Mobile phone-addicted 18-to-24 years are losing coveted property ladder places with their sloppy payment habits…

That's the warning from a leading mortgage broker to the UK's mobile-mad population.

"Mobile phone bill defaulters don't realise that a missed payment is logged in the same way as a missed credit card or loan payment - and considered every bit as serious an issue," said David Titmuss of The Mortgage Lender.

"While buying a property may seem a very distant concept for them because they are currently so expensive, there is every sign that new government policy means affordable housing is on the way - but they may well miss out because they won't be able to get a mortgage.

"While it is considered acceptable to chop and change between mobile phone companies, some people believe it is also acceptable to not pay outstanding mobile bills when they do.

Don’t break the contract

Mr Titmuss added: "A County Court Judgement (CCJ) can be recorded against their name without them even knowing about it because of a small unpaid mobile phone bill, for example, or outstanding student loan - in many cases, purely because the company has been unable to make contact to arrange settlement because of change of address. Only when an application for credit is made and refused does the matter come to light.

"Because a mobile phone company is not a bank or mortgage lender, subscribers do not always take payment demands seriously - but contract mobile phones are precisely that: contracts. You break the contract, you're in trouble.

"The truth of the matter is that if you miss three mobile phone bill payments then you're in exactly the same position as though you'd defaulted on credit card repayments: it stays on your credit history for six years, and mainstream mortgage lenders do not like that.

"In this day and age, a mainstream lender will be looking for any reason to decline a mortgage application.

Misplaced bravado

Mr Titmuss continued: "But while a young adult may see avoiding paying a mobile phone bill as bravado, or 'beating the system', and maybe even a minor victory over big business, a few years down the line when they are considering buying their first home they may find that their mortgage application is declined because of that default.

"At 22 they may take advantage of, say, moving out of student digs or rented accommodation to conveniently disappear off the mobile phone company's radar, but sure as anything the credit reference system will catch up with them when five years later they're ready to settle down and buy a flat - and that default is like a beacon to lenders."