Best Mortgage Lenders in the UK – Complete Guide

Who are the Best mortgage lenders in the UK?

It’s the question everyone wants a straight answer to — but the truth is, there isn’t a single “best” mortgage lender in the UK. The right lender depends entirely on you — your situation, your goals, your income, and even the type of property you’re buying.

That said, there are definite front-runners for different client types. Some lenders are known for flexibility, others for speed, and a few for consistently sharp rates. So, while we can’t crown one universal champion, we can break down who tends to lead the pack — and what actually makes a lender one of the best.

Let’s start by understanding what separates one lender from another.

What separates the lenders

When people compare lenders, the first thing they think about is the rate — and yes, that’s a big part of it. But the real picture goes much deeper. A “best” lender isn’t just the one offering the cheapest deal today; it’s the one that can get you what you need, on terms that make sense, with minimal stress and solid support.

Here’s what really separates them:

Borrowing amount and income multiples

• Most lenders cap borrowing at around 4.5x income.
• Some stretch to 5 or even 6x income for specific client types or professions.
• Higher multiples can make the difference between affording your ideal home or settling for less.

Deposit requirements

• 5% deposit deals aren’t offered by every lender.
• Some require larger deposits for new builds, flats, or unusual properties.
• A bigger deposit can unlock better rates and wider product options.

Treatment of income

• Some lenders take 100% of bonuses, commission, or overtime — others only partial amounts.
• Self-employed income can be averaged differently depending on lender policy.
• Contractors and freelancers may be assessed on day rates or trading history.
• How your income is viewed can make or break affordability.

Best rates and deals

• Market leaders change frequently — today’s best rate may not be tomorrow’s.
• Some lenders offer cashback or fee-free options to sweeten deals.
• Others target niche areas (e.g. self-employed or complex cases) where rates are higher but criteria are flexible.

Speed of service

• Processing times vary hugely between lenders.
• Some are known for lightning-fast offers; others can drag.
• In competitive markets, speed can be just as valuable as the rate.

Property types

• Certain lenders are cautious with new builds or ex-local authority homes.
• Some limit loan-to-values (LTVs) for flats or converted properties.
• Specialist lenders can be more open to non-standard or quirky homes.

Client type

• Non-UK nationals, self-employed, or those with past credit issues may need specific lenders.
• Some high-street names are more flexible with niche circumstances.
• Matching your profile to the right lender avoids wasted time and declined applications.

Ethical approach

• Some borrowers now consider where their lender invests and how they operate.
• Ethical or green mortgages reward energy-efficient homes or sustainable choices.
• Transparency, fairness, and customer care are becoming genuine deciding factors.

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Which lenders have the best income multiples?

Ultimately, income multiples are only one piece of the puzzle. A generous multiple means nothing if the lender doesn’t treat your income in the right way — or simply won’t use all of it. But as a starting point, it’s a useful indicator of potential borrowing power.

Equally, even if a lender can lend up to a certain multiple, that doesn’t mean they will. The figure below represents their upper ceiling — not a guaranteed offer.

Here’s a quick look at where the main lenders currently sit:

Which mortgage lenders offer the best low-deposit options?

When people search for the best mortgage lenders in the UK, deposit size is often the deciding factor. Every lender has its own stance on how much deposit they want — and it varies not just by applicant type, but by property type too.

While some lenders are happy to lend up to 95% on standard homes, others want larger deposits for flats, new builds, or foreign nationals. Here’s how the main lenders stack up.

95% mortgage lenders

The following lenders regularly offer 95% LTV products for standard houses and first-time buyers:

New build mortgage lenders

New build homes, and especially new build flats, often come with tighter lending criteria. Deposits are typically higher because of perceived resale risk, but a few lenders still stand out for flexibility.

Which mortgage lenders are best for bonus, commission, and overtime income?

This one’s a biggie — easily as important as income multiples, if not more. How a lender treats your income can make or break your borrowing power.

