Here’s a concise update on the latest news about mortgages for self-employed borrowers.
-
Trends across 2024–2025 show increased lender flexibility for self-employed applicants, with more banks using annual or average income over multiple years and some specializing in self-employed cases. This marks a shift from earlier pandemic-era restrictions to pre-pandemic norms or better in many lenders’ books.
-
Key growth areas include products that permit shorter trading histories (some lenders accept one year) and affordability calculations based on retained profits or next-year projections rather than strictly last-year earnings. Pepper Money and other specialist lenders have been at the forefront of this shift.
-
However, accessibility remains uneven by region and lender. While many mainstream banks have improved, some still apply stricter criteria or require higher deposit levels for self-employed borrowers, especially where income has volatility or fewer trading years.
What this means for you
-
If you’re self-employed, gather at least two years of accounts where possible, and prepare a clear income narrative showing sustainability and growth. Consider speaking with a mortgage adviser who has experience with self-employed clients and access to specialist lenders.
-
Be ready to discuss alternative income sources or recent growth (contracts, retained profits, or projections). A lender that offers flexible affordability assessments can help you secure a better loan-to-value (LTV) and rate.
If you’d like, I can:
- narrow recent articles by region (UK vs other markets),
- compile a quick checklist of documents typically required for self-employed mortgage applications, or
- compare a few lenders known for self-employed programs and their current criteria.
Would you like me to tailor this to your location (Fortaleza, Brazil) or keep focusing on UK/US markets?
Sources
Are you self-employed and wanting to purchase a home? There are several things you need to know when it comes to being self-employed and taking out a mortgage: the requirements and how to boost your chances of getting a mortgage when you’re self-employed.
www.mortgageadvicebureau.comPepper Money’s specialist criteria allow some flexibility for the self-employed. The lender can accept applications from individuals with just one year of trading history, compared to the two or three years typically required by mainstream banks. For those trading for two or more years, Pepper Money can use the latest year’s figures for affordability calculations instead of an average of the last three years. This is particularly beneficial for businesses that have recently grown....
www.mortgagesolutions.co.ukThe latest Self-employed articles from Professional Adviser - Page 1
www.professionaladviser.comGetting a mortgage as a gig worker in 2025 is absolutely within reach — it just takes the right preparation and the right lender, here is our top guide and top tips!
mortgageequitypartners.comRead expert mortgage tips and advice for the self-employed, plus the latest updates from New Wave Financial Services.
newwavefs.co.uk“There were a lot of restrictions due to Covid, but we’ve seen most lenders revert to their pre-pandemic criteria. Halifax, for example, changed its lending criteria for self-employed applicants in October back to its pre-Covid policy. This means the bank will now rely on the average of two years’ income again as opposed to relying on the lower figure, if the total income was less than £50,000 per annum.” … Aldermore’s Cooper added: “I think today’s self-employed market is likely on a par with...
www.mortgagesolutions.co.ukSantander restricts self-employed applicants to 60% deals as banks tighten rules
www.which.co.uk