Criteria A-Z

As we manually underwrite our mortgages we’re much more flexible with our criteria than most. Using our common sense approach (and our ears!) means we can cater for a larger variety of life stages and circumstances for your clients than many other lender.

Browse criteria by A-Z below or search criteria by keyword to find what you need.

Owner Occupier Criteria

Buy to Let Criteria

Employment: Probationary Period

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Specifies if we will allow a clients income to be considered for affordability if they are in a probationary period.

Our policy notes:

We would normally expect an applicant's probationary period to have been completed prior to submitting an application.

Last updated:

23 May 2017

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Escalating Ground Rents

Our standard acceptability

Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially lend on residential applications for leasehold properties that have an escalating ground rent clause.

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society can potentially consider lending on leasehold properties where an escalating ground rent clause exists.

Last updated:

09 September 2019

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Estate Rentcharges

Our standard acceptability

Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially lend on residential applications for freehold properties where 'Estate Rent Charge' clauses exist.

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society can potentially consider lending on freehold properties where exists an estate charge for the general upkeep and maintenance of any shared areas.

Last updated:

09 September 2019

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

EU Nationals with a ‘pre-settled status’

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially consider applications from EU Nationals with a ‘pre-settled status’ under the EU Settlement Scheme

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society does not lend to EU Nationals with a ‘pre-settled status’ under the EU Settlement Scheme

Last updated:

03 August 2021

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

EU Nationals with a ‘settled status’

Our standard acceptability

Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially consider applications from EU Nationals with a ‘settled status’ under the EU Settlement Scheme

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society can potentially lend to EU Nationals with a ‘settled status’ under the EU Settlement Scheme

Last updated:

03 August 2021

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Ex MOD properties

Our standard acceptability

Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can consider lending on an ex MOD property

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society can potentially consider an application on an ex MOD property

Last updated:

15 January 2021

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Expat Residential Mortgage

Our standard acceptability

Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially consider residential applications from expatriate applicants.

Our policy notes:

We can accept applications from expatriates from a restricted list of countries, as follows:

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France ( France, Mayotte, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and Wallis and Futuna), Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kingdom of the Netherlands (The Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao, Saint Maarten), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (including UK Crown Dependencies), and United States.

A note for our packager partners

In addition, the Society has agreed on a policy through our packager partners for lending to expats in Bahrain, China, Hong Kong, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and UAE on an exceptional basis.

Plus China but will be subject to the additional requirements below:

•The monthly mortgage payments should be made from a UK bank account from where any rental payments are received.

•Any deposit monies are paid from or evidenced as held within a UK bank account

•Applicants must be working for recognised large organisations that have a UK presence.

Last updated:

27 November 2025

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Family assist 100% mortgages

Our standard acceptability

Not Offered

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially consider Family assist 100% mortgages

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society will not consider Family assist 100% mortgages

Our outside policy allowances:

The Society does offer 95% mortgages with family assistance with our Family Mortgage scheme where 20% security from the family property or savings is accepted.

Last updated:

11 September 2020

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Financial Associates with Adverse

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially accept residential applications from an applicant who is financially associated with someone who has adverse credit.

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society will not accept applicants that are financially associated with persons that have adverse credit.

Last updated:

09 September 2019

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Flat/Maisonette Maximum LTV (New Build)

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates the maximum potential loan to value (LTV) we can accept where the property type is a NEW BUILD flat or NEW BUILD maisonette.

Our policy notes:

We do not accept new build flats/maisonettes.

Last updated:

03 July 2017

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Flat/Maisonette Maximum LTV (Standard)

Our standard acceptability

Criteria definition:

Indicates the maximum potential loan to value (LTV) we can accept where the property type is a flat or maisonette and it is NOT considered a new build.

Our policy notes:

The maximum LTV we can consider is 80% LTV providing applicants have evidence of a current mortgage or tenancy they have maintained.

