Will not paying rent in the UK due to loss of income (COVID) be reported on the credit score file?

Question

 Background:

Landlords do not have to pay their mortgage.

Landlords will also be protected as 3-month mortgage payment holiday is extended to Buy to Let mortgages

At the end of this period, landlords and tenants will be expected to work together to establish an affordable repayment plan, taking into account tenants’ individual circumstances.

(emphasis mine)

Existing tenancy agreement:

Late payment of Rent will be charged at £30.00 if it has been 3 days overdue and then a further £10.00 per day until the account is brought up to date and arrears cleared.

There is a new law in play: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tenant-fees-act

Official government document is a very formal language, here is a simpler explanation: https://blog.openrent.co.uk/tenant-fees-ban-what-landlords-need-to-know/

You will be able to charge fees for rent payments that are over 2 weeks late. The fees can be up to 3% plus the Bank of England base interest rate.

Will being late with rent be reported to Experian, Equifax and Transunion?

Answer 1

Unless you volunteer it, for instance through a scheme like Credit Ladder or Rental Exchange Initiative, rent payments are not normally reported to Credit Referencing Agencies.

So things would have to go all the way to a County Court Judgement to go onto your credit reports, I think. With the laws you mention in force, there should be much more leniency there.

Answer 2

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/eviction/what_is_a_possession_order_for_eviction

A possession order does not count as a county court judgment (CCJ). Eviction won't affect your credit rating unless the court makes a money order against you.

Shelter is an authoritative source, a charity specializing in homelessness.