Which UK Lenders Lend on Flats Above Takeaways or Shops?
Many UK lenders decline flats above commercial premises on resale grounds. The business type matters — offices and shops are usually fine; hot takeaways, pubs and bookmakers are often refused. The lender list below covers flats above commercial premises in general. Lenders that rule out flats directly above or next to a hot-food takeaway say so in their row.
As of 2026-09-13, published criteria from 62 of the 75 UK lenders whose published criteria we track indicate they may consider this scenario — 10 high-street, 33 building societies and 19 specialist — with minimum deposits from 2%.
Data refreshed 2026-09-13. Information only — not advice.
Your situation
High Street Lenders
- Barclays— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- Co Operative Bank— Up to 95% LTV
- Halifax— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- HSBC— Up to 90% LTV (flat maximum), case-by-case
- Metro Bank— Up to 95% LTV
- Nationwide— Up to 95% LTV
- Natwest— Up to 95% LTV
- Santander— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- TSB— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway, case-by-case
- Virgin Money— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
Building Societies
- Accord— Up to 95% LTV (its 99% £5k Deposit product is first-time-buyer only and excludes new builds)
- Bath BS— Up to 95% LTV
- Beverley BS— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- Buckinghamshire BS— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- Cambridge BS— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- Chorley BS— Up to 90% LTV (flat maximum), case-by-case
- Coventry BS— Up to 75% LTV
- Darlington BS— Up to 60% LTV, prime central London only, min value £250,000; not above fast-food or alcohol sales
- Dudley BS— Up to 75% LTV on repayment (65% interest-only), case-by-case
- Earl Shilton BS— Up to 90% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- 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%
- Family BS— Up to 80% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- Furness BS— Up to 90% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway, case-by-case
- Harpenden BS— Up to 85% LTV
- Leeds BS— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway, case-by-case
- Loughborough BS— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- Mansfield BS— Up to 95% LTV
- Market Harborough BS— Loans from £200,000 only (property value from £250,000). Up to 80% LTV, case-by-case
- Monmouthshire BS— Temporarily paused — not accepting new residential applications while they upgrade their systems. Previously: Up to 95% LTV
- Newbury BS— Up to 90% LTV, case-by-case: generally not accepted; may be considered only if the property is local to the Society and the case has other merits
- Newcastle BS— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case: generally not accepted, with exceptions only for exclusive developments in parts of larger cities where the valuer confirms demand
- Nottingham BS— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- Penrith BS— Up to 95% LTV
- Principality— Up to 95% LTV
- Saffron BS— Up to 95% LTV
- Scottish BS— Up to 95% LTV
- 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)
- Stafford BS— Up to 95% LTV
- Suffolk BS— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- Swansea BS— Up to 80% LTV, case-by-case
- Teachers BS— Up to 75% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- Vernon BS— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- West Brom— Up to 75% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
Specialist Lenders
- Aldermore— Up to 98% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway, case-by-case
- Atom Bank— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- Bluestone— Up to 90% LTV, case-by-case
- Central Trust— Remortgage and capital-raising only — does not currently lend on property purchases
- Coutts— Private bank: new clients via a broker need a loan of at least £1.5m. Up to 90% LTV
- Foundation— Up to 60% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- Gatehouse— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- Generation Home— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway, case-by-case
- Hodge— Up to 95% LTV, case-by-case
- Kensington— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- LG Home Finance— Over-55s only: retirement interest-only (RIO) mortgages, no standard repayment mortgages. Up to 60% LTV, case-by-case
- Livemore— Borrowers aged 40+ only (RIO from 50). Up to 80% LTV, case-by-case
- Perenna— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway, case-by-case
- Precise— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- The Mortgage Lender— Up to 95% LTV, not above or next to a hot-food takeaway
- Together— Up to 75% LTV
- UTB— Up to 95% LTV
- Vida— Up to 75% LTV (60% next to a takeaway, restaurant or pub)
- West One— Up to 97.5% LTV
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 figuresWhy some lenders say no
- Resale risk — flats above hot takeaways sell slower and for less.
- Odour, noise, and pest concerns flagged by surveyors.
- Some lenders also decline flats near a pub, hot-food takeaway or petrol station, not just directly above one, where the valuer thinks smell, noise or the business would hurt resale. There's no set distance; it's the valuer's judgement.
Related reading: Why some properties are 'unmortgageable' · Property types accepted
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Run My Affordability CheckFrequently asked questions
Does the type of business matter?
Yes. Offices, accountancies, estate agents, dentists — generally accepted. Retail — usually accepted. Hot takeaways, pubs, bookmakers, adult entertainment — usually declined.
Does distance from the business matter?
Mostly it's about being directly above or next door. Some lenders also decline flats very close to a hot-food takeaway, pub or petrol station (TSB, for example), or that border one (Family Building Society). That's decided by the valuer, not by a set distance.
Can a higher deposit fix it?
Sometimes. A few lenders accept commercial-adjacent flats at lower LTVs (e.g. 75% rather than 90%). Specialist lenders go higher at a rate premium.
Is this more of a problem in leasehold?
Slightly — the surveyor reviews the lease for commercial-use restrictions and noise clauses. A weak lease plus a commercial neighbour often causes a decline.