The broker asks if you have ever had a default, and you suddenly remember a graduate overdraft you stopped looking at years ago.
Short answer: The date on the default decides this. Experian says a default stays on your credit file for six years from the date of default, paid or not. After that it should disappear. Inside six years, a settled default is viewed more kindly than an unsettled one, and a small, old one counts for less than a large, recent one. Free advice: StepChange on 0800 138 1111.
Find the date first
Get your credit report and look for the default date, not the date you last used the account. Experian is clear that the six years run from the date of default and that repaying the debt does not shorten them. What repaying does change is the marker: it shows as satisfied (Experian). Our guide on whether paying a default removes it goes through that in more detail.
How lenders weigh it
Mortgage lenders do not share one rulebook. One broker guide describes a rough picture of how age and status interact (Moneysupermarket):
| Age of default | What that guide says |
|---|---|
| Under a year | Fewer lender options, likely higher rates and bigger deposit requirements. |
| One to three years | Options widen, especially if the default is settled. |
| Three to six years | Wider choice if recent credit history is clean. |
| Over six years | Removed from the file, so lenders will not see it. Still answer questions honestly. |
Those are one guide’s descriptions, not lender rules. Treat them as a way to ask the right questions, not as a prediction.
If it is still on your file
- Settle it if you can afford to. Experian says a satisfied default looks better to lenders. Some lenders may want 6 to 12 months after settlement for a recent one, per the Moneysupermarket guide.
- Check nothing else is wrong on the file, such as a second entry for the same debt.
- Talk to a broker before making a full application, so you do not pile up searches.
- Answer every application question truthfully.
What people usually ask next
How long does a default stay on my credit file?
Experian says a default stays on your credit file for six years from the date of default, whether or not you pay off the debt (Experian). The clock runs from the default date, so check that date on your report rather than counting from when you last used the account.
My overdraft defaulted more than six years ago. Will the mortgage lender see it?
It should have dropped off your credit file. A mortgage broker guide on Moneysupermarket says that after six years a default is removed automatically so lenders will not see it, but still advises answering application questions honestly, because some lenders ask about credit problems whatever their age (Moneysupermarket). Read the question on the form carefully before you answer it.
What if it is inside six years and I paid it off?
Experian says paying a default does not remove it early, but it is marked satisfied, which it says looks better to lenders (Experian). The Moneysupermarket guide says a fully settled default is viewed most positively, and that a default from years ago is far less concerning than one from five months ago (Moneysupermarket).
Does the size of the default matter?
Yes, according to the Moneysupermarket guide: smaller defaults generally have less impact than larger ones, and multiple defaults can suggest a pattern, so lenders look at how many there are, the combined value and how close together they happened (Moneysupermarket). The lender decides.
I do not know whether it was written off or sold. Does that matter?
For the credit file date, Experian ties the six years to the date of default and does not say a sale or write-off changes that (Experian). It matters for a different reason: an old debt that was sold may still be chased. Our guide on whether graduate overdraft debt is statute barred covers that side, and our statute barred checker gives a first check.
Should I use a mortgage broker?
The Moneysupermarket guide says a broker can check lenders’ criteria without harming your credit score and match you to lenders more likely to accept your profile, which avoids the multiple searches that come from making several full applications (Moneysupermarket). It is a broker-run guide, so ask any broker how they are paid.
How do I see exactly what is on my file?
Our guide to checking your credit file for free shows how. Look for the default date, the balance, and whether it is marked satisfied.
Where can I get free help?
StepChange offers free, impartial advice on 0800 138 1111 (StepChange). If the debt is being chased, our know your rights guide explains what collectors can do.
Disclaimer: DebtShift is an educational platform operated by H Ali Logistics Ltd, which is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This article is general education, not financial or legal advice. For free, impartial debt advice, contact StepChange on 0800 138 1111.
Sources
- Experian UK, Dealing with defaults on your credit report
- Moneysupermarket, Mortgage after default (updated Mar 2026)
- StepChange
Last reviewed October 2026
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