Interest-only mortgages

It’s a mortgage where you only pay the interest on the amount you’ve borrowed each month, with interest charged on the full balance. You’ll need to pay back what you borrowed by the end of the mortgage term. 

Can I get an interest-only mortgage?

• You’ll need to earn at least £75,000 a year if applying alone
• In joint applications, one of you must earn at least £75,000 a year, or your combined income must be at least £100,000
• We’ll tell you how much you need to provide as a deposit when you apply for an interest-only mortgage with us
• You’ll need to show us how you intend to repay the amount you borrow by the time the mortgage term ends 
• You can’t rely on selling the property to provide this money just in case its value decreases

Interest-only mortgages have lower monthly repayments than repayment mortgages, because you don’t pay back any of the amount you borrowed – you just pay the interest on the full balance every month. If you meet our eligibility requirements, you can apply for any of our residential, offset or buy-to-let mortgages on an interest-only basis. You need to check regularly that your repayment plan is on track.

Should I get advice about interest-only mortgages?

We recommend that you get independent financial advice about how you’re planning to repay your interest-only mortgage. You can search the Financial Services Register to find mortgage brokers that are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The Single Financial Guidance Body has examples of ways you can repay your interest-only mortgage – but we’ll need to agree your plan before we can approve your mortgage application.

Checking that your mortgage repayment plan is on track

Once we’ve approved your interest-only mortgage, it’s important to check that your strategy to repay the amount borrowed at the end of the mortgage term is still right for you.

To help you with this we will

• Write to you 12 months after you take out a mortgage, and periodically during the second half of the mortgage term to remind you how we can support you
• Have a review with you during your mortgage term – usually around the halfway point – to help you understand how your repayment plan is shaping up. This’ll give you plenty of time to adapt your strategy (if you need to) before the end of your term

Of course, if you have any concerns about your repayment plan, please call us on 0333 202 7580 and we’ll be happy to talk to you about your options. We’re open Monday to Sunday, between 7am and 8pm, excluding public holidays.