Mortgages · Family Mortgages
When family wants to help you get on the ladder.
Family-assisted mortgages let parents or other family members help a buyer get a mortgage — through a guarantor arrangement, a joint mortgage or by using their own savings or property as additional security — without necessarily gifting a deposit outright or becoming a joint owner.
The main types of family-assisted mortgage
Guarantor mortgages let a family member guarantee the mortgage payments (or offer their own property as additional security) without being named on the property title, helping a buyer qualify for a larger loan or lower deposit. Joint borrower sole proprietor (JBSP) mortgages go further — a family member is named on the mortgage and their income counts towards affordability, but they are not a legal owner of the property, which can also help with stamp duty and capital gains tax considerations compared to a joint ownership arrangement.
Some lenders also offer family offset or savings-as-security products, where a family member’s savings are held as security (and can still earn interest) rather than being gifted outright, reducing the buyer’s required deposit or the interest charged.
Family members taking on these arrangements should understand the financial commitment and risk involved — independent legal advice is usually required — we’ll always make sure that’s clearly understood before anything proceeds.
Who this is for
- Buyers with a small or no deposit but family able to help
- First-time buyers whose income alone doesn't meet affordability
- Family wanting to help without gifting cash outright
- Parents wanting to support a purchase without becoming a co-owner
- Buyers whose family can offer savings as additional security
- Multi-generational household arrangements
How it works
Understand the options
Guarantor mortgages, joint borrower sole proprietor and family-offset arrangements all work differently — we explain each.
Assess affordability
Both the buyer's and, where relevant, the family member's financial position.
Lender matching
Not every lender offers every family-assisted structure — we identify which do.
Application to completion
We manage the case, including any legal advice family members may need to take independently.
Common questions
- A joint borrower sole proprietor (JBSP) mortgage is one where a family member — typically a parent — is named on the mortgage and their income is included in the affordability assessment, but they are not named on the property title. This allows a buyer to benefit from a family member's income without that family member becoming a legal co-owner, which can also help with stamp duty and capital gains tax compared to a full joint ownership arrangement.
- A guarantor mortgage is one where a family member agrees to meet the mortgage payments if the primary applicant cannot. The guarantor is legally liable if payments are missed, and lenders may take action against the guarantor's property or assets in the event of serious default. The guarantor's own income, credit and in some cases property are assessed by the lender.
- Yes. Family offset and savings-as-security arrangements allow a parent's savings to be held by the lender as additional security — reducing the deposit required or the interest charged — without those savings being transferred to the buyer. The family member's money remains theirs and is returned when a certain equity threshold is reached, though it may be restricted while held as security.
- In most cases, yes. Lenders typically require guarantors and joint borrowers to take independent legal advice before completing, so they fully understand the legal and financial commitment they are making. The cost of this is usually modest but should be factored in when planning.
What is a joint borrower sole proprietor mortgage?
What is a guarantor mortgage?
Can a parent help with a mortgage without gifting money?
Do family members helping need independent legal advice?
Reviewed by Jack Cousins · CeMAP qualified
21 August 2026
Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or other loans secured upon it.