Criteria Lookup

We’re a clean credit lender. We won’t lend to any applicant who has ever:

• been bankrupt
• been subject to an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA)
• owned a previous property which has been taken into possession or who has surrendered voluntary possession to the lender.

We will not lend if, in the last 3 years, an applicant has had:

• a County Court Judgement (CCJ) registered or settled within this time, or has an outstanding CCJ registered outside the 3 years
• any arrears at all on a mortgage, fixed payment loan and/or rent
• more than two consecutive missed payments on credit and/or store cards.

We will not usually lend if the applicant has defaulted or settled a past defaulted account on any credit agreement in the last 3 years, or has an outstanding default.

Communications and mail order records can be ignored, unless the scale and/or frequency of missed payments indicate cause for concern.

As part of our underwriting process we must assess the applicant’s income, credit commitments and cost of living expenses to ensure their ability to pay.

We need confirmation of the applicant’s committed expenditure including credit cards, overdraft, loans, hire purchase, maintenance, school fees and child care. General household expenditure, for example food and utilities, are automatically accounted for in our affordability calculator.

Any mortgage (other than a formal Buy to Let mortgage) must be included in our affordability calculator.

To do this, you’ll need to:

1. calculate the cost of interest on the non redeemed balance at a nominal rate of 8.44%
2. enter the monthly equivalent cost in the monthly outgoings field of our affordability calculator.

Applicants obtaining ‘consent to let’ or a ‘let to buy’ loan must include this mortgage in the affordability assessment unless they can provide evidence of a mortgage offer which proves that the retained property is being remortgaged into a formal Buy to Let.

You can use our affordability calculator to estimate what your client may be able to borrow based on their income and financial commitments.

• The minimum age is 18
• The maximum age is 75 years for the eldest applicant at the expiry of the mortgage term.

• A ‘Back to Back’ transaction, where a property has been owned for less than 6 months, is not acceptable and will be declined.
• Assignable contracts are not acceptable and will be declined.

Check our 5 golden rules

• Must pass our credit score
• Must meet our minimum income and loan size requirements*
• Income to support the loan must be paid in GBP
• Up to 90% LTV for residential and up to 75% LTV for Buy to Let 
• Must meet our standard property criteria.

For further information, take a look at our Bespoke information page or search our dedicated Bespoke Lending Criteria to see how we can meet the needs of your clients with complex income.

 *The minimum loan size is £150,000 and the minimum income requirements are:
Residential: Repayment mortgage - At least one applicant must earn £40,000. Interest only mortgage - £50,000 for sole applicants and £75,000 for joint applicants. Buy to Let: At least one applicant must earn £40,000 for a repayment or interest only mortgage. 

Builders’ incentives are accepted up to 5% of purchase price with no adjustment to the purchase price or loan. We don’t accept guaranteed rental income schemes.

 

Applicants can remortgage to raise additional capital up to 85% LTV (excluding fees) or 75% if there is any element of debt consolidation.

Applicants can borrow funds to raise additional capital to fund most legal purposes, provided the capital is not used for;

• business or speculative purposes (e.g. investment, replacing savings)
  payment of tax
  gambling debts
  a timeshare
  payment of care fees

Applicants can remortgage up to 90% LTV on a like for like basis or if they're repaying a Help to Buy loan in full, purchasing the final staircase on shared ownership or buying out someone from the title of the property (transfer of Equity).

Remortgages where the applicant has owned the property for less than 6 months are not normally acceptable. There are some circumstances where we can consider these applications (such as when an applicant has inherited the property or where a developer has taken the property as part exchange) so please contact us to provide details.

We’ll base our lending on the lower of the purchase price or value, except where the discount is at least 25% of the mortgage valuation. In these circumstances we’ll exclusively use the valuation figure.

We won’t accept any applications where the broker has a financial interest in the property being mortgaged. Put simply, the broker submitting the case can’t also be the buyer/owner.

The term contractors covers contractors trading as self employed, limited companies and contractors working through an umbrella firm. Contractors have the option to apply as self employed, requiring 3 years trading and 2 years income figures, or as employment type contractor.

Our contractor lending criteria:

• Maximum 90% LTV, exclusive of fees
• Applicants must have a minimum gross contracting income of £50,000pa for the contractor (not the household)
• Affordability is based on 80% of gross contract income
• Minimum contracting period is 12 months in current occupation. The contract does not have to be with the same agency/employer
• Current contract is required for income assessment. This can be either the original or a certified copy. We will also need copies of all other contracts held in the past 12 months
• We will not accept contractors who have had cumulative contract gaps of 1 month or more in the last 12 months
• Eligible for Interest Only, subject to our interest only lending criteria
• Where contractors use an umbrella company to manage their payroll, please refer to our umbrella companies income criteria
• We won’t lend to Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) contract workers under our contractor criteria. But we will consider them under our self employed income criteria.

We will not normally accept applications from applicants with a criminal record unless the conviction is for a minor traffic offence, or is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Applicants with diplomatic status in the UK are not acceptable.

Payment by Direct Debit mandate is compulsory for all loan types.

When assessing applications, we consider the level of debts the customer(s) is committed to relative to their income, how much they've paid off and the credit they have left available. We'll exclude student debt from our assessment.

Applications for the purchase of residential properties that will be occupied by a dependant relative of the applicant are not acceptable.

If the property being purchased is being sold by a dependant relative who will then remain in the property after the sale takes place, the application will be declined.

Please see our packaging requirements page.

 

All of our lending criteria is applicable to existing customers with some minor exceptions.

For residential purchases (including private or through an estate agent): an EPC must be provided (unless the property is registered on the PRS Exemptions Register). Currently there's no minimum rating requirement for residential properties.

For remortgages: properties may not have an EPC if they were owned prior to the introduction of these regulations or if the EPC has expired. This is acceptable, and a new EPC will not be required in such cases.

Valuation Reports: For residential purchases, the valuer, where available, will supply the EPC rating within the valuation report.

New Build Properties: When a new build is under construction and doesn't have an EPC rating, please provide a Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA). We'll ask the solicitor to confirm the EPC rating before the mortgage starts.

You can find the EPC rating of a property registered in England and Wales on the UK Government's website and for properties registered in Scotland you can find this on the Scottish Energy Performance Certificate website. 

A sponsor is a close relative, normally a parent or step parent of any applicant, who is added as a co-borrower.

First Start products are available up to 95% LTV (including fees). Subject to meeting the following criteria:

• Maximum loan of £500,000 (including fees)
• Maximum of 4 applicants (however, only the income of the sponsor and the highest earning applicant will be assessed)
• The sponsor’s minimum assessable income must be at least £30,000
• The highest earning applicant must have a minimum assessable income of at least £20,000
• Maximum age for sponsor at application is 60, and must not exceed 80 years old at the end of term
• Where term extends into retirement please refer to our Lending into Retirement criteria
• Purchases only
• Repayment only
• The sponsor must be a residential owner occupier living in the UK
• The monthly payments need to come from 1 account
• Applicants cannot own any other property at the time of completion. This doesn’t apply to the sponsor whose mortgage commitments are included in the affordability assessment.

You can choose if the property is owned by the applicant(s) only or jointly by the applicant(s) and the sponsor. If the property to be owned is in the name of the applicant(s) only, then the sponsor, as a condition of the mortgage Offer, must receive independent legal advice in respect of the transaction before completion.

The sponsor and applicant(s) are jointly and individually liable for the total mortgage.

See how much your client could borrow using our First Start Calculator. 

• Funds from this scheme are an acceptable source of deposit. The monthly repayment must be included in the affordability calculation as a commitment.
• For first purchases a copy of the Personal Information Note supplied to the applicant will be required to evidence deposit. For movers or remortgages the applicant’s payslip will be required to evidence the monthly loan outgoing.
• For applicants who hold a Long Service Advance of Pay (LSAP), the payment must be included as an outgoing in the affordability calculation if continuing after completion.
• Forces Help to Buy cannot be used as a deposit on 95% LTV products or in conjunction with any other Help to Buy scheme
• Applicants using FHTB can’t have an interest in any other property.

We require confirmation that the applicant has the right to live and work in the UK. The applicant will need to have resided in the UK for long enough to ensure we have a meaningful credit score and employment history, this is normally a minimum of 3 years.

The following applicants can apply up to our maximum LTV:

• Irish Nationals.
• EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals with ‘settled status’.
• Non EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals with ‘indefinite leave to remain’.
• Applicants who are born outside of the UK but who have received UK naturalisation.

The following applicants can apply up to 75% LTV:

• EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals with ‘pre-settled status’.
• Non EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals with limited rights to work/remain in the UK. Only Innovator, and Global Talent visas (previously Tier 1), Skilled Worker visas (previously Tier 2) and Ancestral Visas are acceptable. The underwriter will need to be satisfied that there is an adequate period of time remaining on the visa to warrant the granting of a long term loan.

For properties purchased in residential housing blocks that have cladding/stacked balconies, we may refer the property to our Property Risk Team at an earlier stage in the application. We may request the Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) and Fire Risk External Wall Assessment (FRAEW) reports for the building where the property is located prior to instructing the valuation. Once the reports are received our Property Risk Team will assess and advise if the property is acceptable to us.

A FRA/FRAEW report may also be recommended by our valuer when inspecting the property.   

We do not accept EWS1 forms for properties with cladding/stacked balconies.

We will only accept the following qualifications for FRA & FRAEW reports:

• Architects Registration Board (ARB)
• Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors (ACAI)
• Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
• Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT)
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
• Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
• Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register (CICAIR)
• Institute of Clerks of Works and Construction Inspectorate (ICWCI)
• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
• Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE)
• Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM)
• Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE)
• Local Authority Building Control (LABC)
• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Society of Façade Engineers (SFE)

Please refer to our flats in high rise development criteria for the type of report we require. 