Last updated:

03 July 2017

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Flying Freehold: Maximum acceptable percentage of the gross floor area

Our standard acceptability

Criteria definition:

Indicates the maximum percentage of gross floor area the flying freehold part covers that can be considered by us

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society accepts flying freehold up to a maximum gross floor area of 20%

Last updated:

11 September 2020

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Foreign Nationals (Living Overseas)

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially consider applications from foreign nationals living overseas who wish to obtain a residential mortgage here in the UK. For example, a Chinese applicant who does not live or work in the UK who wants to purchase property here in the UK on a residential basis as he wants a residence in the UK (perhaps for his family to reside).

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society does not lend to Foreign Nationals living overseas.

Last updated:

06 November 2018

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Foreign Nationals (with indefinite leave to remain)

Our standard acceptability

Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we are potentially able to accept applications from foreign nationals that DO HAVE indefinite leave to remain.

Our policy notes:

We do accept applications from foreign nationals with a permanent right to reside.

Last updated:

17 July 2017

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Foreign Nationals (WITHOUT indefinite leave to remain)

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we are potentially able to accept applications from foreign nationals that DO NOT have indefinite leave to remain.

Our policy notes:

We would not prepared to accept applications from non-EU nationals without a permanent right to reside.

Last updated:

17 July 2017

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Gambling (recurring transactions)

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially consider applicants with recurrent gambling transactions on residential applications

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society will not consider applicants that have recurring gambling transactions

Last updated:

11 September 2020

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Green mortgage

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially accept a Green Mortgage application.

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society is unable to consider a Green Mortgage application

Last updated:

03 August 2021

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Guarantors

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we accept guarantor applications.

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society does not accept mortgage applications with guarantors. This has been replaced by Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgages

Last updated:

10 December 2024

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Guarantors: Reverse (younger applicant guarantor for older applicant)

Our standard acceptability

Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially consider a reverse guarantor application. A reverse guarantor application is where the guarantor is younger than the applicant. This typically might occur when a son or daughter wishes to help their parents.

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society can potentially consider a reverse guarantor application although we process these under our Joint Mortgage Sole Owner (JMSO) policy.

Last updated:

11 September 2020

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

Guarantors: Where applicant significant income growth is not expected

Our standard acceptability

Not Acceptable

Criteria definition:

Indicates if we can potentially accept a guarantor application where the applicant is not expecting significant income growth in the future

Our policy notes:

Family Building Society will only consider a guarantor application where significant income growth is expected

Last updated:

11 September 2020

Check affordability Contact your BDM Illustration request

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Affordability Calculator

Find out how much your residential client may be able to borrow. To see affordability for a Buy to Let client, use our Buy to Let calculator

Find Your Local

Business Development Manager

Your Local BDM:

Sam Morrison

Working out of our head office, as our phone-based BDM in Epsom, Sam has a wealth of knowledge regarding our processes and criteria and covers a variety of postcodes across the UK.

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Your Local BDM:

Neil Cadwallader

Neil has over 19 years experience in Financial Services. Neil focuses around South Wales and the West of England area. Contact Neil for help with your clients' mortgages.

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Your Local BDM:

Stuart Heavens

Stuart focuses on the South Coast area. Contact Stuart for help with your clients' mortgages.

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Your Local BDM:

Amar Mashru

Amar focuses on the Central London area. Contact Amar for help with your clients' mortgages.

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Your Local BDM:

Arif Kara

Arif was previously a mortgage adviser, and focuses on North and West London. Contact Arif for help with your clients' mortgages.

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Your Local BDM:

Nathan Waller

Nathan, previously a mortgage broker, focuses on Cambridgeshire, East Sussex, Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Kent. Contact Nathan for help with your clients' mortgages.

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Your Local BDM:

Grace Bennett

Grace focuses around the West M25 area. Contact Grace for help with your clients' mortgages.

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Your Local BDM:

Gina England

Gina has a vast amount of experience with both simple and complex lending solutions. If you're in the East or West Midlands, please contact Gina for help with your clients' mortgages.

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Your Local BDM:

Paul Roberts

Paul has over 30 years' experience and focuses on the North (inc. M62 corridor), Yorkshire and the North East. Contact Paul for help with your clients' mortgages.

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We do not currently have a BDM covering your area. Please contact our Mortgage Helpdesk:

Opening hours: Monday - Friday: 9am - 5.30pm. Saturday: Closed

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