How Long Do Different Credit Listings Stay on Your File in Australia?

One of the most common questions people have when they discover a negative listing on their credit file is simple: how long will it be there? The answer depends on the type of listing — and in some cases, whether the listing was recorded correctly in the first place.

Here's a plain-English guide to the retention periods for different types of credit information in Australia, and what can be done when a listing shouldn't be there at all.

Payment defaults — 5 years

A payment default is listed when a debt of $150 or more is more than 60 days overdue and the credit provider has issued the required notice. Once listed, a default stays on your credit file for five years from the date it was recorded — regardless of whether you pay the debt during that time. Paying a default changes its status to "paid" but does not remove it or shorten the five-year period.

Court judgments — 5 years

If a creditor has taken legal action and obtained a judgment against you, that judgment is recorded on your credit file for five years from the date the judgment was made — not from when the underlying debt arose. Court judgments are a more serious negative listing than a payment default and can significantly affect lending decisions.

Clearout listings — 7 years

A clearout (also called a serious credit infringement) is recorded when a credit provider believes you have left your last known address without paying a debt and without telling them of a new address. Clearout listings have a longer retention period — seven years from the date of listing. They are treated as one of the most serious types of negative credit information and can be particularly damaging. Importantly, clearout listings can sometimes be the result of administrative errors — an incorrect address on file, a failure to update contact details — rather than deliberate avoidance.

Credit enquiries — 5 years

Every time you apply for credit — a home loan, a credit card, a car loan, a buy now pay later facility — a credit enquiry is recorded on your file. These enquiries remain visible for five years from the date they were made. Multiple enquiries in a short period are visible to all lenders and can affect how they assess your application, even if each individual application was approved.

Repayment history information (RHI) — 2 years

Under Comprehensive Credit Reporting, credit providers report your monthly repayment history — whether you paid on time, late, or not at all — for up to 24 months. This information rolls off after two years, which means recent behaviour is weighted more heavily than older payment history. A period of missed payments from two or more years ago will eventually cycle off, but current missed payments affect your file immediately.

Personal insolvency — varies

Bankruptcy is listed for the longer of five years from the date of bankruptcy or two years from when the bankruptcy ends. Debt agreements (Part IX) and personal insolvency agreements (Part X) have similar retention rules. These listings also appear on the National Personal Insolvency Index (NPII), which is a permanent public record separate from your credit file.

The exception — incorrect or improperly recorded listings

The timeframes above apply to listings that were recorded correctly and in accordance with the law. A listing that was recorded in breach of the required procedures — for example, a default issued without proper notice, a clearout recorded at the wrong address, or a debt listed in the wrong amount — may be challengeable regardless of how long it has been on the file.

Credit providers are required to follow specific steps before recording negative information. Where those steps weren't followed, or where the information itself is inaccurate, it may be possible to have the listing removed before the standard retention period expires. This is what a credit file investigation examines — not just what's on the file, but whether it should be there at all.

If you have listings on your credit file and you're not sure whether they were recorded correctly, Edit Credit offers a free initial assessment. Visit editcredit.com.au/personal for consumer credit file issues, or editcredit.com.au/commercial for director and business credit matters.