We'll only accept reports from fully qualified individuals (Graduates, apprentices, associates and student memberships are not accepted). 

Please be aware we’ll decline the property if the report(s) confirms a fire risk rating higher than:

• Low
• Tolerable, or
• Trivial risk to life.

All properties 10 storeys or higher must be referred to our Property Risk Team prior to application so please contact us.

To apply for a further advance for your client, they must meet certain criteria:

• Minimum loan size - £5,000
• Maximum loan size - £1,500,000 (total mortgage including further advance)
• Term - 2 years minimum (or product duration). The further advance term can be longer than the main mortgage. The charge on the property will not be released until the further advance term has finished
• Minimum income - £20,000 gross for the household (paid in £GBP)
• Self employed - Must have been trading for 3 years but only the last 2 years' figures will be used
• Reasons for borrowing - applicants can borrow funds to raise additional capital to fund most legal purposes, provided the capital is not used for:
  • business or speculative purposes*
  • payment of tax
  • gambling debts
  • a timeshare.

*Raising capital to fund a deposit or outright purchase of a Buy to Let is not considered a business purpose.

Debt consolidation loans can be considered subject to a maximum 75% LTV and individual assessment by our underwriters.

A solicitor may occasionally be required to act. You can use our Solicitor Search tool to find which firms are already on our approved panel.

• Repayment options - We’re currently only accepting applications on a capital and interest basis.

Total Loan to Value (LTV) limits:

Maximum loan size	Maximum LTV
<£500,000	90% plus fees
£500,001 - £750,000	85% plus fees
£750,001 - £1,000,000	80% plus fees
£1,000,001 - £1,500,000	70% plus fees

• Property - for new build or newly converted properties, the LTV is limited to 85% for houses and 80% for flats. We define a new build property where either the house or flat was sold or first registered (for Leasehold) for the first time in the last 12 months.
• Valuation of property - loans less than £20,000 with a total LTV less than 75% (based on a house price index) may not require a physical valuation of the property. Anything other than this will need a property revaluation (see fee scale below).
• Where the last recorded Bank of Ireland UK panel valuation was more than 10 years ago, a standard valuation will be required. Please refer to our standard valuation fees. This will be assessed upon application.

Revaluation fee scale:

Property value	Fee
£0 to £125,000	£110
£125,001 to £300,000	£150
£300,001 to £600,000	£220
£600,001 to £1,000,000	£300
£1,000,001 to £1,600,000	£400
£1,600,001 and above	By negotiation

The valuation fee is non-refundable once the valuation has been completed.

• Affordability - please call our Intermediary Enquiry Line on 0345 266 8928** for a calculation
• Adverse credit/payday loans - please refer to our adverse credit section
• All applications are subject to credit score, valuation and underwriting.

**Lines are open 9am to 5pm Monday – Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). Calls cost no more than calls to geographic numbers (01 or 02). Calls from landlines and mobiles are included in free call packages.

We don’t offer guarantor loans on our standard products. 

We’ll consider joint borrower/sole proprietor applications on our First Start products. You can find out more on our First Start Information page.  

Remortgage with Capital Raising for home improvements

Capital raising for home improvements is acceptable up to 85% LTV.

The underwriter will confirm what is specifically required once they've initially assessed the case. They may request:

• Builders’ quotes
• Local Authority Building Regulations & Planning Permission Approval where applicable, for alterations made to the property.

We may ask the conveyancer to ensure appropriate Local Authority Building Regulations are followed and Planning Consents have been obtained where they are required to do so as part of the work.

You should ensure that all appropriate warranties and certificates are available and that the Buildings Insurer is aware and approves the works being undertaken.

Remortgage for property where previous works had been carried out

As part of the property assessment, we may ask if any property works have been carried out with Local Authority Building Regulations and Planning Permission Approval.

If the above does occur, our underwriters will add condition(s) to our Mortgage Offer, asking for your conveyancer to confirm all mandatory required regulations and consents have been granted.

Inter family sales are generally acceptable, subject to confirmation that the vendor will not reside in the property after completion.

We will verify income on every application. Income must be paid and contracted in GBP (£) and be subject to UK tax and National Insurance contributions.

For new clients

For repayment mortgages a minimum household income of £20,000 per annum is required.

Interest only or part and part is only available where 1 applicant earns in excess of £50,000 per annum or joint income exceeds £75,000 per annum (where neither applicant fulfils the individual income requirement of £50,000).

For existing customers moving home

For porting and moving applications a minimum household income of £20,000 per annum is required. Exceptions may be considered for existing customers who do not require additional borrowing.

Additional borrowing on interest only is only available where 1 applicant earns in excess of £50,000 per annum or joint income exceeds £75,000 per annum (where neither applicant fulfils the individual income requirement of £50,000).

The following is applicable to both new and existing customers:

We'll consider joint borrower/sole proprietor applications through our First Start product. You can find more information on our First Start Information page.  

We can't consider joint borrower/sole proprietor applications on our standard products.

Where term extends into the applicants retirement the following criteria will apply.

Where retirement is less than 10 years away:

• Details of both current income and anticipated retirement income will need to be proven
• The lower of the current income or anticipated retirement income is used for affordability purposes.

Where retirement is 10 years or more away:

• Current income is to be used for affordability purposes
• Evidence of existence pension contributions must be provided.

The following limits apply to both purchases and remortgages and are subject to product availability. Please note the minimum loan size is £25,001.

Applicants borrowing above 90% LTV - please also see the 'Loan to value limits (Residential) - borrowing above 90% LTV' section.

Loan Size	Maximum LTV
£25,001 - £500,000	95% including fees (purchases only)
£25,001 - £500,000	90% plus fees
£500,001 - £750,000	85% plus fees
£750,001 - £1,000,000	80% plus fees
£1,000,001 - £1,500,000	70% plus fees

If stated in the Offer of Loan, Bank of Ireland UK will pay the basic legal fees for the work involved in a standard property purchase.

This offer of Fees Assisted Conveyancing does not include:

• Costs a solicitor must pay to a third party such as a local authority or other search fees
• Stamp Duty Land Tax
• Indemnity insurance for defective title
• Registration fees payable to the Land Registry.

The offer also does not include the charge, plus VAT, payable to the solicitor to deal with the settlement of any Stamp Duty Land Tax and the submission of the Stamp Duty Land Tax form or the cost of any associated sale. The solicitor will provide you with full details of this charge and the third party costs. These fees, along with the legal fees for any additional legal work that the solicitor carries out are payable by the applicant.

If the purchase does not complete the applicant will not have to pay for the standard conveyancing work carried out but will have to pay any third party costs already paid by the solicitor.

For property purchases in Scotland:

Please contact us for details of our nominated solicitor when obtaining the Approval in Principle. If the applicant chooses not to use our nominated solicitor they will be liable for the legal costs.

More information about legal fees can be found in our Standard Legal Fees document.

Remortgages with standard legal fees paid

Some of our remortgage products include standard legal fees. This means we cover the basic legal costs. For these products, your client must use the legal firm assigned by our partner, Legal Marketing Services Ltd (LMS).

Applicants wishing to use their own solicitor

If your client prefers to use their own solicitor, they must select a remortgage product without standard legal fees paid. In this case, they are responsible for all legal costs and disbursements.

Important exclusions

Help to Buy and Shared Ownership remortgages are not eligible for fees-assisted products.

• Your client will need to choose a product without standard legal fees paid and choose a solicitor, ideally from our approved panel.

What we don’t cover

We won't pay for additional legal work outside the scope of a standard remortgage transaction. The following costs are examples of fees which won’t be paid by us:

• Further valuation reports
• Related legal services
• Transfer of Equity
• Deed of Postponement
• Deed of Grant
• Deed of Variation
• Merger of freehold or leasehold title
• Leasehold supplements
• Change of name
• Telegraphic transfer of surplus funds to borrower
• Local searches for loans over £1,000,000
• If an exceptional amount of work is needed to correct a defective title.

The legal firm will discuss any additional costs with your client and obtain their consent before proceeding.

For full details on additional legal work and associated costs, please refer to our Fees and Charges page.

Additional fees to note

All remortgage cases may involve administration fees not covered by us:

• Telegraphic Transfer Fee: £30 + VAT for paying off an existing loan or transferring surplus funds
• Electronic ID Check Fee: £5 + VAT per customer.

For leasehold properties, a Leasehold Supplement Fee of £95 + VAT may apply, for example:

• Loan amounts exceeding £1 million
• Properties where the landlord is a Local Authority or Housing Association
• Loan to Value (LTV) exceeding 85%.

(These scenarios are examples and not exhaustive.)

• Maximum 95% LTV (including fees).
• Repayment only.
• Purchases only.
• Maximum loan £500,000 (including fees).
• At completion, applicants must not hold an interest in another residential property that’s owner occupied. Applicants can hold an interest in BTL properties at completion as long as they are on a formal BTL basis (i.e. consent to let properties are not acceptable).
• Not available to contractors.
• Standard property considerations.
• Please also see our 'First Start' section.
• Further limits apply for newly built properties. 

Please check the individual product details as some products may have a higher minimum loan amount.

Applicants already on maternity leave

In addition to our standard documentation, we will require: Anticipated return to work date and intentions with regard to return to work, if known. For example full/part time – pro rata salary etc. If it is confirmed that the applicant is returning to work on a lower income, the reduced income will be used for assessment. Any future childcare arrangement/costs. Last payslip which confirmed full salary prior to maternity leave.

