Yes, you can often rent with a county court judgment (CCJ), but it can make referencing harder. A CCJ stays on the Register of Judgments and your credit file for six years. If you paid it in full within one month, you can have it removed. If you paid it later, you can have it marked as “satisfied”, and that looks better to a landlord than an unpaid one.
This guide covers CCJs in England and Wales. Registry Trust also keeps records of money decrees in Scotland and of judgments in Northern Ireland. If your judgment came from one of those courts, check with a local advice service.
How long a CCJ stays on your file
GOV.UK says a CCJ “will stay on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for 6 years”. Registry Trust, which runs the register, says judgments stay live “on the Register and in your credit report for six years from the date they are registered”.
After six years the CCJ drops off the register, even if you never paid it. Citizens Advice confirms this.
Lenders, referencing companies and the public can all search the register. Registry Trust’s official search service is TrustOnline. You can use it to check exactly what a landlord might see.
Satisfied, unsatisfied or removed
What you pay, and when, changes how the CCJ shows up.
| What happened | What the register shows | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Paid in full within one month of the judgment | You can get it removed completely | Not shown once removed |
| Paid in full after one month | Marked “satisfied”, with the date paid | Six years from the judgment date |
| Not paid | Shown as unsatisfied | Six years from the judgment date |
Removal and the “satisfied” mark do not happen on their own. You have to tell the court and send proof that you have paid. You can ask for a certificate of satisfaction. GOV.UK says this costs £19. Citizens Advice says the fee may be reduced or waived if you are on a low income. Registry Trust says to allow 4 to 8 weeks for the court, the register and the credit files to update.
If you think the judgment should never have been made, you may be able to ask the court to set it aside. OpenRent’s help page says this applies where you have “a real prospect of successfully defending the claim” or “some other good reason”. Act quickly and get advice first.
What landlords and referencing companies check
Most letting agents and many private landlords use a referencing company. The credit check part will usually find a CCJ.
- OpenRent says its referencing covers “County Court Judgments (CCJs), Decrees and other court information registered over the last six years in the applicant’s name”.
- Propertymark, the letting agents’ professional body, says a credit check will “highlight any County Court Judgements (CCJs), bankruptcies or insolvency”.
- Citizens Advice says: “It might also be difficult to start renting a home from a private landlord or letting agent if you have a CCJ against you.”
A CCJ does not automatically mean you fail. OpenRent’s guidance to landlords says that if a CCJ shows up, “it is important to give the prospective tenant the opportunity to explain it”. Each landlord decides how much weight to give it. A small, old, satisfied CCJ will usually worry them far less than a large, recent, unpaid one.
Your options if you have a CCJ
- Pay it off, then get it marked. If you are still within one month of the judgment, paying in full means you can have it removed. After that, paying it and getting it marked as satisfied shows a landlord the debt is cleared.
- Explain it upfront. Tell the agent before the reference comes back. Say what the debt was, when it was paid and what has changed since. A short, honest note avoids surprise.
- Show your rent history. Bank statements showing rent paid on time, or a good reference from your current landlord, help to balance one bad mark.
- Use a guarantor. A guarantor with good credit and enough income can make up for a weak credit file. See our guide to renting with a guarantor.
- Check your own file first. Look at your credit report and the register so you know what the landlord will see. If any details are wrong, you can ask Registry Trust to correct them.
If your credit file has other problems too, read our guide to renting with a low credit score.
Worked example (fictional)
Sam (fictional) got a CCJ for £640 on 10 March 2024. Sam did not pay it within one month. Sam paid it in full in August 2024 and applied for a certificate of satisfaction.
- The judgment stays on the register for six years from 10 March 2024, so until about March 2030.
- By October 2026 the CCJ is about 2 years and 7 months old, with about 3 years and 5 months left on the register.
- Because Sam paid it, the record shows “satisfied” and the date it was paid.
Sam is applying for a flat at £1,000 a month (fictional). Sam sends the agent a short note about the CCJ, the certificate and 12 months of bank statements showing rent paid on time. The landlord might still ask for a guarantor, but Sam has given them a clear reason to say yes.
Check the income side too
A CCJ is only one part of referencing. Agents also check that your income covers the rent. Use the income required to rent calculator to see the salary a typical agent will look for at your rent. If you fall short, it will also show what a guarantor would need to earn.
Sources
- GOV.UK: County court judgments for debt – CCJs and your credit rating, checked 4 October 2026
- Citizens Advice: County court judgments and your credit rating, checked 4 October 2026
- Registry Trust: CCJ guide, checked 4 October 2026
- OpenRent: Tenant referencing and credit checks, checked 4 October 2026
- OpenRent help: Understanding County Court Judgments, checked 4 October 2026
- Propertymark: Tenant referencing, checked 4 October 2026
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Report a possible error.