Yes, you can get a mortgage in your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Most high street lenders will let a mortgage run to age 75 or 80, several building societies go to 85 or 95, and a small number set no maximum age at all where the mortgage is affordable on pension income. The real question is rarely "am I too old?" but "which lender treats my age and my income the way I need?" - and that varies enormously.
Key takeaway: Age on its own does not stop you getting a mortgage. What changes as you get older is the maximum term a lender will offer, how they assess your income, and whether interest only is available. With the right lender, pension income - including a pension pot you have not started drawing - can support a mortgage, some lenders ignore an older applicant's age altogether if their income is not needed, and some buy to let lenders have no maximum age at all.
[[stats: No max age = with some lenders where affordability is pension-based | 4% = of an undrawn SIPP pot some lenders count as annual income | 50 to 55 = typical minimum age for a retirement interest-only mortgage | 70 to 80 = typical maximum age at term end for interest only | No max age = on buy to let with some lenders | Exclusive rates = via our network of lenders]]
What is the maximum age for a mortgage in the UK?
There is no legal maximum age for a mortgage in the UK. Each lender sets its own limits, and there are two that matter: the maximum age at application, and the maximum age at the end of the mortgage term. The second is the one that usually bites. If a lender's limit is 75 and you are 60, the longest term you can have with that lender is 15 years, whatever term you would prefer.
Limits differ far more than most people expect. The big banks tend to sit at 75 or 80. Several building societies lend to 85, Family Building Society goes to 95, and Suffolk Building Society has removed the upper age limit on its standard mortgages entirely. Here is where a range of lenders currently stand for a standard repayment mortgage.
[[table: Lender | Maximum age at the end of the term (repayment mortgage) ;; Halifax | 80 ;; Nationwide | 75 (term must end before 75th birthday) ;; NatWest | 75, or intended retirement age if sooner ;; Skipton | 75, or 80 if retired and using pension income only ;; Leeds Building Society | 85 ;; Coventry | 75 ;; Accord | Must be repaid by 81st birthday ;; Aldermore | 75, or 80 for the older applicant where affordability is based on the younger applicant's income ;; Bath Building Society | 85 ;; Family Building Society | 95 ;; Suffolk Building Society | No maximum age]]
Criteria correct as at 4 September 2026, taken from each lender's own published intermediary criteria. Lenders change their limits regularly, so treat this as a guide to how widely they vary rather than a promise about any one lender.
The pattern is clear: the further you look beyond the high street, the more room there is. A mortgage broker at Quanstrom Financial works across the whole market, so if your own bank has said no because of your age, that is very often the start of the conversation rather than the end of it.
How does your age affect your mortgage?
The biggest practical effect of age is on the term. If a lender's maximum age at the end of the term is 75 and you are 62, you may only be offered 13 years rather than the 25 years a younger borrower would get. A shorter term means the same loan is repaid over fewer months, so the monthly payment is higher - although, as we explain below, that is not the end of the story.
Example: On a £150,000 repayment mortgage at an illustrative rate of 5%, the monthly payment would be roughly £877 over 25 years, £1,186 over 15 years and £1,387 over 12 years. The rate is purely for illustration and is not a quote, but the point holds at any rate: term length has as much effect on affordability as the interest rate does.
Depending on your age, you may qualify for a shorter term than usual, and that can mean higher monthly repayments. It does not always have to, though. There are several ways to structure a mortgage so the term, and therefore the payment, works for you:
[[accordion: Choose a lender with a higher age limit|If your bank caps the term at 75, a lender that goes to 85 or has no maximum age can offer a term ten years longer or more on exactly the same loan. That alone can bring the monthly payment back down to a comfortable level. ;; Use pension income to extend the term past retirement|Lenders that accept pension income can let the term run past your retirement date, provided the mortgage remains affordable on your retirement income. That opens up longer terms than a lender who insists the mortgage ends when you stop working. ;; Put the term on a younger applicant's age|If you are buying with someone younger and your income is not needed to prove affordability, some lenders will ignore your age when setting the maximum term and work from the younger applicant's age instead. ;; Consider part interest only|Some lenders allow a portion of the mortgage on interest only with a suitable repayment plan, which reduces the monthly payment even on a shorter term. Age limits for interest only are tighter, so this needs the right lender. ;; Look at a retirement interest-only mortgage|A retirement interest-only mortgage has no fixed end date, so there is no term to shorten. You pay the interest each month and the loan is repaid when the home is sold, usually on death or a move into long-term care.]]
Which of these is right for you depends on your income, your plans and what you want to leave behind. A mortgage broker at Quanstrom Financial will run through all of them with you rather than defaulting to the shortest term your bank will allow. You can also use our repayment calculator to see for yourself how the term changes the monthly payment.
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Can you get a mortgage on pension income?