Applicants where maternity leave has not yet started

In addition to our standard documentation we will require: Start date of maternity and return to work date (if known). How the loan will be supported during maternity leave. Intentions with regards to return to work, if known. For example full/part time – pro rata salary etc. If it is confirmed that the applicant is returning to work on a lower income, the reduced income will be used for assessment. Future childcare arrangement/costs.

• Purchases - maximum 85% LTV and 80% LTV for flats
• Eligible new build properties that have been built or converted within the last 12 months and are subject to a first sale, even if previously occupied
• Our offer of loan is valid for 9 months from the date of offer, unless stated otherwise in the offer document
• If completion hasn't taken place before the offer expires, we can consider a 6 month extension. The application will be subject to a full reassessment against our current criteria including reverification of income and a revaluation of the property
• The applicant will be charged for a revaluation of the property if they keep the same product or choose a new product that doesn't have a free valuation. This must be paid before the offer is extended. We won't charge a fee if a new product is chosen that has a free valuation.

If your client has an application with us and their purchase falls through, send us a New Property Details Form for a change of property.

By applying for a new property, your client's case will be reassessed by one of our underwriters. This means we may ask you for additional information. Our decision to lend may also be affected if there is a change in their circumstances or the new property isn’t considered suitable.

The maximum number of applicants is 4. We will only use the income of the 2 highest earners but assess all applicants' ability to pay.

Our offer of loan is valid for a period of 6 months from the date of the offer for both purchases and remortgages, unless stated otherwise in the offer document.

If completion hasn’t taken place before the offer expires, we can consider a 6 month extension. The application will be subject to a full reassessment against our current criteria including reverification of income and a revaluation of the property which the applicant will be charged for. A new product may need to be selected from our current range.

For new build offer expiry details please see our 'New build' section.

We'd normally expect any spouse, civil partner and/or cohabiting partner who is contributing towards the deposit to be a joint owner and joint borrower. If this is not the case please contact us.

Any dependant relative must be disclosed on the application as a financial dependant and must be occupying the property rent free.

Any persons aged 17 or over who are not party to the mortgage but are, or will be, occupying the property during the mortgage term must be declared on the application as an occupier.

We will consider applications from applicants on parental leave. We’ll independently obtain an employer's reference to give length of employment, confirmation of full parental benefits and that the applicant intends to return to work and on what date. We’ll need to be satisfied of the affordability of the loan during the period of reduced household income so we may request evidence of savings. We may also need confirmation of any childcare costs on their return to work.

We will not normally lend if any applicant has taken out a payday loan in the last year. Applicants with payday loans taken out more than 1 year ago will be assessed individually to make sure affordability can be demonstrated.

If your client is looking to move, you could help them port their rate to a new property or take out a new loan with us.

Please see our Porting and Moving page for more information on how you can help your clients.

We can consider an application for an applicant within their probationary period as long as their employment has been continuous. The reason for leaving their previous employment must be established, or where the applicant’s employment is the first appointment, we’ll need confirmation of what they did previously.

To help protect against fraud, Anti Money Laundering Regulations (AML) require us to check the names and addresses of all our customers.

We’ll attempt to do this electronically. If this fails, each applicant must supply 1 item from the Proof of identity list and 1 item from the Proof of occupancy list.

The same document cannot be used to verify both their identity and their residency.

Proof of identity:

Driving licence	Auto requested if applicant has failed AML check	Includes following: Current full old-style UK driving licence (paper version) - not more than 51 years old Current Full UK/EU/USA/Canada/Australia photo card driving licence - not more than 10 years old Current Provisional UK Photo card driving licence - not more than 3 years old.
DWP / Benefits agency Letter		Correspondence from the DWP/Benefits Agency/Social Insurance documents/Disability allowance book /Disability pension book/ROI Pension book dated within the last 13 months.
EU National ID Card		EU National Identity Card (photographic) which must be valid and in date.
NI Electoral Office ID		Identity card issued by the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (NI only).
HMRC correspondence		HM Revenue & Customs/Revenue Commissioners correspondence e.g. Tax coding notice dated within the last 13 months (note: P60s & P45s are not acceptable).
Passport		Full current signed valid Passport, not more than 10 years old.

Proof of occupancy:

Bank statement	Auto requested if applicant has failed AML check and has not been found on Voter's Roll for all residential addresses for past 12 months	Original or certified copy of Bank/Building Society/Credit Union statement*, dated within the last 6 months. If downloaded from the internet, the copy must contain Bank/ Building Society logo, date, full name and address.
Credit card statement		Original or certified copy of statement*, dated within the last 6 months. If downloaded from the internet, the copy must contain Bank/ Building Society logo, date, full name and address.
DWP / Benefits agency Letter		Correspondence from the DWP/Benefits Agency/Social Insurance documents/Disability allowance book /Disability pension book/ROI Pension book dated within the last 13 months.
HMRC correspondence		HM Revenue & Customs/Revenue Commissioners correspondence e.g. Tax coding notice dated within the last 13 months (note: P60s & P45s and internet copies are not acceptable).
Local Authority correspondence		Council Tax bill (internet copies are not acceptable).
ROI Government document		Document posted from Government body in ROI dated within the last 6 months (for use in NI only).
Solicitor house purchase letter		Letter from solicitors confirming recent house purchase within the last 6 months.
Utility bill		For example, gas, electricity, water, telephone (not mobile), Cable services, Satellite TV* e.g. Sky, original statement dated within the last 6 months (not 'dongle' contracts). If downloaded from the internet, the copy must contain company logo, date, customer’s full name and address.

 

Please be aware:

• For Anti Money Laundering purposes, documents being used to provide residency must show at least one forename and surname. Variations of the name may be acceptable if they refer to the same person, for example Pat/Paddy or Liz/Betty. Documents which show the initials only are not acceptable.
• The address must match against the application form
• *Statements downloaded from the internet (e-statement) can only be accepted if Proof of Identity is provided either by Passport, UK driving licence or EU ID card. An e-statement must be printed as a PDF document, not an excel download. It must contain the bank name and logo, date, full name and address. If it's used along with a driving licence, the addresses must be the same.

You can securely upload and certify documents for assessment via our online application system.

We’ll only lend on a maximum of 2 properties within the same exact postcode.

Transactions where the borrower is purchasing through a Property or Investment Club are not acceptable.

We will lend for auction purchases in principle. To be acceptable the property must meet our minimum requirements for both condition and title. The applicant should ensure there is adequate time to process their application before legal completion.

You can apply for a product transfer if:

• your customer's account number starts 80 and is 10 digits
• the mortgage amount, term and repayment method are staying the same
• you only need 1 offer and do not require a revaluation of the property
• the mortgage is outside any Early Repayment Charge (ERC) period, or has 4 months or less remaining on the ERC period
• your customer is not residing in the property for Buy to Let mortgages
• your customer is residing in the property for residential mortgages, unless in the armed forces
• your customer is not in arrears or in a concessionary period on their mortgage
• the remaining mortgage term exceeds the chosen product by at least 6 months.

To view our products or apply visit our product transfer page.

Construction Type	Criteria
Traditional construction	Houses must be of solid or cavity construction incorporating the materials brick, concrete block or stone. Render and tile hung finishes in addition to the above are considered traditional and acceptable.
Period properties of cob	Period properties of cob (mud and straw) construction may be acceptable provided roofs are thatched. They will be considered on their merits, depending on the comments made by the mortgage valuer. The term ‘period property’ will normally be applied to a building built before 1850. For other roof types please contact us prior to submission.
Single skin/ half brick thick walls	Single skin/half brick thick walls are only acceptable in older properties where the walls are within single storey structures and contain non-habitable rooms. Any single skin wall structure above single storey is normally unacceptable.
Roofs	Roofs should normally be pitched and covered with tiles or slates (including artificial slates), or thatched.
100% flat roof	100% flat roofs on houses can be acceptable if the property is of traditional construction and the valuer confirms saleability and acceptability to other lenders. 100% flat roofs on flat developments are generally acceptable.
Modern timber frame	Modern post 1970 (post 1950 in Scotland) factory made timber frames are generally acceptable provided the properties have a conventional outer cladding of brick, rendered block or reconstructed stone. Post 2000 flat developments with timber cladding will be considered on their merits subject to not being more than 4 storeys.
Period timber frame housing	Historic hardwood timber frame housing is acceptable, being period properties (usually) built between 1300 and 1800. Period timber frame properties normally clad in stone/brick/lath and plaster are acceptable. As are those clad in clap board or weather board, providing that the Valuer confirms this is common to the locality and constructed prior to 1900.
Pre reinforced concrete construction	Properties listed as defective under the Housing Defects legislation are not acceptable if unrepaired. Repairs must be licensed by PRC Homes Ltd. Repair schemes that predate PRC Homes Ltd schemes will only be acceptable where a PRC Licence Scheme number was later granted.
Steel frame construction	Steel framed houses built in 1984 or later and which are conventionally clad in brick or rendered block work are acceptable. Steel framed houses built before 1984 and which are conventionally clad in brick or rendered block work are acceptable subject to a satisfactory Structural Engineer's report. Unconventionally clad steel framed houses are unacceptable irrespective of their age.
No fines/'Easiform'	Only 2 storey structures are usually acceptable (3 storey in Scotland). Any evidence of cracks must be referred to a Structural Engineer and where appropriate, a carbonation test will be required. ‘Easiform’ construction built prior to 1940 is unacceptable. Acceptability is dependent on continued market demand.
Large panel systems	Houses not acceptable. Flats may be considered if constructed after 2000 on an individual case basis.
Cross wall/curtain wall	These types are generally acceptable providing the party walls are of conventional construction. This type of construction in conjunction with a flat roof is normally unacceptable unless the valuer can confirm that an established demand for these properties exists and that they are generally mortgageable. Cross wall is only acceptable where party walls are of masonry.

