Tenants: Student Lets?

Our standard acceptability

Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially consider applications from borrowers that wish to Let the property to students

Policy Notes:

Family Building Society does consider student lets within our HMO proposition.

A maximum of 6 lettable rooms and 6 tenants.

Properties let to students are eligible under our HMO criteria and must be located in one of the Society’s nine approved areas: Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, London, Newcastle, Oxford, Cambridge and York.

Warning Notes:

  • Only available to experienced landlords. 
  • Available for properties in England and Wales 
  • The primary applicant should already be a residential homeowner occupier and experienced landlord. 
  • Maximum loan to value on any one HMO property: 75% purchase or remortgage. 
  • Normal Interest Cover ratios (145% for new borrowing) will apply. 
  • Maximum of 6 lettable bedrooms 
  • The primary applicant must be able to demonstrate a primary income (or savings) to cover voids.  
  • We consider student 
  • Property must be let on an Assured Short hold Tenancy basis in England, on a Standard Contract in Wales.  
  • Each of the tenants must have an individual APT agreement and the right to use shared parts of the property, or a joint APT agreement over the whole of the property. 
  • Studio apartments will not be considered for Buy to Let or HMO purposes. 
  • Properties with more than one kitchen are not acceptable. 
  • The Society’s specialist valuers will assess an HMO property’s market and rental value based on 100% occupancy of all the lettable rooms. 
  • Properties should be easily converted back into single family homes (e.g. within 1 to 2 months), properties should have a single main access and as per standard policy we won’t lend on Care Homes. 

Criteria categories:
  • Policy
  • tenancies

Last updated:

07 November 2025

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