Rent payments should be included when calculating credit scores to support tenants wanting to buy a home of their own, according to a new poll.

A survey of almost 3,000 landlords carried out by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has found that 61% of landlords would support such a move.

At present, credit rating agencies do not routinely include rent payment history when calculating credit scores. This means a tenant can find it difficult to access a mortgage, even if they have a long history of rent being paid in full and on time.

Including rent payment in this way would also support landlords, providing them with a more accurate assessment of a prospective tenant’s credit and rent payment history.

The RLA, which represents private landlords across England and Wales, is writing to the UK government calling on it to work with the industry to include rent payment history as a standard feature when calculating credit scores.

Chairman Alan Ward said: “With many tenants wanting to buy a house of their own, it is absurd rent payment is not routinely included when undertaking credit checks for mortgage applications.

“Moving to such a scheme would help not just tenants, but also landlords by giving them a clearer sense of whether a prospective tenant has historically paid their rent in full and on time.”