Property description	Criteria
Access to flats	Self-contained access from the front of the building MUST be in place. Properties with external rear/side access via narrow alleyways or public footpaths are unacceptable, including those accessed across commercial premises/carparks. Blocks of flats exceeding 4 floors in height (excluding basement floors but including ground floor, i.e.0,1,2,3 floors) MUST have lift access to all floors to be acceptable. Unless it's a converted former house in a desirable location, e.g. Pimlico, Chelsea, Kensington or Belgravia, or a standard Scottish tenement for the area. We don't allow access via an external staircase.
Annexes	We can accept properties with an annexe subject to valuers comments, providing they meet all three of the following criteria: The annexe and main building are all on the same utilities The annexe is attached to or part of the main building There's internal access The annexe can't be let out, now or in the future.  If your property doesn’t meet one of these three criteria, refer to the Bespoke criteria for annexes.
New build house/1st sale	Acceptable (maximum 85% LTV).
New build flat/1st sale/1st registration of lease (including new conversions)	Acceptable (maximum 80% LTV).
Former council/MOD	Acceptable subject to being 4 storeys or fewer with no open deck access.
Shared ownership	Not acceptable on purchases. Remortgages for final staircasing only. Property acceptance is subject to Valuer approval and confirming the property is readily saleable, acceptable to the majority of mainstream lenders and the majority of the flats/properties within the development being in private (100% equity) ownership.
Shared equity property	Not acceptable on purchases. Remortgages for purchase of final equity share only.
Property location	We do not usually lend on properties that are next to, opposite, above or close to commercial premises or anything that may prohibit the peaceful enjoyment of the property. For example: shops, garages, petrol stations, restaurants, takeaways, factories, industrial units, farms, overhead power lines, sub stations, pylons, mobile phone masts, noise nuisance, smell, etc. This isn’t an exhaustive list. However, if the property is in a highly desirable area we may be able to consider it, so please contact us prior to application.
Flats in high rise developments	Can be considered. For properties purchased in residential housing blocks that have cladding/stacked balconies, we may refer the property to our Property Risk Team at an earlier stage in the application. We may request the Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) and Fire Risk External Wall Assessment (FRAEW) reports for the building where the property is located prior to instructing the valuation. Once the reports are received our Property Risk Team will assess and advise if the property is acceptable to us. A FRA/FRAEW report may also be recommended by our valuer when inspecting the property.    When we request the reports, please provide: The current Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) report for the building (not a report recommending a review, the date of which has already passed). The current Fire Risk External Wall (external façade) Assessment (FRAEW) report for the building (not a report recommending a review, the date of which has already passed). The name and qualifications of the author of each of these reports, together with (if possible) a copy of the certificate confirming those qualifications. It's essential that we have these qualifications provided. Please refer to our fire risk assessments criteria for acceptable qualifications for FRA & FRAEW reports. For properties over 10 storeys, please contact us with details of the property prior to submission for a decision in principle.
Flats converted from former office, industrial buildings and ex local authority blocks	Not acceptable.
Studio flats	Can be considered, subject to the valuer being comfortable there is good demand in the locality. The gross internal area (GIA) must exceed 30 square metres.
Second homes	We can consider the purchase or remortgage of a second home including any pied-à-terre that are not partially or fully let. Second homes must have suitable insurance in place on standard terms.
Properties with part commercial use in the title	Not acceptable.
Properties less than 10 years old	Must be covered by an approved new home warranty scheme or Professional Consultants Certificate from a suitably qualified individual. Please see ‘New build property warranties’ section for acceptable warranties.
Properties outside mainland UK	Not acceptable with the exception of the following Isle of Wight, Anglesey, Skye, Bute, Lewis & Harris, Mainland Orkney, Mainland Shetland, Arran, Mull, Islay, Whalsay, Yell, South Ronaldsay, West Burra, Tiree and Unst.
Freehold flats	Not acceptable.
Minimum leasehold requirements	All leasehold properties require a minimum of 85 years at the start of the mortgage term.
Onerous lease terms	Not acceptable. The Bank will consider lending on properties with escalating ground rent clauses, however it will not lend upon properties with onerous leases. The Bank itself will not determine whether a lease is onerous or not. It relies on its panel valuers and conveyancers to advise on the onerous nature of a lease. This is based upon their professional knowledge and experience of both leases and the local housing market, since it is the market which determines this property attribute. As far as ground rents are concerned, increases in line with RPI (or equivalent indexes) are generally acceptable to the Bank. However, multiplier increases will need to be referred to both the valuer and conveyancer, particularly if the multiplier is for a time period of less than every 25 years. The Bank’s professional advisers will consider market appetite for ground rent increases, which will vary from location to location.
Properties with occupancy restrictions	Not acceptable.
Properties being acquired under assignable contract	Not acceptable.
Properties with communal heating, hot water or other services where the property is not individually metered	These are generally not acceptable. But in prime locations, particularly within London, unmetered systems may be acceptable. Please contact us before submitting the application.
Properties with solar panels	Can be considered on an individual case basis, please contact us prior to submission.
Overhead power lines	Properties where high power lines pass over the site are not normally acceptable.
Minimum floor area	The minimum acceptable floor area for a property is 30 square metres.
Property with land/smallholding	We will not usually lend on smallholdings. For properties with more than 10 acres or separate fields, please contact us prior to submission. We will not lend on working farms or houses which connect to, or through, working farms.
Properties with 2 kitchens	Can be considered on an individual case basis, please contact us prior to submission.
Listed buildings	Acceptable.
Maximum property value	£4,000,000
Refurbishment/modernisation	We'll not lend on properties that are part way through a project e.g. incomplete extensions, loft conversions, incomplete kitchens and bathrooms etc or very dated properties (which show after being inspected) that most purchasers would modernise/refurbish soon after moving in. If the applicant has in the last 6 years substantially altered, refurbished, remodelled or extended their property please contact us prior to application.

We do not offer partial retentions. Lending will be based on either:

• current valuation with no retention, or;
• after works valuation with a full retention.

We accept pitched roofs covered with thatch, slates or standard/artificial tiles. Thatched roofs must have specialist insurance cover in place.

All applicants must be resident in the UK prior to applying. The applicant will need to have lived in the UK for long enough to ensure we have a meaningful credit score and employment history. This is normally a minimum of 3 years. Please see the Foreign Nationals section for any rights to live and work in the UK.

Proof of deposit may be requested at our underwriter’s discretion.

The following are acceptable sources of deposit:

• equity from sale of property
• savings
• family gift
• inheritance
• capital raising on another property
• forces Help to Buy.

Unacceptable sources of deposit are:

• personal loans
• funding from credit cards
• income from cryptocurrency trading
• vendor/builder cashback without additional minimum deposit from an acceptable source.

In Scotland, if it is public knowledge a property is for sale, the seller in most cases must provide a Home Report to prospective buyers. There are some exceptional situations when a seller can choose not to provide a potential purchaser with the Home Report and cases where a Home Report is not actually required. Further information can be found at https://www.mygov.scot/buying-a-home/home-report

For applications where no Home Report is required or available, we'll instruct a mortgage valuation.

The Home Report contains the Property Questionnaire, Single Survey, and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC); the majority will also contain a Generic Mortgage Valuation Report (GMVR).

For purchase applications we'll request a transcript of the GMVR from the valuer who prepared the original Home Report. That valuer must be on the Bank of Ireland Panel. We'll only accept transcripts from Home Reports that are no more than 12 weeks old. It is the seller’s responsibility to obtain a refreshed Home Report if this is older than 12 weeks.

The transcript we receive is valid throughout the offer period and a Home Report refresh is not required. If the offer expires and an offer extension is required, then we'll require a revaluation which the applicant must pay for.

To get the correct product and Loan to Value (where the purchase price is different from the Home Report) you should key the application with the lower of the valuation or purchase price and then in the additional information box put a note on to say what the correct purchase price is. The application must also include the name of the firm that completed the Home Report and the date when the Home Report was undertaken.

If the firm is on our panel and the Home Report in date, then a transcript can be instructed.
If the firm is not on panel, then a Standard valuation would be required, but if the product does not include a fees free valuation or the fees free valuation has already been used, then a valuation fee payment must be taken first.

Missives covers the exchange of correspondence between the purchaser’s and seller’s solicitors negotiating the conditions of the sale. Property transactions in Scotland become legally binding for all parties upon ‘conclusion of Missives’.

 

Scottish Private Residential Tenancies (PRT)

Scottish Private Residential Tenancies (PRT) are acceptable and we'll instruct a mortgage valuation.

 

Tenure

Tenure - typically referred to as Former Feudal, Simple/Absolute ownership is accepted.
Applications can be considered for security on the following Scottish Islands;
Lewis and Harris, Mainland Shetland, Mainland Orkney, Skye, Bute, Arran, Islay, Mull, Whalsay, Yell, South Ronaldsay, West Burra, Tiree and Unst.

Where the valuer identifies a flat with potentially combustible cladding and/or stacked balconies which could facilitate the spread of fire, we'll require the Fire Risk Assessment report (FRA) and Fire Risk Assessment External Walls (FRAEW), together with the names and qualifications of the authors of these documents, for the building. Once we have all of this information, our Property Risk team will assess and advise if acceptable to proceed.

