Priya had spent four years building a pristine credit score. She paid every EMI on time, kept her credit card utilisation low, and had a CIBIL score of 798 — well above the 750 that most banks consider excellent.
Then she and her husband applied for a joint home loan.
The bank's credit officer was polite but clear: her husband's CIBIL score was 614, the result of a defaulted credit card during his MBA years that he'd settled (but not fully resolved in the bureau records). The bank would either require a significantly higher interest rate — 50 basis points above the advertised rate — or a smaller loan amount than they needed.
Priya hadn't known her husband's credit score before the application. And why would she? Nobody tells you to check your partner's credit before starting a relationship.
But when it comes to joint home loans in India, you absolutely should.
When you apply for a joint home loan in India, the bank doesn't average your CIBIL scores. They evaluate both individually, and the weaker score has an outsized impact.
Different banks handle it differently:
The "lower score determines eligibility" approach: Some banks use the lower of the two scores as the primary credit quality indicator. If your partner's score is 610, the bank treats the application as a 610-score application — regardless of your 790.
The "weighted average" approach: Some banks calculate a weighted average based on how much income each applicant contributes. If you earn 70% of the combined income and have a 790 score, your score carries more weight. But a very low partner score can still drag the average into rejection territory.
The "primary applicant gets primary treatment" approach: Some banks focus primarily on the primary applicant's score and use the secondary applicant's score as a supplementary check. Here, a bad secondary score may result in higher rate rather than outright rejection.
The interest rate impact: A score below 700 can cost you 25-75 basis points in additional interest. On a ₹70 lakh home loan over 20 years, 50 basis points extra is approximately ₹3.5 lakh in additional interest paid.
Before panicking, understand what's actually causing the low score. Not all credit problems are equal.
Category 1: Thin file (no credit history)
If your partner has never taken a loan, never had a credit card, and never been a co-applicant — their CIBIL file is thin. This doesn't necessarily mean a low score; it means limited score data. Banks are cautious about thin files, but a secured credit card and 12 months of clean repayment can establish a profile.
*Fixable in:* 12-18 months
Category 2: Old defaults (fully settled)
A credit card default from 5 years ago that was eventually settled. The settlement is on record, but time helps. Credit bureaus weight recent behaviour more heavily than old behaviour.
*Fixable in:* 2-3 years of spotless repayment after settlement
Category 3: Unresolved settlements or write-offs
A loan the bank wrote off without full repayment. This is a serious negative mark. Some banks will still lend after a sufficient time gap (3+ years) and a clean record since, but at worse terms.
*Difficult to fix quickly:* 3-5 years of clean history, possibly with a CA's help to negotiate proper closure
Category 4: Guarantor liability
Your partner cosigned or guaranteed someone else's loan, that person defaulted, and the bank is now reporting your partner as a defaulter too. This is the sneakiest credit score killer.
*Fixable if:* The underlying default can be resolved. Otherwise you're waiting for the liability to age off.
Category 5: Recent missed payments
Your partner missed 2-3 EMIs in the last 12 months. This is a fresh negative that's heavily weighted.
*Fixable in:* 12 months of perfect payment after correcting the missing payments
If you're planning to apply for a home loan 12+ months from now, there's meaningful improvement possible. Here's the playbook:
Month 1: Get the actual credit reports
Don't just check the score — get the full credit report. Both of you should pull reports from all four bureaus: CIBIL, CRIF HighMark, Equifax India, and Experian India. (Each bureau may have different information — a discrepancy in one doesn't always show up in others.)
Months 1-3: Dispute errors
If you find incorrect information, file disputes with the bureau directly. The bureau has 30 days to respond to disputes. This step alone can lift a score by 30-50 points in cases of genuine errors.
Ongoing: Perfect the payment record
Every missed or late payment in the last 24 months hurts. From today forward, every EMI, every credit card minimum, every loan payment must hit on time. Set up auto-debit for everything.
Credit card utilisation
If your partner has credit cards, keep utilisation below 30% of the limit. Pay down any existing credit card balances as a priority.
Don't close old accounts
Credit age matters. An old credit card with no balance is actually helping the score — don't close it.
Consider a secured credit card or small loan
If the problem is thin file, a secured credit card (backed by a fixed deposit) or a small personal loan repaid over 12 months can establish positive credit history quickly.
If your partner's credit score is genuinely problematic and your timeline is tight, applying in one person's name only is sometimes the right call.
For unmarried couples: Most banks will not permit joint home loans for unmarried co-applicants. A few urban co-operative banks and some housing finance companies are more flexible. If you're unmarried and want a joint loan, check with a mortgage broker about which lenders are open to this.
You cannot pull someone else's credit report without their knowledge and consent. But you can easily check together.
What to check when you get the report: 1. The score itself (anything above 750 is strong, 700-749 is workable, below 700 requires improvement) 2. The "accounts" section — every current and historical credit account 3. "Enquiries" — too many recent credit enquiries can themselves lower the score 4. "Payment history" — a list of every payment with any missed payments flagged
Make it a together activity. The least awkward way to check your partner's credit is to sit down together and both pull your reports simultaneously. Frame it as "let's see where we are financially" — not "I need to audit you."
Coupl tracks shared savings goals, spending patterns, and financial milestones — so you walk into the bank knowing exactly where you both stand.
Written by the Coupl Team
Coupl is India's first zero-balance digital joint account for couples. This article was last reviewed on May 2026.