Get help from family or friends to buy your home

A joint mortgage where only one person owns the property.

To apply for a mortgage, you must be aged 18 or over and resident in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

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What is a Family-Backed Mortgage? Open in new window

Who is eligible? Open in new window

Benefits and considerations Open in new window

Common questions Open in new window

What is a Family-Backed Mortgage?

A NatWest International Family-Backed Mortgage, allows you to include a second person on your mortgage without them owning the property. The 'non-owner' can be a family member or a friend.

By including someone as a non-owner, you might be able to buy your home sooner or borrow more money than you could on your own.

Information Message

A Family-Backed Mortgage is also known as a joint borrower sole proprietor mortgage (JBSP).

Who is eligible for a Family-Backed Mortgage?

To apply for a NatWest International Family-Backed Mortgage, you'll need to meet the following criteria:

The main applicant / owner must earn at least £20,000 a year before tax.
There can be a maximum of 2 applicants: one owner and one non-owner.
Both applicants must be between 18 and 75 years old and be resident in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar.
You are applying for this mortgage for your own home and do not intend to rent it out.
The non-owner will seek independent legal advice.

Information Message

We can’t give any advice or recommendations about who the applicants for a mortgage should be. When applying, you’ll need to say who should be named on the mortgage.

Benefits and considerations

Both parties should understand the benefits and considerations of our Family-Backed Mortgage:

For the home buyer

You will own the property.
This option may allow you to buy a home sooner.
You might be able to borrow more than you could on your own.
Both applicants must meet our mortgage criteria. This could limit the mortgage term, as we may not lend beyond your intended retirement age.

For the non-owner

You will not have any ownership rights to the property.
Both the owner and non-owner are responsible for the mortgage payments. If the property owner fails to pay, you will still be legally obligated for the full repayment of the mortgage, even though you don't own the property.
Missed mortgage payments can negatively affect your credit record.
You will need independent legal advice, which will incur additional costs.

To help you understand your responsibilities, we have created a fact sheet. This will provide the non-owning borrower with more details about what they need to know about entering into a Family-Backed Mortgage.

This fact sheet is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice.

Family-Backed Mortgage fact sheet for non‑owner (PDF, 56 KB)

Common questions

For the property owner

Is a Family-Backed Mortgage the same as a guarantor mortgage?

No, they are not the same. In a guarantor mortgage, the guarantor only helps with the monthly payments if the borrower can't afford them. For a Family-Backed Mortgage, the non-owner is responsible for making the mortgage payments from the beginning, alongside the borrower.

Does the non-owner have to be a family member?

No, the non-owner can be a family member or a friend.

Do I need to be a first-time buyer to get a Family-Backed Mortgage?

No, you don't have to be a first-time buyer to get a Family-Backed Mortgage. It’s also available for other home moves or if you need help improving your borrowing affordability.

For the non-owner

Do I need to get independent legal and tax advice as a non‑owning borrower?

As the non‑owning borrower you must get independent legal and tax advice, which you’ll need to pay for it. Before you get any advice, make sure your solicitor is registered with the right regulatory body for your jurisdiction.

Please visit the relevant society’s website to confirm registration:

The Law Society of Jersey
Members of the Guernsey Bar
The Isle of Man Law Society
Gibraltar Lawyers and Law Firms

If your solicitor isn’t registered, any extra costs are your responsibility.

What you’ll be required to do

Once the mortgage is agreed, we’ll issue you a Certificate of Independent Legal Advice.

Take the certificate to your solicitor who must sign it to confirm they’ve given you impartial advice. The property‑owning borrower must NOT be present when the certificate is signed.

Once completed, send the completed certificate to us so we can complete the mortgage.

As the non‑owning borrower, what should I consider before agreeing to the mortgage?

As the non-owning borrower you should consider:

You won’t own the property or have any rights to it
Only the borrower who owns the property will be the legal owner. But you’ll still be responsible for the mortgage repayments.
All borrowers are responsible for the mortgage repayments
If the property owner misses any payments, you’ll be legally responsible for paying the full amount.
Your credit reference could be affected
Taking out this mortgage means it will show up in any credit or affordability checks done for you. This might limit how much credit or borrowing you can get in the future. If you miss any mortgage payments, it could also affect your credit score.
Transferring the mortgage
To change the named non-owner or to transfer the mortgage into the property owner’s sole name during the mortgage term, a new application is required. The application will be assessed against our lending criteria at that time. You may therefore be unable to remove your name from the mortgage and will remain liable for the debt.
Break down in relationships and disputes
If your relationship with the property owner breaks down, you might disagree about who should repay the mortgage. Even so, both of you will still be responsible for the repayments.
Tax advice
If you are unsure of the tax implications of the mortgage, you should obtain independent tax advice.
Bereavement
If either borrower dies, responsibility for repaying the mortgage remains with the surviving borrower.
Future Independent legal advice
If you wish to make changes to the mortgage in the future, we may require you to obtain additional Independent legal advice. Any costs for this additional advice must be paid by you.