We do not accept EWS1 forms for properties with cladding/stacked balconies.

Please refer to our fire risk assessments criteria for acceptable qualifications for FRA & FRAEW reports.

All properties 10 storeys or higher must be referred to our Property Risk Team prior to application. Please contact us.

Please see our solicitors and licensed conveyancers page.

• The maximum term is 35 years
• The minimum term is 5 years (or term of promotional period for existing customers moving home).

Where we are approached by an applicant with a request to accept a retype, consideration will only be given in the following circumstances:

• Valuation must have been carried out within the past 4 weeks (12 weeks for a Scottish purchase)
• The valuer who carried out the original report must be on Bank of Ireland UK’s panel for the postcode in which the property is located
• The previous valuation must have been carried out for another lender
• A copy of the valuation report must be provided to Valuation Services before any retype can be agreed
• The requested retype must be for the same applicant
• It must also be for the same product type
• The valuation fee will be the agreed panel fee. This is non-refundable once the valuation has been completed.

Vendor paid deposits for second hand properties will be deducted from the gross purchase price to give a true net purchase price. Our maximum LTV lending will be based on this lower sum.

Where an appeal against a valuation is requested we’ll need evidence of 3 transactions of similar properties (comparables) to be submitted within 14 working days from the date you were aware of the valuation.

Where appealing both rent and capital values, we’ll need 3 comparables for each.

These should be completed sales or lettings within the last 6 months of similar properties and locations, ideally in the same postcode.

The following information will need to be provided for each comparable item*:

• Full address (i.e. house or flat number and postcode)
• Details of who sold or let the property
• The agreed sale price or rent
• Date of the transaction
• Source of information.

For any valuation decision queries please get in touch with us via case message. 

*We don’t accept links to web adverts. Estate Agent letters, automated valuations, details of unsold/unlet properties and previous Valuer’s opinions aren’t considered appropriate evidence and will not be considered.

If a valuation report is received and the survey does not provide a current market value due to a recommendation that specialist reports are required, please be aware of the following:

• The application may still be declined even after the reports have been received if there is an issue with the property that does not meet our lending policy
• If there are any recommended works stipulated within the specialist reports, these works must be completed before we can proceed with the application

We’re a clean credit lender. We won’t lend to any applicant who has ever:

• been bankrupt
• been subject to an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA)
• owned a previous property which has been taken into possession or who has surrendered voluntary possession to the lender.

We will not lend if, in the last 3 years, an applicant has had:

• a County Court Judgement (CCJ) registered or settled within this time, or has an outstanding CCJ registered outside the 3 years
• any arrears at all on a mortgage, fixed payment loan and/or rent
• more than two consecutive missed payments on credit and/or store cards.

We will not usually lend if the applicant has defaulted or settled a past defaulted account on any credit agreement in the last 3 years, or has an outstanding default.

Communications and mail order records can be ignored, unless the scale and/or frequency of missed payments indicate cause for concern.

• The minimum age is 21
• The maximum age is 80 at end of mortgage term.

• A ‘Back to Back’ transaction, where a property has been owned for less than 6 months, is not acceptable and will be declined.
• Assignable contracts are not acceptable and will be declined.

Check our 5 golden rules

• Must pass our credit score
• Must meet our minimum income and loan size requirements*
• Income to support the loan must be paid in GBP
• Up to 90% LTV for residential and up to 75% LTV for Buy to Let 
• Must meet our standard property criteria.

For further information, take a look at our Bespoke information page or search our dedicated Bespoke Lending Criteria to see how we can meet the needs of your clients with complex income.

 *The minimum loan size is £150,000 and the minimum income requirements are:
Residential: Repayment mortgage - At least one applicant must earn £40,000. Interest only mortgage - £50,000 for sole applicants and £75,000 for joint applicants. Buy to Let: At least one applicant must earn £40,000 for a repayment or interest only mortgage.

Builders’ incentives are accepted up to 5% of purchase price with no adjustment to the purchase price or loan. We don’t accept guaranteed rental income schemes.

Unless specified below, our usual Buy to Let criteria also applies to Top Slicing.

We don’t accept concessionary purchase prices on Buy to Let applications.

Applicants can remortgage to raise additional capital up to 75% LTV (excluding fees) for any legal purpose, subject to underwriter assessment, excluding the following;

• Business or speculative purposes (e.g. investment, replace savings)
  Gambling debts,
  Payment of tax,
  Purchase of an overseas property (including timeshares),
  Debt consolidation (repayment of other mortgages/staircasing is not considered debt consolidation),
  Repayment of bridging finance,
  Payment of care fees.

Remortgages where the applicant has owned the property for less than 6 months are not normally acceptable. There are some circumstances where we can consider these applications (such as when an applicant has inherited the property or where a developer has taken the property as part exchange) so please contact us to provide details.

We won’t accept any applications where the broker has a financial interest in the property being mortgaged. Put simply, the broker submitting the case can’t also be the buyer/owner.

To advise on CBTL mortgages you must be registered to do so. To find out more please search ‘FCA - Changes to Consumer Buy to Let mortgages’.

We will not normally accept applications from applicants with a criminal record unless the conviction is for a minor traffic offence, or is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

At least 1 applicant must be an owner occupier at the point of completion (with or without a mortgage).

Applicants with diplomatic status in the UK are not acceptable.

Payment by Direct Debit mandate is compulsory for all loan types.

We don't allow debt consolidation on Buy to Let or Let to Buy applications.

Debt consolidation would include: repaying any unsecured lending such as loans, hire purchase agreements, credit cards, overdrafts, etc.

We also classify the following as debt consolidation:

• Repayment of any Second Charges
  Unsecured loans linked with original mortgages (i.e. Northern Rock Together mortgage)
  Repaying parents/family back to repay monies used to assist in the purchase of the property.

Remortgages where the applicant is looking to capital raise to reduce other mortgage borrowing, Buy to Let or Residential are accepted up to and including 75% LTV.

We don't consider repayment of Help to Buy or the repayment of final staircasing as debt consolidation.

Please see our packaging requirements page.

All of our lending criteria is applicable to existing customers with some minor exceptions.

For all Buy to Lets, including both purchase and remortgage, the EPC must be in place before the valuation is instructed.

We'll only accept properties with an EPC rating of:

• A-E in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (unless registered on the PRS Exemptions Register)
• A-D in Scotland
• A, B or C if applying for an Energy Efficient Buy to Let mortgage.

We won't accept applications if these conditions aren't met.

To check the EPC rating of a property, visit:

• Find an energy certificate (England, Wales and Northern Ireland only)
• Scottish EPC Register (Scotland only).

New builds: When a new build is under construction and doesn't have an EPC rating, please provide a Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA). We'll ask the solicitor to confirm the EPC rating before the mortgage starts.

 Energy Efficient Buy to Let mortgages are available for:

• Properties with energy performance (EPC) ratings A, B or C
• Purchases and remortgages
• Interest Cover Ratio (ICR) and Top Slicing calculations.

Please check the EPC to make sure the property is eligible before submitting an application. This can be checked via the Government website or the Scottish EPC Register for Scottish properties.

Buy to Let mortgages for tenants who are related to the customer are not acceptable and will be declined. We define a related person as:

• spouse
• civil partner
• parents
• grandparents
• siblings
• children, and grandchildren.

No prior Buy to Let experience is required, but at least 1 applicant must be an owner occupier at the point of application.

We require confirmation that the applicant has the right to live and work in the UK. The applicant will need to have resided in the UK for long enough to ensure we have a meaningful credit score and employment history, this is normally a minimum of 3 years.

The following applicants can apply up to our maximum LTV:

• Irish Nationals.
• EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals with ‘settled status’.
• Non EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals with ‘indefinite leave to remain’.
• Applicants who are born outside of the UK but who have received UK naturalisation.

The following applicants can apply up to 75% LTV:

• EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals with ‘pre-settled status’.
• Non EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals with limited rights to work/remain in the UK. Only Innovator, and Global Talent visas (previously Tier 1), Skilled Worker visas (previously Tier 2) and Ancestral Visas are acceptable. The underwriter will need to be satisfied that there is an adequate period of time remaining on the visa to warrant the granting of a long term loan.

For properties purchased in residential housing blocks that have cladding/stacked balconies, we may refer the property to our Property Risk Team at an earlier stage in the application. We may request the Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) and Fire Risk External Wall Assessment (FRAEW) reports for the building where the property is located prior to instructing the valuation. Once the reports are received our Property Risk Team will assess and advise if the property is acceptable to us.

A FRA/FRAEW report may also be recommended by our valuer when inspecting the property.   

We do not accept EWS1 forms for properties with cladding/stacked balconies.

We will only accept the following qualifications for FRA & FRAEW reports:

• Architects Registration Board (ARB)
• Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors (ACAI)
• Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
• Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT)
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
• Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
• Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register (CICAIR)
• Institute of Clerks of Works and Construction Inspectorate (ICWCI)
• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
• Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE)
• Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM)
• Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE)
• Local Authority Building Control (LABC)
• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Society of Façade Engineers (SFE)

Please refer to our flats in high rise development criteria for the type of report we require. 

We'll only accept reports from fully qualified individuals (Graduates, apprentices, associates and student memberships are not accepted). 

Please be aware we’ll decline the property if the report(s) confirms a fire risk rating higher than:

• Low
• Tolerable, or
• Trivial risk to life.

All properties 10 storeys or higher must be referred to our Property Risk Team prior to application so please contact us.

