Which UK Lenders Count Lodger / Rental Income?

Around 68 UK lenders accept lodger income or existing rental income in affordability, but only about 10 count lodger income itself: most count only rent from a property you already let, and each lender's note below says which. Rules also vary on how much is counted (typically 50-100%) and whether it must be taxed.

As of 2026-09-13, published criteria from 68 of the 75 UK lenders whose published criteria we track indicate they may consider this scenario — 12 high-street, 37 building societies and 19 specialist — with minimum deposits from 2%.

Data refreshed 2026-09-13. Information only — not advice.

Your situation

Deposit (% of property value)

Adverse credit (CCJ, default, DMP)?

68 of 68 lenders whose published criteria match these filters

High Street Lenders

AIB— Northern Ireland properties only. Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Bank Of Ireland— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Barclays— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Co Operative Bank— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Halifax— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
HSBC— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Metro Bank— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Nationwide— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Natwest— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Santander— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
TSB— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Virgin Money— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed

Building Societies

Accord— Up to 95% LTV (its 99% £5k Deposit product is first-time-buyer only and excludes new builds), lodger income not confirmed
Bath BS— Up to 85% LTV, counts expected lodger income on its Rent a Room mortgage (up to 100% with a family member's home as extra security)
Beverley BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Cambridge BS— Up to 95% LTV, counts lodger income
Chorley BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Coventry BS— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Cumberland BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Darlington BS— Up to 95% LTV (80% inside the M25, purchase or remortgage), rental income only, not lodger income
Dudley BS— Up to 80% LTV, counts lodger income (one lodger, capped at the £7,500 Rent a Room limit, capital-and-interest repayment only, signed lodger agreement on a purchase)
Earl Shilton BS— Up to 90% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Ecology BS— Green-gated lending only: every product requires the property to meet Ecology's ecological/EPC criteria. LTV varies by product: Eco-Home 80%, Renovation 80-90%, Self-build 65-80%, Conversion 80%, Community Living 90%, Shared Ownership 95% of the share, Affordable Local Homes (discounted market sale) 95%, First Homes (Scotland) 95%, lodger income not confirmed
Family BS— Up to 80% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Furness BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Hanley BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Hinckley Rugby BS— Up to 95% LTV, counts lodger income
Leeds BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Loughborough BS— Up to 95% LTV, counts lodger income
Mansfield BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Market Harborough BS— Loans from £200,000 only (property value from £250,000). Up to 80% LTV, counts lodger income
Marsden BS— Up to 80% LTV, counts lodger income
Melton BS— Up to 95% LTV (interest-only up to 75%), lodger income not confirmed
Monmouthshire BS— Temporarily paused — not accepting new residential applications while they upgrade their systems. Previously: Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Newbury BS— Up to 90% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Newcastle BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Nottingham BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Penrith BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Principality— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Progressive BS— Northern Ireland properties only (in England: Openwork advisers, some South-East postcodes, houses only, loans from £200,000). Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Saffron BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Scottish BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Skipton— Up to 95% LTV (100% on its Track Record mortgage for renters with 12 months' rent paid: no missed payments in the last 6 months, otherwise Skipton's standard credit rules apply), rental income only, not lodger income
Stafford BS— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Suffolk BS— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Teachers BS— Up to 90% LTV for lodger income: counted at 60% on remortgages only (lodger unrelated, signs consent form; not shared ownership); rental income from a let property not listed in its criteria
Tipton Coseley BS— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Vernon BS— Up to 95% LTV, counts lodger income
West Brom— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income

Specialist Lenders

Aldermore— Up to 98% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Atom Bank— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Bluestone— Up to 90% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Coutts— Private bank: new clients via a broker need a loan of at least £1.5m. Up to 90% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Cynergy— Up to 80% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Foundation— Up to 90% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Gatehouse— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Generation Home— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Hodge— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Kensington— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Lendinvest— Up to 90% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
LG Home Finance— Over-55s only: retirement interest-only (RIO) mortgages, no standard repayment mortgages. Up to 60% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
Livemore— Borrowers aged 40+ only (RIO from 50). Up to 80% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Pepper— Up to 90% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Precise— Up to 95% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
The Mortgage Lender— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Together— Up to 75% LTV, rental income only, not lodger income
UTB— Up to 95% LTV, lodger income not confirmed
Vida— Up to 97% LTV; lodger income counted at 100% on remortgages only

A lender name is only half the answer — the amount each might lend varies by tens of thousands — our figures are indicative estimates, not offers.

See your figures

Why some lenders say no

Rent-a-room relief (up to £7,500/yr tax-free) is counted by some lenders, not all.
Most lenders won't count lodger rent in a home you're buying; a few building societies will (for example Bath BS and Dudley BS).
Many lenders assess buy-to-let rental income under separate BTL criteria and leave it out of a residential affordability check.

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Frequently asked questions

Which mortgage lenders allow lodgers?

Having a lodger is rarely a problem in itself— owner-occupiers are generally free to rent out a spare room under the Rent a Room scheme without breaching a standard residential mortgage. The real question is whether the lender will count the lodger rent as income in your affordability assessment, and that is where lenders split: some count it (often at a reduced percentage), some want it evidenced on a tax return, and several high-street names exclude it entirely. Each lender’s note in the table above says whether it counts lodger income itself or only income from an existing rental property.

Does rent-a-room income count?

Some lenders count Rent-a-Room income in full; others exclude it entirely because it's tax-free. A lender can be on the list above because it counts income from an existing rental property even if it doesn't count lodger income — Halifax, for example, does not include lodger or Rent-a-Room income in affordability. If lodger income is central to your case, check the lender's lodger policy before you apply.

Can I use lodger income to help buy my first home?

Sometimes, but the options are limited. Most lenders don't count lodger rent at all, and some count it only on a remortgage once the lodger is in place (Teachers BS at 60%, and Vida, which wants 3 months' bank statements). A few building societies will count it when you buy. Bath BS's Rent a Room mortgage, aimed at first-time buyers, adds expected lodger income to the affordability calculation. It needs a formal agreement with the lodger, and at least a 15% deposit unless a family member's home is used as extra security. Dudley BS accepts a signed lodger agreement on a purchase: one lodger, up to the £7,500 Rent a Room limit, max 80% LTV, rent no more than 25% of the monthly payment. Others want the lodger in place first (Marsden BS: 3 months).

What about income from existing rental properties?

Lenders differ. Some count part of the rent from an existing buy-to-let in your residential affordability, or only the surplus after the mortgage and costs; others leave it out and assess the buy-to-let separately. The Ltd company SPV route is assessed differently.

Do I need to declare rental income on my tax return?

Not always. Rental income above the tax-free limits must go on a tax return. Rent-a-Room income under £7,500 a year (£3,750 if you share the income with someone else) is tax-free and doesn't need to be declared, but a lender that wants SA302 evidence may then not count it. Where lenders do count taxable rental income, they usually ask for SA302s or tax calculations showing it.