Doctors and dentists
Mortgages for doctors and dentists
Medical pay rarely arrives in one tidy monthly figure. Rotations, locum shifts, private lists and associate agreements confuse a standard affordability calculator, and the result is often a smaller loan than you should qualify for. We place medical cases with lenders that understand them — including those offering enhanced income multiples. 40+ years of experience, whole of market.
How lenders assess medical income
Rotational posts are not a problem
Lenders used to medical applicants treat the training pathway as continuous employment, not a run of short fixed-term contracts.
Locum and bank work counted
Anything from half to all of your average additional shifts can be used, depending on the lender and how long the pattern has run.
NHS and private income combined
Salaried NHS income plus private or associate work can be added together, with accounts covering the self-employed side.
Enhanced income multiples
Some lenders stretch to five or five and a half times income for qualifying medical professionals rather than the usual four and a half.
Questions from medical and dental professionals
What doctors, dentists and trainees ask us most.
- Can I get a mortgage as a junior doctor on a rotational contract?
- Yes. Fixed-term rotational posts worry generic underwriters but are routine for lenders used to medical applicants — they treat the NHS training pathway as continuous employment rather than a series of short contracts. A copy of your contract and recent payslips is usually all that is needed.
- Will lenders count my locum or bank shifts?
- Most will count a proportion — commonly 50% to 100% of the average over the last three to twelve months — provided it is regular. Some lenders count the full amount where the work has run for at least a year. If a large slice of your income is locum, which lender you approach makes a substantial difference to the loan size.
- I work in the NHS and do private work too. Can both be used?
- Yes. NHS salary is evidenced with payslips, and the private element is treated as self-employed income backed by accounts or SA302s. Where the private practice is newer, several lenders will consider one year's figures alongside the established NHS post.
- I am newly qualified with a job offer but have not started. Can I apply?
- Often yes. A number of lenders will accept a signed contract or offer letter starting within the next three to six months and lend on that salary before your first payslip. This is used regularly by foundation doctors and newly qualified dentists moving for a post.
- Do doctors get bigger loans than other professions?
- Sometimes. Standard lending is usually around four and a half times income, but some lenders offer enhanced multiples of five or even five and a half times to qualifying medical professionals, reflecting expected earnings growth. Eligibility depends on your role, registration and stage of training.
- What about associate dentists?
- Associates are self-employed in almost all cases, so lenders look at your accounts or SA302s rather than payslips. Where you have less than two years' figures, lenders familiar with dentistry will often work from your associate agreement and the schedule of work, which is not something every high-street underwriter will do.