To apply for a further advance for your client, they must meet certain criteria:

• UK resident - All applicants must be UK residents
• Minimum loan size - £5,000
• Maximum loan size - £750,000 (total mortgage including further advance)
• Portfolio - Maximum total borrowing £2m. The total portfolio size is 3 Buy to Let mortgaged properties per applicant (either solely or jointly) across all lenders, including Bank of Ireland Group
• Term - 2 years minimum (or duration of product). The further advance term can be longer than the main mortgage. The charge on the property won’t be released until the further advance term has finished
• Income - No minimum income required
• Reasons for borrowing - Applicants can borrow funds to raise additional capital to fund most legal purposes, provided the capital is not used for:
  • business or speculative purpose*
  • debt consolidation
  • payment of tax
  • overseas property (including timeshare)
  • gambling debts.

*Raising capital to fund a deposit or outright purchase of a Buy to Let isn’t considered a business purpose.

A solicitor may occasionally be required to act. You can use our Solicitor Search tool to find which firms are already on our approved panel.

• Residential home owner - the applicant must be a residential home owner at the time of application (owned outright or subject to a mortgage)
• Repayment options - Capital Repayment, Interest Only or combination of the two, subject to any Interest Only balance having a suitable Repayment Strategy. Please refer to our Interest Only section
• Total Loan to Value (LTV) limit - Maximum loan of £750,000 and maximum LTV of 75%
• Valuation of property - A revaluation will be required (see fee scale below) however, where the last recorded Bank of Ireland UK panel valuation was more than 10 years ago, a standard valuation will be required. Please refer to our standard valuation fees. All Buy to Lets must have an EPC available with a rating of A-E before the revaluation (or full valuation) is carried out. In England and Wales only, we’ll also accept properties listed on the PRS Exemptions Register.

Revaluation fee scale:

Property value	Fee
£0 to £125,000	£110
£125,001 to £300,000	£150
£300,001 to £600,000	£220
£600,001 to £1,000,000	£300
£1,000,001 to £1,600,000	£400
£1,600,001 and above	By negotiation

The valuation fee is non-refundable once the valuation has been completed.

• Affordability - Your client’s ability to pay is assessed on the rental income (which must be received in GBP).

The rental income must be at least 145% of the monthly interest due, inclusive of any product fees added to the loan. This is calculated using the product rate plus 2.00% – subject to the following minimum rates:

Product	Minimum Interest Rate
Fixed rate less than 5 years or a variable rate	The higher of 5.5% or product pay rate + 2%
Fixed rate 5 years or more	The higher of 4.5% or product pay rate + 1%

• Adverse credit/payday loans - please refer to our adverse credit section
• All applications are subject to credit score, valuation and underwriting.

We don’t offer guarantor loans on our Buy to Let product range.

We don’t lend on holiday lets.

We don’t lend on properties that need an HMO licence or where there are more than 4 people named on the tenancy agreement. An HMO is a house in multiple occupation. There are different rules around properties that fall into the category of an HMO, such as the number of sharers and the size of the property. This can be confirmed with the relevant Local Authority.

Interest only or part and part is available. Confirmation of the repayment strategy is required and all repayment strategies must be held, valued and paid in £GBP.

We don’t offer limited company Buy to Lets.

If stated in the Offer of Loan, Bank of Ireland UK will pay the basic legal fees for the work involved in a standard property purchase.

This offer of Fees Assisted Conveyancing does not include:

• Costs a solicitor must pay to a third party such as a local authority or other search fees
• Stamp Duty Land Tax
• Indemnity insurance for defective title
• Registration fees payable to the Land Registry.

The offer also does not include the charge, plus VAT, payable to the solicitor to deal with the settlement of any Stamp Duty Land Tax and the submission of the Stamp Duty Land Tax form or the cost of any associated sale. The solicitor will provide you with full details of this charge and the third party costs. These fees, along with the legal fees for any additional legal work that the solicitor carries out are payable by the applicant.

If the purchase does not complete the applicant will not have to pay for the standard conveyancing work carried out but will have to pay any third party costs already paid by the solicitor.

For property purchases in Scotland:

Please contact us for details of our nominated solicitor when obtaining the Approval in Principle. If the applicant chooses not to use our nominated solicitor they will be liable for the legal costs.

More information about legal fees can be found in our Standard Legal Fees document.

Loan size	Minimum £25,001, maximum £750,000 per property for purchases and remortgages.
Maximum total borrowing	£2,000,000
Maximum LTV	75% LTV. Fees may be added to the loan.
Maximum portfolio size	The total portfolio size is 3 UK mortgaged BTL properties per applicant (either solely or jointly) across all lenders, including Bank of Ireland Group. Properties that are owned in the name of a limited company which an applicant is a director of, and applications in progress, should also be included.

 

Remortgage of a current residential to a Buy to Let and capital raising to fund the purchase of the new main residence is acceptable. To be acceptable we need to be satisfied that the applicant will be moving out of the property upon completion and moving into their new residence, otherwise it will become a regulated Buy to Let. It must be a simultaneous completion.

We'll require confirmation of the new correspondence address, purchase price, borrowing amount, monthly payment, a breakdown of how funds are being used e.g. deposit, fees, improvements etc. and a copy of the onward residential mortgage offer if applicable.  If there isn't a mortgage the solicitor must confirm the details.

We do not allow capital raising for any debt consolidation. We can accept both standalone Let to Buy applications and where we’re also providing the mortgage for the onward residential purchase.

All Let to Buy properties will require a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a rating between A-E (unless exempt) or between A-D in Scotland. This must be in place at the time the valuation is carried out, if not, additional costs may be incurred and the application may be delayed.

 

Remortgages with standard legal fees paid

Some of our remortgage products include standard legal fees. This means we cover the basic legal costs. For these products, your client must use the legal firm assigned by our partner, Legal Marketing Services Ltd (LMS).

Applicants wishing to use their own solicitor

If your client prefers to use their own solicitor, they must select a remortgage product without standard legal fees paid. In this case, they are responsible for all legal costs and disbursements.

Important exclusions

Help to Buy and Shared Ownership remortgages are not eligible for fees-assisted products.

• Your client will need to choose a product without standard legal fees paid and choose a solicitor, ideally from our approved panel.

What we don’t cover

We won't pay for additional legal work outside the scope of a standard remortgage transaction. The following costs are examples of fees which won’t be paid by us:

• Further valuation reports
• Related legal services
• Transfer of Equity
• Deed of Postponement
• Deed of Grant
• Deed of Variation
• Merger of freehold or leasehold title
• Leasehold supplements
• Change of name
• Telegraphic transfer of surplus funds to borrower
• Local searches for loans over £1,000,000
• If an exceptional amount of work is needed to correct a defective title.

The legal firm will discuss any additional costs with your client and obtain their consent before proceeding.

For full details on additional legal work and associated costs, please refer to our Fees and Charges page.

Additional fees to note

All remortgage cases may involve administration fees not covered by us:

• Telegraphic Transfer Fee: £30 + VAT for paying off an existing loan or transferring surplus funds
• Electronic ID Check Fee: £5 + VAT per customer.

For leasehold properties, a Leasehold Supplement Fee of £95 + VAT may apply, for example:

• Loan amounts exceeding £1 million
• Properties where the landlord is a Local Authority or Housing Association
• Loan to Value (LTV) exceeding 85%.

(These scenarios are examples and not exhaustive.)

If your client has an application with us and their purchase falls through, send us a New Property Details Form for a change of property.

By applying for a new property, your client's case will be reassessed by one of our underwriters. This means we may ask you for additional information. Our decision to lend may also be affected if there is a change in their circumstances or the new property isn’t considered suitable.

Our offer of loan is valid for a period of 6 months from the date of the offer for both purchases and remortgages, unless stated otherwise in the offer document.

If completion hasn’t taken place before the offer expires, we can consider a 6 month extension. The application will be subject to a full reassessment against our current criteria including reverification of income and a revaluation of the property which the applicant will be charged for. A new product may need to be selected from our current range.

For new build offer expiry details please see our 'New build' section.

We will not normally lend if any applicant has taken out a payday loan in the last year. Applicants with payday loans taken out more than 1 year ago will be assessed individually to make sure affordability can be demonstrated.

If your client is looking to move, you could help them port their rate to a new property or take out a new loan with us.

Please see our Porting and Moving page for more information on how you can help your clients.

Private sales where no estate agent is acting are not acceptable.

To help protect against fraud, Anti Money Laundering Regulations (AML) require us to check the names and addresses of all our customers.

We’ll attempt to do this electronically. If this fails, each applicant must supply 1 item from the Proof of identity list and 1 item from the Proof of occupancy list.

The same document cannot be used to verify both their identity and their residency.

Proof of identity:

Driving licence	Auto requested if applicant has failed AML check	Includes following: Current full old-style UK driving licence (paper version) - not more than 51 years old Current Full UK/EU/USA/Canada/Australia photo card driving licence - not more than 10 years old Current Provisional UK Photo card driving licence - not more than 3 years old.
DWP / Benefits agency Letter		Correspondence from the DWP/Benefits Agency/Social Insurance documents/Disability allowance book /Disability pension book/ROI Pension book dated within the last 13 months.
EU National ID Card		EU National Identity Card (photographic) which must be valid and in date.
NI Electoral Office ID		Identity card issued by the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (NI only).
HMRC correspondence		HM Revenue & Customs/Revenue Commissioners correspondence e.g. Tax coding notice dated within the last 13 months (note: P60s & P45s are not acceptable).
Passport		Full current signed valid Passport, not more than 10 years old.

