Low Deposit Mortgages
A small deposit — or even no deposit at all — doesn't have to rule out buying a home. Which route makes sense depends on your income, your credit history, and whether family support is available to you.
From mortgages with a fixed, low deposit amount, to 100% lending and family-backed arrangements with no cash deposit at all, several routes exist alongside the standard 5–10% deposit mortgage. We help you work out honestly which ones you could actually qualify for before you start viewing homes.
Last reviewed: 16 September 2026 · Reviewed by Sherif Salaam, Senior Mortgage & Protection Advisor, Greywood Financial
What counts as a "low deposit" mortgage?
There's no single definition of a low deposit — it can mean anywhere from a modest 5–10% deposit down to a fixed low cash amount, family-backed security, or no deposit of your own at all. Which route is realistic for you depends on your income, credit history, and whether family support is available, not just how much you've managed to save.
Two buyers with exactly the same savings can end up with very different options depending on whether they qualify for a fixed low-deposit scheme, have family able to help, or need a standard mortgage with a bigger deposit. The right route is the one that fits your specific circumstances, not a generic recommendation.
Tell us your deposit — or lack of one — and your income, and we'll talk you through the realistic options before you commit to one.
Can I get a mortgage with no deposit at all?
In certain circumstances, some lenders will consider lending up to 100% of a property's purchase price, meaning no cash deposit is required directly from you. These options sit alongside — not instead of — the routes above, and whether one applies to you depends on your income, credit history, rental payment record, and sometimes whether a family member can support the application.
Lending based purely on affordability
A small number of lenders will lend the full purchase price based on a strict assessment of your income and outgoings alone, with no family involvement at all. This route typically comes with more thorough affordability stress-testing than a standard mortgage, a strong, recent credit history requirement, and longer fixed-rate periods to manage the risk of no deposit cushion. Availability is limited and changes at short notice, so we check what's genuinely open to you rather than assuming this route exists at the time you apply.
Using your rental payment record instead of a deposit
Some lenders will assess a consistent record of on-time rent and household bill payments — typically 12 months or so within the last 18 months — as evidence you can manage mortgage repayments, in place of a cash deposit. Your maximum loan is usually still capped by an income multiple, and the property type or price band can be restricted, so this isn't automatically available on every purchase.
A family member's savings held as security
Instead of a cash deposit from you, a family member can place a lump sum — often around 10% of the purchase price — into a linked savings account tied to your mortgage. The money is usually held for a fixed period (commonly around three years) and returned, sometimes with interest, provided your repayments are kept up. If repayments are missed, the family member's money is at risk, so we make sure everyone involved understands this before proceeding.
A family member's property offered as security
Alternatively, a family member can offer a legal charge over their own home — rather than cash — as security in place of your deposit, usually equivalent to somewhere around 20% of the purchase price. You still hold full legal ownership of the property you're buying. The charge is typically released after several years, once you've built up enough equity and passed an affordability check confirming you can support the mortgage on your own.
Borrowing at or near 100% of a property's value leaves little or no buffer if prices fall, which can mean negative equity if you need to sell or remortgage soon after buying. Eligibility for these schemes also tends to be tighter than for a standard mortgage — a strong, consistent payment history and a clean credit file are often expected, and a family member offering savings or property as security takes on real risk if repayments are missed. We'll only recommend a route if it genuinely suits your circumstances, and we'll always explain the risks alongside the benefit of getting on the ladder sooner.
What is the Deposit Unlock scheme for new-build homes?
Deposit Unlock is a new-build scheme that lets eligible buyers purchase a new home with just a 5% deposit, with the remaining 95% covered by a mortgage from a participating lender and backed by insurance the housebuilder pays for.
It's only available on selected new-build developments and through specific lenders, so we check whether your chosen property and lender qualify before you commit. We can tell you within a short conversation whether Deposit Unlock is realistic for your purchase.
What is a fixed low-deposit amount mortgage?
Some lenders price a mortgage around a fixed cash deposit amount rather than a percentage of the purchase price, which can make the deposit far more achievable on lower-priced properties, since a fixed sum represents a smaller share of the price the cheaper the home is.
