94% of Brits don’t realise former flatmates could affect their credit score

With UK rents at record highs and tenants handing over a third of their income to landlords, flat-sharing has become a necessity for many¹. But new research warns of a catch many renters don’t see coming: your flatmate’s finances could be pulling down your credit score.

Despite 79% of Brits having lived with a flatmate, 94% don’t realise that joint financial products - like shared bank accounts or bills -  can directly link their credit score to a housemate's. 

Worryingly, only 8% of those surveyed claimed to actually financially trust the people they live with, leaving many at risk of entering risky arrangements. 

The research also revealed just how many housemates Brits are going through. More than one in four (28%) say they’ve lost track of how many people they’ve shared a home with over the years, while the average 25–34-year-old has already lived with around 15 flatmates in total.

Over a quarter (27%) of 16–24 year-olds have already lived with as many as ten different flatmates, even though they are only at the beginning of their renting journey.

The financial fallout of living with multiple flatmates can be serious. One in ten 16–24-year-olds, and 14% of those aged 25–34, say they’ve had to cover missed payments on behalf of others to protect themselves – a habit that could leave lasting damage on their own credit history should they struggle to keep up with both their own commitments and someone else’s.

It’s not just young renters at risk either, the research revealed that almost half (43%) over 45s are still renting, with one in ten saying they expect to rent for the rest of their lives.

The riskiest flatmate finance habits

Many renters are unknowingly tying their credit to housemates in ways that could come back to haunt them, including:

• Having joint bank accounts for bills
  Almost one in 10 (9%) of 16–24-year-olds admitted to pooling money in a shared bank account with flatmates, not realising it creates a lasting financial link.

• Having everyone named on bills
  9% of 25–34-year-olds list all flatmates on utility bills or contracts, meaning missed payments could affect everyone’s credit history, not just the person at fault.

Kara Gammell
Personal Finance & Insurance Expert

Joining finances always comes with risks

Simply living with someone won’t affect your credit score, but creating a financial link with them can. Opening a joint account for bills or taking out shared credit means your credit files become linked, and their financial behaviour – good or bad – could impact your future applications. 

What many people don’t realise is that these financial associations last indefinitely unless you actively request to have them removed. Sharing a bathroom is one thing.

Sharing your credit history for years after you’ve moved out? That’s a risk you don’t need to take.

Kara’s top tips to cut financial ties with flatmates

1. Keep finances separate
   If your flatmate misses payments or builds up debt, lenders may see you as a higher risk – even if your own finances are spotless, and regardless of whether you still live together. The safest move is to keep your money and accounts completely independent.

2. Untangle yourself if needed
   If you’ve already set up a joint financial product, don’t panic. Close any shared accounts or loans in full, then ask credit reference agencies to remove the financial link by submitting a ‘notice of disassociation’. This stops your ex-flatmate's’ credit habits from haunting your file in the future.

3. Check your credit report regularly
   You can keep tabs on your history with free tools like the MoneySuperMarket Credit Monitor. Within your report, the ‘financial associations’ section shows who you’re currently linked to.

4. Don’t forget to remove old links
   Even after you close a joint account, the association will remain on your file indefinitely until you actively request removal through a notice of financial dissociation.

5. Protect yourself for the long term
   Don’t let your flatmate’s money mistakes follow you around. As long as you keep your finances separate, their bad credit affects yours today - or in the future.

To find out if your credit score could be  affected by a former flatmate, visit the MoneySuperMarket Credit Monitor

<sup>Sources 
Research conducted by Censuswide surveying 1000 nationally represented Brits in August 2025. 
1. ONS data on private rent and house prices in August 2025
2. GOV UK English Housing Survey (2023-24): rented sectors
3. ONS data on the number of renters in the UK in 2023.</sup>