Proof of occupancy:

Bank statement	Auto requested if applicant has failed AML check and has not been found on Voter's Roll for all residential addresses for past 12 months	Original or certified copy of Bank/Building Society/Credit Union statement*, dated within the last 6 months. If downloaded from the internet, the copy must contain Bank/ Building Society logo, date, full name and address.
Credit card statement		Original or certified copy of statement*, dated within the last 6 months. If downloaded from the internet, the copy must contain Bank/ Building Society logo, date, full name and address.
DWP / Benefits agency Letter		Correspondence from the DWP/Benefits Agency/Social Insurance documents/Disability allowance book /Disability pension book/ROI Pension book dated within the last 13 months.
HMRC correspondence		HM Revenue & Customs/Revenue Commissioners correspondence e.g. Tax coding notice dated within the last 13 months (note: P60s & P45s and internet copies are not acceptable).
Local Authority correspondence		Council Tax bill (internet copies are not acceptable).
ROI Government document		Document posted from Government body in ROI dated within the last 6 months (for use in NI only).
Solicitor house purchase letter		Letter from solicitors confirming recent house purchase within the last 6 months.
Utility bill		For example, gas, electricity, water, telephone (not mobile), Cable services, Satellite TV* e.g. Sky, original statement dated within the last 6 months (not 'dongle' contracts). If downloaded from the internet, the copy must contain company logo, date, customer’s full name and address.

 

Please be aware:

• For Anti Money Laundering purposes, documents being used to provide residency must show at least one forename and surname. Variations of the name may be acceptable if they refer to the same person, for example Pat/Paddy or Liz/Betty. Documents which show the initials only are not acceptable.
• The address must match against the application form
• *Statements downloaded from the internet (e-statement) can only be accepted if Proof of Identity is provided either by Passport, UK driving licence or EU ID card. An e-statement must be printed as a PDF document, not an excel download. It must contain the bank name and logo, date, full name and address. If it's used along with a driving licence, the addresses must be the same.

You can securely upload and certify documents for assessment via our online application system.

We’ll only lend on a maximum of 2 properties within the same exact postcode.

The total portfolio size is 3 UK mortgaged BTL properties per applicant (either solely or jointly) across all lenders, including Bank of Ireland Group. Properties that are owned in the name of a limited company which an applicant is a director of, and applications in progress, should also be included.

Transactions where the borrower is purchasing through a Property or Investment Club are not acceptable.

We will lend for auction purchases in principle. To be acceptable the property must meet our minimum requirements for both condition and title. The applicant should ensure there is adequate time to process their application before legal completion.

• The minimum property value is £60,000 (£40,000 for properties in Northern Ireland).
• The maximum property value is £4,000,000.

You can apply for a product transfer if:

• your customer's account number starts 80 and is 10 digits
• the mortgage amount, term and repayment method are staying the same
• you only need 1 offer and do not require a revaluation of the property
• the mortgage is outside any Early Repayment Charge (ERC) period, or has 4 months or less remaining on the ERC period
• your customer is not residing in the property for Buy to Let mortgages
• your customer is residing in the property for residential mortgages, unless in the armed forces
• your customer is not in arrears or in a concessionary period on their mortgage
• the remaining mortgage term exceeds the chosen product by at least 6 months.

To view our products or apply visit our product transfer page.

Property description	Criteria
Access to flats	Self-contained access from the front of the building MUST be in place. Properties with external rear/side access via narrow alleyways or public footpaths are unacceptable, including those accessed across commercial premises/carparks. Blocks of flats exceeding 4 floors in height (excluding basement floors but including ground floor, i.e.0,1,2,3 floors) MUST have lift access to all floors to be acceptable. Unless it's a converted former house in a desirable location, e.g. Pimlico, Chelsea, Kensington or Belgravia, or a standard Scottish tenement for the area. We don't allow access via an external staircase.
Annexes	Not acceptable.
New build house/1st sale	Acceptable.
New build flat/1st sale/1st registration of lease	Not acceptable.
Former council/MOD/Former work houses	Acceptable.
Former council/MOD/Former work flats	Acceptable, subject to a minimum value of £90,000, 4 storeys or fewer with no open deck access.
Shared ownership and shared equity houses	Not acceptable.
Shared ownership and shared equity flats	Not acceptable.
Large properties	Properties which have the following are acceptable: Properties must be readily marketable for owner occupation and located in predominately residential areas Properties with more than 4 bedrooms are only acceptable if they are within an area of predominately single family occupancy, subject to the valuer confirming it is a suitable security and there is a demand for single family rentals in the area Let to a single family or a maximum of 4 sharers on a single assured shorthold tenancy (or equivalent). Properties outside of this criteria could be deemed as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), which are unacceptable to the Bank.
Property location	We do not usually lend on properties that are next to, opposite, above or close to commercial premises or anything that may prohibit the peaceful enjoyment of the property. For example: shops, garages, petrol stations, restaurants, takeaways, factories, industrial units, farms, overhead power lines, sub stations, pylons, mobile phone masts, noise nuisance, smell, etc. This isn’t an exhaustive list. However, if the property is in a highly desirable area we may be able to consider it, so please contact us prior to application.
Flats converted from former office, industrial buildings and ex local authority blocks	Not acceptable.
Studio flats	Can be considered, subject to the valuer being comfortable there is good demand in the locality. The gross internal area (GIA) must exceed 30 square metres.
Holiday homes	Not acceptable.
Properties with part commercial use	Not acceptable.
Properties with part commercial use in the title	Not acceptable.
Properties less than 10 years old	Must be covered by an approved new home warranty scheme or Professional Consultants Certificate from a suitably qualified individual. Please see ‘New build property warranties’ section for acceptable warranties.
Properties outside mainland UK	Not acceptable with the exception of Isle of Wight, Anglesey, Skye, Bute, Lewis & Harris, Mainland Orkney, Mainland Shetland, Arran, Mull, Islay, Whalsay, Yell, South Ronaldsay, West Burra, Tiree and Unst.
Freehold flats	Not acceptable.
Minimum leasehold requirements	All leasehold properties require a minimum of 85 years at the start of the mortgage term.
Onerous lease terms	Not acceptable. The Bank will consider lending on properties with escalating ground rent clauses, however it will not lend upon properties with onerous leases. The Bank itself will not determine whether a lease is onerous or not. It relies on its panel valuers and conveyancers to advise on the onerous nature of a lease. This is based upon their professional knowledge and experience of both leases and the local housing market, since it is the market which determines this property attribute. As far as ground rents are concerned, increases in line with RPI (or equivalent indexes) are generally acceptable to the Bank. However, multiplier increases will need to be referred to both the valuer and conveyancer, particularly if the multiplier is for a time period of less than every 25 years. The Bank’s professional advisers will consider market appetite for ground rent increases, which will vary from location to location.
Properties with occupancy restrictions	Not acceptable.
Properties being acquired under assignable contract	Not acceptable.
Properties with communal heating, hot water or other services where the property is not individually metered	These are generally not acceptable. But in prime locations, particularly within London, unmetered systems may be acceptable. Please speak to your BDM before submitting the application.
Livework units	Not acceptable.
Properties with solar panels	Can be considered on an individual case basis, please contact us prior to submission.
Overhead power lines	Properties where high power lines pass over the site are not normally acceptable.
Minimum floor area	The minimum acceptable floor area for a property is 30 square metres.
Property with land/smallholding	We will not usually lend on smallholdings. For properties with more than 10 acres or separate fields, please contact us prior to submission. We will not lend on working farms or houses which connect to, or through, working farms.
Properties with 2 kitchens	Not acceptable.
Listed buildings	Acceptable.
Properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of A-E (or A-D in Scotland)	Acceptable. In England and Wales only, we’ll also accept properties if they’re listed on the PRS Exemptions Register.
Maximum property value	£4,000,000
Refurbishment/modernisation	We'll not lend on properties that are part way through a project e.g. incomplete extensions, loft conversions, incomplete kitchens and bathrooms etc or very dated properties (which show after being inspected) that most purchasers would modernise/refurbish soon after moving in. If the applicant has in the last 6 years substantially altered, refurbished, remodelled or extended their property please contact us prior to application.

 

Purchases where the vendor is a building firm or development company in which the applicant has a financial interest are not acceptable.

Construction Type	Criteria
Traditional construction	Houses must be of solid or cavity construction incorporating the materials brick, concrete block or stone. Render and tile hung finishes in addition to the above are considered traditional and acceptable.
Period properties of cob	Period properties of cob (mud and straw) construction may be acceptable provided roofs are thatched. They will be considered on their merits, depending on the comments made by the mortgage valuer. The term ‘period property’ will normally be applied to a building built before 1850. For other roof types please contact us prior to submission.
Single skin/ half brick thick walls	Single skin/half brick thick walls are only acceptable in older properties where the walls are within single storey structures and contain non-habitable rooms. Any single skin wall structure above single storey is normally unacceptable.
Roofs	Roofs should normally be pitched and covered with tiles or slates (including artificial slates), or thatched.
100% flat roof	100% flat roofs on houses can be acceptable if the property is of traditional construction and the valuer confirms saleability and acceptability to other lenders. 100% flat roofs on flat developments are generally acceptable.
Modern timber frame	Modern post 1970 (post 1950 in Scotland) factory made timber frames are generally acceptable provided the properties have a conventional outer cladding of brick, rendered block or reconstructed stone. Post 2000 flat developments with timber cladding will be considered on their merits subject to not being more than 4 storeys.
Period timber frame housing	Historic hardwood timber frame housing is acceptable, being period properties (usually) built between 1300 and 1800. Period timber frame properties normally clad in stone/brick/lath and plaster are acceptable. As are those clad in clap board or weather board, providing that the Valuer confirms this is common to the locality and constructed prior to 1900.
Pre reinforced concrete construction	Properties listed as defective under the Housing Defects legislation are not acceptable if unrepaired. Repairs must be licensed by PRC Homes Ltd. Repair schemes that predate PRC Homes Ltd schemes will only be acceptable where a PRC Licence Scheme number was later granted.
Steel frame construction	Steel framed houses built in 1984 or later and which are conventionally clad in brick or rendered block work are acceptable. Steel framed houses built before 1984 and which are conventionally clad in brick or rendered block work are acceptable subject to a satisfactory Structural Engineer's report. Unconventionally clad steel framed houses are unacceptable irrespective of their age.
No fines/'Easiform'	Only 2 storey structures are usually acceptable (3 storey in Scotland). Any evidence of cracks must be referred to a Structural Engineer and where appropriate, a carbonation test will be required. ‘Easiform’ construction built prior to 1940 is unacceptable. Acceptability is dependent on continued market demand.
Large panel systems	Houses not acceptable. Flats may be considered if constructed after 2000 on an individual case basis.
Cross wall/curtain wall	These types are generally acceptable providing the party walls are of conventional construction. This type of construction in conjunction with a flat roof is normally unacceptable unless the valuer can confirm that an established demand for these properties exists and that they are generally mortgageable. Cross wall is only acceptable where party walls are of masonry.