Availability tends to be limited to lower price bands and specific lenders, and criteria and maximum property prices vary and can change, so we check what's actually open to you before you rely on it.
We check which fixed-deposit products you might qualify for and how far they stretch against the properties you're actually looking at.
Illustrative example only, based on a hypothetical fixed deposit amount to show how its effective percentage falls as property price rises. Actual fixed-deposit amounts, maximum property prices and eligibility vary between lenders.
Can family help reduce how much deposit I need myself?
Family support can lower the deposit you need in two quite different ways — either by directly contributing towards it, or by boosting how much you can borrow so a smaller deposit goes further. Most lenders are comfortable with one, both, or neither, depending on the structure.
What is a gifted deposit and how does it work?
A gifted deposit is money a family member gives you — not lends you — towards your purchase, and most mainstream lenders will accept this as part or all of your deposit. The family member usually needs to confirm in writing that the money is a genuine gift with no expectation of repayment or any stake in the property, and lenders will want to see the source of those funds to satisfy money-laundering checks. We help make sure the paperwork is in the format your specific lender needs, so a gift doesn't unexpectedly delay your application.
Can a family member's income increase what I can borrow?
Yes — with a Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP) mortgage, a family member's income is added to the application and counts towards affordability, without them owning a share of the property or being on the title. This can mean the deposit you already have covers a larger purchase than your income alone would support, which is a different route to reducing your deposit burden than a gifted lump sum. We'll talk you through whether a gift, a JBSP structure, or both together make the most sense for your situation.
Most lenders will combine up to three or four people's incomes on a JBSP application, and most cap the mortgage term by the oldest applicant's age at the end of it — commonly around 75, occasionally extending to 80 at some lenders. For a 25-year term, that typically means a helper needs to be in their early-to-mid fifties or younger when the mortgage starts. Because the helper isn't on the property's title, this shouldn't affect any first-time-buyer stamp duty relief you're entitled to — but not every lender offers JBSP alongside every low-deposit product, so we check the specific combination before recommending it.
Most lenders are entirely comfortable with a deposit made up partly of your own savings and partly a family gift — you don't have to choose one or the other. What matters is that every source of the deposit can be clearly evidenced.
How much can I actually borrow with a low or no deposit?
There isn't one deposit or income figure that applies to everyone considering a low or no-deposit purchase.
Before asking how many times your income a lender may offer, it's often more useful to establish which route — a fixed low-deposit amount, family-backed security, a 100% mortgage, or Shared Ownership — actually fits your income and circumstances.
- Deposit size & source
- Combined income
- Employed / self-employed mix
- Existing commitments
- Credit history
- Dependants
- Mortgage term
- Lender affordability model
A real example, not a generic multiple
A generic income multiple can't tell you whether you'll be assessed as a standard purchase, a fixed low-deposit scheme, a family-backed arrangement, or a 100% mortgage.
[INSERT REAL, ANONYMISED LOW-DEPOSIT CLIENT EXAMPLE HERE — situation, what made it harder than a standard application, how it was approached, and a concrete checkable outcome such as deposit size, LTV or income multiple.]
Real, anonymised client example; individual outcomes depend on your circumstances and lender criteria at the time.
How we help
We start with your deposit, income and circumstances — not a lender. Once we understand what you have to work with, we can identify the route and the lenders most likely to fit.
Deposit, income (employed, self-employed, or both), and who's buying with you.
We review your credit report and confirm what you're realistically able to borrow through our Approved Buyer Certificate process.
A fixed low-deposit scheme, family-backed or JBSP structure, a 100% mortgage, Shared Ownership or Deposit Unlock — whichever genuinely fits.
We support the application through underwriting and towards completion.
Senior Mortgage & Protection Advisor, Greywood Financial (FCA: 932346) · Last reviewed 16 September 2026
Low deposit mortgage questions
Answers to some of the questions we're asked most by people looking to buy with a small — or no — deposit.
What's the smallest deposit I can buy a home with in the UK?
