Quick Answer: Best Remortgage Lenders for CCJs & Defaults in 2026
Specialist lenders like Kensington, Pepper Money, Vida, Precise and Bluestone remortgage borrowers with CCJs and defaults — often even unsatisfied ones — pricing for risk rather than declining. Rates are typically 1-3% above mainstream, but improve sharply once the marker is older than 2-3 years and satisfied. Best approached through a specialist adverse-credit broker who knows each lender's exact thresholds. The older and smaller the marker, the closer to mainstream rates you'll get.
How Lenders Treat CCJs and Defaults
The key factors that determine your options and rate:
- Age of the marker — the most important factor. Markers older than 3 years (and ideally 6+) carry much less weight; some lenders ignore those registered more than 3 years ago entirely.
- Satisfied vs unsatisfied — a satisfied (paid) CCJ or default opens far more lenders than an outstanding one, though some specialists accept unsatisfied markers too.
- Value — small markers (under £500, or sometimes under £1,000) are ignored by several lenders.
- Number and recency — one old, isolated marker is treated very differently from a recent pattern.
CCJs and defaults drop off your credit file after 6 years, after which most mainstream lenders treat you as clean.
