk in the park for them. Because they do this every day, they already know all of the lender policies inside out, and they’ll be able to provide you with absolute clarity on the way forward, without the stress.

You’ve landed in the right place

Our bad credit experts help people in your shoes every day, so they’ll be able to tell you exactly:

• Which lenders will consider your application
• What their requirements will be
• How much you can borrow
• What rates to expect at different amounts

All of the above will be explained with and without including an additional bad credit applicant.

With their expertise, they can typically provide the clarity and certainty you need to make informed decisions within 10-20 minutes of an initial conversation.

Why our advice works better

When you’re dealing with bad credit, the right advice makes all the difference. That’s why Online Mortgage Advisor takes a unique, channel-expertise approach.

• Specialist brokers: Our channel-experts focus exclusively on helping bad credit borrowers, helping people just like you every day.
• Strict vetting: We carefully select and train our advisors to ensure they have the expertise needed to deliver better outcomes.
• Customer-led approach: We recognise and reward advisors solely based on customer feedback, using AdvisorScore and other real-world feedback, ensuring they stay focused on the best outcomes for every customer.

Everybody’s unique – and it’s important to speak with someone who understands your situation without judgment, and can offer solutions you can trust.

Our service is hassle-free, and you’ll be protected by our 3 guarantees.

Will adding somebody with bad credit to my mortgage hurt my own credit score?

Not directly. Their credit history doesn’t drag your personal credit score down. But if you’re applying together, the lender will assess your joint application based on the weaker credit profile, bringing the overall credit profile of the mortgage application down.

More importantly, by applying together, your credit files will be financially linked. If mortgage payments are ever missed – even if it’s just their share of the costs – it’ll affect both of your credit reports.

So it’s essential that you trust them to act responsibly with shared financial commitments.

Can I add someone to an existing mortgage?

In short, yes. But it’s not a simple tweak, it’s treated as a full remortgage.

This would be classed as a transfer of equity, and the lender (even your existing lender) will reassess the whole application from scratch. This means checking your ability to afford the mortgage and your credit history (including the new applicants) again. Mortgage porting is not an option if you’re adding somebody to your existing mortgage.

As discussed above, sometimes adding somebody can help you get a better deal, and other times, it can also reduce your options.

This can sometimes seem a bit silly, as the original borrower might have been happily paying their mortgage for many years with no problems and is still able to pay comfortably. But by adding an additional person, they might say no, despite having the debt already and having a track record of repaying it.