Buy to Let properties must predominantly appeal to the residential home owner market, and must already be suitable to be let at the time of the property valuation. They should be tenanted within 60 days of being marketed.

We don't lend on new build flats as a Buy to Let. We can consider ex-council properties but only in good condition and in locations with both a strong rental and owner occupier demand.

For ex-local authority flats we accept a maximum height of 4 storeys. We do not accept blocks with open deck access, unless there is a secure entry-phone system and doors to all stairwells.

For ex- local authority properties we have a minimum value of £60,000 (£40,000 in Northern Ireland). For ex-local authority flats the minimum value is £90,000.

Ability to pay is assessed on the rental income (which must be received in £GBP).

The rental income must be at least 145% of the monthly interest due inclusive of any product fees added to the loan.

This is calculated using the notional interest rate below (whichever is applicable):

Product	Notional interest rate
Fixed rate less than 5 years or a variable rate	The higher of 5.5% or product pay rate + 2%
Fixed rate 5 years or more	The higher of 4.5% or product pay rate + 1%

We accept pitched roofs covered with thatch, slates or standard/artificial tiles. Thatched roofs must have specialist insurance cover in place.

All applicants must be resident in the UK prior to applying. The applicant will need to have lived in the UK for long enough to ensure we have a meaningful credit score and employment history. This is normally a minimum of 3 years. Please see the Foreign Nationals section for any rights to live and work in the UK.

Sale and rent backs where the vendor is becoming the tenant upon completion are not acceptable and will be declined.

Transcripts are not permitted.

Proof of deposit may be requested at our underwriter’s discretion.

The following are acceptable sources of deposit:

• equity from sale of property
• savings
• family gift
• inheritance
• capital raising on another property.

Unacceptable sources of deposit are:

• personal loans
• funding from credit cards
• vendor/builder cashback without additional minimum deposit from an acceptable source.

In Scotland, if it is public knowledge a property is for sale, the seller in most cases must provide a Home Report to prospective buyers. There are some exceptional situations when a seller can choose not to provide a potential purchaser with the Home Report and cases where a Home Report is not actually required. Further information can be found at https://www.mygov.scot/buying-a-home/home-report

For applications where no Home Report is required or available, we'll instruct a mortgage valuation.

The Home Report contains the Property Questionnaire, Single Survey, and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC); the majority will also contain a Generic Mortgage Valuation Report (GMVR).

For purchase applications we'll request a transcript of the GMVR from the valuer who prepared the original Home Report. That valuer must be on the Bank of Ireland Panel. We'll only accept transcripts from Home Reports that are no more than 12 weeks old. It is the seller’s responsibility to obtain a refreshed Home Report if this is older than 12 weeks.

The transcript we receive is valid throughout the offer period and a Home Report refresh is not required. If the offer expires and an offer extension is required, then we'll require a revaluation which the applicant must pay for.

To get the correct product and Loan to Value (where the purchase price is different from the Home Report) you should key the application with the lower of the valuation or purchase price and then in the additional information box put a note on to say what the correct purchase price is. The application must also include the name of the firm that completed the Home Report and the date when the Home Report was undertaken.

If the firm is on our panel and the Home Report in date, then a transcript can be instructed.
If the firm is not on panel, then a Standard valuation would be required, but if the product does not include a fees free valuation or the fees free valuation has already been used, then a valuation fee payment must be taken first.

Missives covers the exchange of correspondence between the purchaser’s and seller’s solicitors negotiating the conditions of the sale. Property transactions in Scotland become legally binding for all parties upon ‘conclusion of Missives’.

 

Scottish Private Residential Tenancies (PRT)

Scottish Private Residential Tenancies (PRT) are acceptable and we'll instruct a mortgage valuation.

 

Tenure

Tenure - typically referred to as Former Feudal, Simple/Absolute ownership is accepted.
Applications can be considered for security on the following Scottish Islands;
Lewis and Harris, Mainland Shetland, Mainland Orkney, Skye, Bute, Arran, Islay, Mull, Whalsay, Yell, South Ronaldsay, West Burra, Tiree and Unst.

Where the valuer identifies a flat with potentially combustible cladding and/or stacked balconies which could facilitate the spread of fire, we'll require the Fire Risk Assessment report (FRA) and Fire Risk Assessment External Walls (FRAEW), together with the names and qualifications of the authors of these documents, for the building. Once we have all of this information, our Property Risk team will assess and advise if acceptable to proceed.

We do not accept EWS1 forms for properties with cladding/stacked balconies.

Please refer to our fire risk assessments criteria for acceptable qualifications for FRA & FRAEW reports.

All properties 10 storeys or higher must be referred to our Property Risk Team prior to application. Please contact us.

Please see our solicitors and licensed conveyancers page.

	England & Wales		Scotland & Northern Ireland
	With Vacant Possession	With Tenant In Situ	With Vacant Possession	With Tenant In Situ
Purchases	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Remortgages	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tenanted Possession Restrictions	The existing tenancy must have commenced after 28 February 1997 and the existing tenant must not have resided in the property before the date of the agreement.		Scotland: Remortgages will only be considered provided the tenant has not been resident in the property 5 years earlier than the date of our offer.
			Northern Ireland: Remortgages will only be considered if the existing tenancy is a Protected Shorthold Agreement or an Uncontrolled Letting.
Tenancy Types	The tenancy mustn’t exceed 2 years in duration and must normally be written in one of the following formats: England: Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) Wales: Occupation Contract Scotland: Private Residential Tenancy (Formerly Shorthold Assured Tenancy (SAT) Northern Ireland: Protected Shorthold Agreement or Uncontrolled Letting
	Maximum of 4 tenants on a single AST (or equivalent)
	Company/housing association lets are not acceptable.

• The maximum term is 35 years
• The minimum term is 5 years (or term of promotional period for existing customers moving home).

Vendor paid deposits for second hand properties will be deducted from the gross purchase price to give a true net purchase price. Our maximum LTV lending will be based on this lower sum.

Where an appeal against a valuation is requested we’ll need evidence of 3 transactions of similar properties (comparables) to be submitted within 14 working days from the date you were aware of the valuation.

Where appealing both rent and capital values, we’ll need 3 comparables for each.

These should be completed sales or lettings within the last 6 months of similar properties and locations, ideally in the same postcode.

The following information will need to be provided for each comparable item*:

• Full address (i.e. house or flat number and postcode)
• Details of who sold or let the property
• The agreed sale price or rent
• Date of the transaction
• Source of information.

For any valuation decision queries please get in touch with us via case message. 

*We don’t accept links to web adverts. Estate Agent letters, automated valuations, details of unsold/unlet properties and previous Valuer’s opinions aren’t considered appropriate evidence and will not be considered.

If a valuation report is received and the survey does not provide a current market value due to a recommendation that specialist reports are required, please be aware of the following:

• The application may still be declined even after the reports have been received if there is an issue with the property that does not meet our lending policy
• If there are any recommended works stipulated within the specialist reports, these works must be completed before we can proceed with the application

Bespoke Residential:

• Repayment - Minimum individual assessable income £40,000
• Interest Only – Minimum income £50,000 or joint £75,000 (if neither earns £50,000).

Bespoke Buy to Let:

• One applicant must earn at least £40,000.
• Income must be paid and contracted in GBP (£) and be subject to UK tax and National Insurance contributions.

Remortgage of a current residential to a Buy to Let and capital raising to fund the purchase of the new main residence is acceptable. To be acceptable we need to be satisfied that the applicant will be moving out of the property upon completion and moving into their new residence, otherwise it will become a regulated Buy to Let. It must be a simultaneous completion.

We'll require confirmation of the new correspondence address, purchase price, borrowing amount, monthly payment, a breakdown of how funds are being used e.g. deposit, fees, improvements etc. and a copy of the onward residential mortgage offer if applicable.  If there isn't a mortgage the solicitor must confirm the details.

We do not allow capital raising for any debt consolidation. We can accept both standalone Let to Buy applications and where we’re also providing the mortgage for the onward residential purchase.

All Let to Buy properties will require a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a rating between A-E (unless exempt) or between A-D in Scotland. This must be in place at the time the valuation is carried out, if not, additional costs may be incurred and the application may be delayed.

 

The property must meet our standard property criteria.

Please see our solicitors and licensed conveyancers page.