There's no fixed minimum that applies everywhere — a standard mortgage usually needs at least 5%, but routes such as Shared Ownership, a fixed low-deposit amount scheme, a family-backed arrangement, or a genuine 100% mortgage can bring the cash you need down further, or to nothing at all, depending on your circumstances and eligibility. We check what's actually realistic for you rather than quoting a generic figure.
What's the difference between a 95% mortgage and a 100% mortgage?
A 95% mortgage still requires a 5% cash deposit from you, with the lender covering the remaining 95% of the purchase price, whereas a 100% mortgage requires no cash deposit at all — the full price is borrowed, sometimes backed by a family member's savings or property instead. 100% mortgages generally come with stricter eligibility and affordability checks than a 95% mortgage, and availability is more limited.
Can I get a low-deposit mortgage if I'm self-employed?
Yes, but self-employed applicants are usually assessed on a different basis than employed applicants — typically an average of the last two to three years' income — and some low-deposit and no-deposit schemes exclude self-employed applicants entirely or apply tighter criteria to them. We check which routes are genuinely open to self-employed buyers before recommending one.
What happens if house prices fall and I have little or no deposit?
With a small or no deposit, there's very little buffer between what you owe and what the property is worth, so even a modest fall in value can leave you in negative equity — where you owe more than the home is worth. This mainly matters if you need to sell or remortgage in that period, since a standard remortgage usually needs some equity in the property. We talk through this risk honestly alongside the benefit of buying sooner.
Does a bigger deposit always get me a better mortgage rate?
Generally, a bigger deposit (a lower loan-to-value) opens up better rates because you represent less risk to the lender, but this isn't guaranteed in every case and depends on the specific lender, product and your wider circumstances. We compare how much a larger deposit would realistically save you against the time it would take to save it.
Can I use a Lifetime ISA bonus towards a low-deposit mortgage?
Yes — a Lifetime ISA (LISA) government bonus can be used towards a low-deposit purchase in the same way as towards any first-time buyer purchase, provided the property and account meet the LISA rules on price and account age. See our first-time buyer guide for the full detail on LISA and Help to Buy ISA rules, and we'll help you time the withdrawal correctly against your application.
Is Shared Ownership a good option if I only have a very small deposit?
It can be, because your deposit is calculated on the share you buy rather than the full property price, so buying a smaller share brings the cash you need down considerably. It isn't automatically the cheapest option overall once rent on the unowned share and service charges are factored in, so we check the real numbers against your specific circumstances rather than assuming it's the right fit.
Do low or no-deposit mortgages take longer to arrange than a standard mortgage?
They can, mainly because there's more to check — family arrangements, gifted deposit paperwork, or a lender's specific low-deposit criteria — and fewer lenders offer these products, which can mean a narrower choice and less flexibility on timing. Starting your enquiry early gives us the best chance of lining everything up before you need to exchange.
Can I move off a family-backed or 100% mortgage once I've built up equity?
Often, yes — as you pay the mortgage down and, ideally, the property gains value, your loan-to-value falls, which can open up standard remortgage options and release any family member's savings or property that was used as security. This isn't guaranteed and depends on the specific product, how much equity you've built, and lender criteria at the time, so we review this with you as part of ongoing advice, not just at the point of purchase.
Will a low or no-deposit mortgage limit which properties I can buy?
Often, yes — many low-deposit and no-deposit schemes restrict the property type, price band, location, or new-build status you can buy, and some require a strong rental payment history or exclude certain flats and leasehold arrangements. We check the specific restrictions on any scheme you're considering against the actual property before you commit to it.
Can my rental payment history count towards a deposit instead of savings?
With some lenders, yes — a consistent record of on-time rent and household bill payments, typically over the last 12 months within an 18-month window, can be assessed in place of a cash deposit. You'll still be assessed on affordability, credit history and a maximum income multiple, and the property type or price band can be restricted, so it's worth checking whether this route is genuinely open to you before relying on it.
Ready to find out what's realistic for you?
Tell us your deposit — or lack of one — and your income, and we'll help you understand which route — a fixed low-deposit amount, family-backed security, a 100% mortgage, Shared Ownership or Deposit Unlock — actually fits.