If you are a parent wanting to help, or a buyer whose family has offered, the first conversation is about structure, not rates. I check the parent’s spare affordability, compare JBSP, guarantor and gifted deposit routes across 120+ lenders, and tell you plainly which one fits and what it commits each of you to.
HTG Mortgages
Guarantor and JBSP Mortgages | Parents Helping Without Owning
Last Updated: September 2026
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Most family help I arrange is a parent supporting a child’s purchase, and it only works if the parent has genuine spare affordability after their own mortgage and outgoings. There are three main routes: a gifted deposit, a joint borrower sole proprietor (JBSP) mortgage where the parent is on the loan but not the deeds, and a traditional guarantor or family-backed product. Each has different consequences for stamp duty, for the parent’s own borrowing and for what happens if payments are missed.
JBSP puts the parent on the mortgage but not the deeds, so the buyer keeps first-time buyer stamp duty relief
A gifted deposit needs a signed letter confirming it is not repayable, plus ID and source of funds checks on the giver
The parent’s own mortgage and outgoings count in full, so spare affordability is the first thing I check
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Meet your Advisor
Harry Goodliffe
- FCA Authorised
- Director & Mortgage Advisor
“I‘m not about confusing jargon or passing you from person to person. From our first chat to the day you get the keys, you’ll deal directly with me. I‘ll keep you updated, answer any burning questions, and do everything I can to make the whole process as stress-free as possible.”
Let’s Talk About Your Mortgage
The mortgage process with family help
1
Step 1
First Chat
Tell me who is buying, who is helping, whether the help is a gift, joining the mortgage or both, and roughly what the parent’s own commitments look like.
2
Step 2
Research
I check which lenders accept the structure you want, how they treat the parent’s age and income, and what evidence they will want on any gift.
3
Step 3
Application
Once you have chosen a lender, I handle the application for everyone on it and make sure the independent legal advice for the non-owning borrower is arranged in time.
4
Step 4
Completion
After the offer I stay on it through to completion, and I will work around whatever fits your circumstances, not just office hours.
About
Our approach.
Why choose HTG Mortgages?
Family help is generous, but the structure has to be right first time. Put a parent on the deeds when they did not need to be and the buyer can lose first-time buyer stamp duty relief and trigger the higher rate for additional properties on the parent’s share.
Spare affordability is the whole question.
A parent joining the mortgage is assessed on their own mortgage, loans and living costs as well as their income. If those already use up their capacity, adding a second mortgage will not pass, however good their credit is.
JBSP keeps the parent off the deeds.
With a joint borrower sole proprietor mortgage the parent is jointly liable for the loan but is not an owner. That is what protects the buyer’s stamp duty position and keeps the parent’s own property plans simpler.
Gifted deposits are checked properly.
Lenders and solicitors want a signed gifted deposit letter, the giver’s ID and proof of where the money came from. This is anti-money laundering procedure, not suspicion, and getting the paperwork in early avoids delays.
Age limits shape the term.
Lenders set a maximum age for the oldest borrower at the end of the term, and the limits vary a lot between lenders. A parent in their late fifties can restrict the term with one lender and not another, which changes the monthly payment.
Gifted deposit, JBSP or guarantor: what each one means
A gifted deposit is money given outright, with no expectation of repayment and no stake in the property. The lender wants a signed letter from the giver saying exactly that, together with photo ID, proof of address and bank statements showing where the funds came from. Most lenders limit gifts to close family, and the checks are standard anti-money laundering procedure. A joint borrower sole proprietor (JBSP) mortgage adds the parent to the loan so their income counts towards affordability, but only the child goes on the title deeds. Because the parent is not an owner, the higher stamp duty rates for additional properties are not triggered and the child keeps first-time buyer relief if they qualify. The parent is fully liable for the mortgage, so lenders insist they take independent legal advice before completion. A traditional guarantor mortgage is rarer now; the closest common products are family-backed deals where a relative puts savings or their own home up as security for a set period rather than joining the loan. Whichever route, the parent’s existing mortgage and outgoings are counted in full, which is why spare affordability is the first thing I test.
What lenders look at when a parent helps
Three things drive the outcome: the parent’s spare affordability after their own commitments, the age of the oldest borrower at the end of the term, and the source of any gift. Maximum ages at term end vary widely between lenders, from around 70 with some to 80 or beyond with others, and that limit can shorten the mortgage term and push up the monthly payment. If the buyer has a small deposit, see my no deposit mortgage page for the low deposit routes, and my guide to how much deposit you need. If the plan is for the parent to come off the mortgage later, that is a transfer of equity or a remortgage in the child’s sole name once their income supports it, and I would plan for that from the start. Whether any of these routes suits your family depends on both households’ finances, and working that out is what an advice appointment is for.
Why use HTG’s mortgage services?
Available 24/7, so we are always there to help when you need us
We are an independently owned, whole-of-market mortgage broker offering first-charge mortgages
We provide unrivalled customer service, ensuring that you get the care you deserve
Let’s get your mortgage sorted
Written by Harry Goodliffe
Director & Mortgage Adviser, HTG Mortgages · FCA Authorised (1017945)
CeMAP Qualified · Featured in National Press · South England Prestige Awards 2026/27 winner