If you earn variable income — like bonuses, commission, or overtime — every lender has their own way of assessing it. Some will take all of it, some half, and others might ignore it altogether.

We’ve covered this in detail in our guides on mortgages for overtime income and mortgages for commission income, but here’s a quick overview of how some of the main lenders handle it.

Lenders that consider 100% of variable income

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How mortgage lenders treat income for the self-employed

When it comes to the self-employed, how a lender assesses your income can make a huge difference. It’s not just how much you earn, but how you earn it — and whether they’ll use your latest figures, average your last two years, or base affordability on company profits instead of salary and dividends.

Some lenders are far more flexible than others. A few will lend with just one year’s accounts, while others demand two full years before even considering an application.

Here’s a breakdown of how the main lenders tend to approach self-employed income.

Lenders like Halifax and HSBC remain the go-to for newly self-employed applicants, as both will lend with just one solid year of figures. That’s a major advantage if your business has taken off quickly or you’ve only recently gone limited.

For established businesses, Barclays, Coventry, Virgin, and Metro all take a steady approach, preferring two years of trading history and an average of both.

Profit-based lenders like HSBC, Barclays, and Coventry are often the most generous for limited company directors who retain earnings in the business, as they can assess overall profitability — not just what’s drawn as dividends.

Quickest Mortgage lenders/ Service levels

Most mainstream lenders are pretty quick these days. Anyone within the top 10 — even top 30 — usually turns things around within one to two weeks, assuming the case is straightforward.

Where things tend to slow down is with smaller building societies or specialist lenders, where cases are more complex or handled manually. But with a good broker guiding things and documents returned promptly, turnaround times are rarely an issue.

In short — the right preparation makes the biggest difference, not necessarily the lender itself.

Best mortgage lenders for bad credit

There’s a huge range here, and it really depends on the level and type of adverse credit.

• Light adverse – If it’s something small like an old missed payment or mobile default, many mainstream lenders will still consider you.
• Medium adverse – This is where middle-ground lenders like Accord and Coventry come into play. They take a more holistic approach to affordability and history, rather than just ticking boxes.
• Heavy adverse – For more severe issues like CCJs, defaults, or missed mortgage payments, you’re looking at specialist lenders such as Kensington, Precise, The Mortgage Lender, or Aldermore.

Each of these sits somewhere on the spectrum between flexibility and competitiveness — and which is “best” depends entirely on your credit profile and goals.

Best mortgage lenders for foreign nationals

When it comes to foreign nationals, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The right lender depends on how long you’ve lived in the UK, your visa or residency status, and your deposit size.

Here’s a quick overview of some of the most consistent lenders for non-UK nationals:

Those with permanent residency or settled status can usually access the same products as UK nationals, while newer arrivals may need a slightly larger deposit or more supporting documentation.

Best ethical mortgage lenders

If sustainability, environmental impact, or social responsibility matter to you, a handful of lenders stand out. These are rated independently by The Good Shopping Guide for their environmental policies, transparency, and ethical business practices.

Here’s how the main ethical mortgage lenders rank:

Best mortgage lenders for rates

Last but by no means least — rates.

At Strive, we work backwards. We start by finding who will actually lend you the money based on your income, deposit, and criteria. Once we know which lenders fit, we then source the best rates and deals from that shortlist.

If your case is straightforward and you meet standard affordability rules, you’ll likely have the pick of the market. But if you’ve got quirks — like variable income, recent self-employment, or credit issues — it’s about working from the best lender that will lend what you need, and building from there.

To summarise

There’s no substitute for good mortgage advice. You might not walk away from this blog with a single “best lender” in mind — and that’s the point.

What you should have is a clearer picture of how lenders differ: who stretches further, who’s flexible, and who might suit your situation best.

Ultimately, this is what we do every day at Strive — help you cut through the noise, match your profile to the right lenders, and secure the best deal available.

Getting in touch means we can do that legwork for you, quickly and accurately. It’s our bread and butter — and we’ll let you know exactly where your best options lie.