Can you get a mortgage with credit card debt?

5 min read

Updated: Oct 30, 2026

Written by

Emily Tye

Reviewed by

Amy Lancashire

Yes, you can get a mortgage with credit card debt. A card balance doesn't rule you out on its own. Mortgage lenders look at two things: how your card repayments affect what you can afford each month, and how you've managed your cards on your credit report. The bigger your balances compared with your income, and the patchier your payment history, the harder it can be to get the mortgage you want.

Carrying a balance is common. In 2024, 10.1 million UK adults carried a balance on a credit card rather than usually paying it off in full, according to the FCA's Financial Lives survey.

How do mortgage lenders look at my credit card debt?

What you can afford

FCA rules say mortgage lenders must check you can afford the repayments before they lend. That check has to include your existing credit commitments, such as credit cards, and allow for interest rates rising in future.

How you've managed your cards

Your credit report shows lenders your card balances and limits, whether you've paid on time and any recent applications for credit. A few things tend to count against you:

• High credit utilisation, meaning balances close to your limits (keeping it at or below 25% is a good benchmark for your credit score)

• Missed payments, which stay on your credit report for 6 years

• Lots of recent credit applications or fast-rising balances (one mortgage lender we checked looks at whether you've opened 3 or more accounts in 6 months, or your unsecured balances have gone up by more than 20% in 3 months)

How much credit card debt is too much for a mortgage?

There's no single limit. It depends on how much of your income is left once your commitments and living costs are taken off, and each lender works this out its own way.

Some mortgage lenders count a set percentage of your card balance as a monthly payment, even if you pay less. As a simplified illustration, if you owe £4,000 on credit cards and a lender counts 3% of that, it treats £120 a month as already spoken for. That's £120 a month it won't count towards mortgage repayments, so it may offer you less.

Some mortgage lenders also set an upper limit. One major UK lender we checked declines applications where your total unsecured debt, including cards, loans and overdrafts, is equal to or more than your yearly income before tax.

Should I pay off my credit card before applying for a mortgage?

It’s a trade-off. If you pay off credit card debt before you apply, the lender counts a smaller monthly commitment and your credit utilisation comes down. Whether it’s worth using savings depends on your deposit. Mortgage deals come with a maximum loan-to-value, such as 75%, 85%, 90% or 95%. Using part of your deposit means borrowing more, so it matters most if that pushes you past one of those limits, or beyond the most a lender will offer you.

For example, on a £200,000 home with a £20,000 deposit, you’d be borrowing 90% of its value. Using £4,000 of that deposit to clear a card takes you to 92%, so deals capped at 90% would no longer be open to you. A mortgage adviser can help you weigh up which matters more.

How can I improve my chances of getting a mortgage with card debt?

• Check your credit report with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and ask for any mistakes to be corrected. Checking your own score doesn't affect it.

• Keep up at least the minimum payment on every card, every month.

• Hold off on new credit applications before you apply, as each one usually means a hard search. Most hard searches stay on your Experian and Equifax reports for 12 months, and TransUnion shows them for up to 2 years.

• Make sure you're on the electoral roll at your current address.

• Keep recent bank and card statements to hand, as lenders can ask for them to check your commitments.

Can I remortgage with credit card debt?

Yes, and how much your card debt matters depends on the type of remortgage.

If you switch to a new deal with your current lender without borrowing more, FCA rules don't require the lender to check your affordability again, as long as the new deal doesn't change your mortgage in a way that affects affordability. Moving to a new lender usually means a full affordability check, with your card balances counted just as they would be for a new mortgage.

Adding credit card debt to your mortgage

Some people borrow more when they remortgage and use it to clear their cards, which is a form of debt consolidation. Mortgage rates are usually much lower than card rates. In August 2026, the average interest rate paid on new mortgages was 4.60%, compared with 21.55% on credit cards that charge interest, according to the Bank of England. But there are trade-offs:

• You'll usually repay the debt over a much longer term, so you can pay more interest overall.

• The debt becomes secured on your home, so your home may be repossessed if you don't keep up your mortgage repayments.

• Lenders that allow it may limit how much you can borrow. Some only allow it if your whole mortgage, including the extra borrowing, stays at or below 80% of what your home is worth.

As a simplified illustration, clearing £5,000 on a card at 22% APR over 3 years would cost about £186 a month and around £1,690 in interest. Adding the same £5,000 to a mortgage at 4.6% over 25 years would cost about £28 a month, but around £3,420 in interest. This assumes rates don't change and leaves out any fees.

Where can I get help with credit card debt?

If your card balances are hard to keep on top of, there are several options for getting out of debt. Free, confidential advice is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange and Citizens Advice, and a mortgage adviser can help you find lenders likely to accept your situation.

FAQs

There are a range of financial products available that may suit your needs. We encourage you to research your options carefully and consider seeking independent financial advice before making any decisions. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.