Yes. Pension income is accepted by the vast majority of lenders, and for many older borrowers it is the main income on the application. State pension, workplace and personal pensions in payment, annuities and, with some lenders, drawdown income can all count. Lenders will usually want a recent pension statement or forecast, and where retirement is within the next ten years or so, many will assess the mortgage on the lower of your current earnings and your projected pension income.
Two things are worth knowing that most guides skip over.
A pension pot you have not started drawing can still count
Some lenders will use a SIPP or other defined contribution pension pot as income even if you are not drawing anything from it yet. Skipton, for example, will count up to 4% of a SIPP pot's value as annual pension income for applicants aged 55 or over, with no requirement to be in drawdown. Hodge calculates a notional income as a percentage of the projected fund value on a sliding scale by planned retirement age, and Family Building Society and Suffolk Building Society each have their own formula for turning an undrawn pot into an income figure. This matters because a well-funded pension that you are sensibly leaving invested can otherwise look like zero income to a lender that only counts what is being paid out.
Not every lender takes this approach. Nationwide, to give one example, does not accept flexible pension income or drawdown, and will not use a pot's fund value on its own as evidence of income. Knowing which lenders do and do not is exactly the kind of detail a whole-of-market broker deals with daily.
Some lenders have no maximum age if the mortgage runs on pension income
Where affordability is based entirely on pension income, a small number of lenders set no maximum age at the end of the term at all. Suffolk Building Society is the clearest example, with no upper age limit on its standard mortgages and a maximum term of 40 years even for applicants who are already retired. Skipton will extend its usual limit to 80 for applicants who are retired and using only pension income, on a repayment basis. Pension income has one great advantage in a lender's eyes: unlike a salary, it does not stop at a retirement date.
Good to know: Lenders with the most generous age limits tend to be smaller building societies and specialist lenders that underwrite each case individually rather than running everything through a scorecard. They are rarely the lenders you would find by walking into a branch, which is why so many older borrowers assume they cannot get a mortgage when in fact they can.
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Buying with a younger partner or family member
If you are applying jointly with someone younger, most lenders set the maximum term by the age of the oldest applicant. That can be frustrating if the older applicant's income is not actually needed to prove the mortgage is affordable.
Some lenders take a more sensible view. Where an applicant's income is not being used in the affordability assessment, Skipton's age limits do not apply to that applicant at all, so the term can be set on the younger applicant's age. Aldermore will consider the older applicant up to age 80 where affordability is based on the younger applicant's income. Others, including Leeds Building Society, Bath Building Society and Nationwide, work from the eldest applicant regardless. If this is your situation, the choice of lender makes the difference between a 10 year term and a 25 year term.
This overlaps with joint borrower sole proprietor mortgages, where a parent or grandparent supports a younger buyer's application without going on the deeds. Lender age limits for the supporting borrower on those products are different again, and our guide covers them lender by lender.
Can older borrowers get an interest-only mortgage?
Yes, but the age limits are tighter than for a repayment mortgage. Many lenders set a maximum age of 70 at the end of the term for interest only, or your planned retirement age if that comes first. Some go to 75, and a few go to 80 or beyond. Halifax, NatWest, Nationwide and Leeds Building Society all cap interest only at 70, Accord at the 71st birthday, Skipton at 75, and Bath Building Society at 85.
You will also need an acceptable plan for repaying the capital at the end of the term, such as the sale of the property with enough equity, savings and investments, or in some cases a pension lump sum. Lenders vary on what they will accept and in what proportion. If you have an interest-only mortgage that is coming to an end and no obvious way to repay it, do not wait for the lender's letter: options exist, including the retirement interest-only mortgage described next, but they take time to arrange. Our remortgage guide covers the timing.
What is a retirement interest-only (RIO) mortgage?
A retirement interest-only mortgage is a mortgage for older borrowers with no fixed end date. You pay the interest every month, so the balance never grows, and the loan itself is repaid when a specified life event happens, usually when the last borrower dies or moves into long-term care and the home is sold. Because there is no term, there is no maximum age at the end of it: Family Building Society, Bath Building Society and LiveMore all state no maximum age on their RIO products.
The minimum age is typically 50 or 55, and because you are committing to interest payments for life, the lender has to be satisfied you can afford them for life. For a couple, that means checking the mortgage is still affordable for the survivor on their income alone. Loan sizes are lower than a standard mortgage: Leeds Building Society, for example, lends up to 55% of the property value on its RIO, and Hodge up to 75%.
A RIO suits someone with reliable pension income who wants to keep a mortgage manageable without the balance rolling up, or who is coming to the end of a standard interest-only mortgage and wants to stay in the home. It is a normal mortgage rather than a form of equity release, which is the key difference from what follows.
What about equity release?
Equity release, most commonly a lifetime mortgage, lets homeowners aged 55 and over borrow against the home with no monthly payments required at all. Interest is added to the loan and the whole balance is repaid from the sale of the property, again usually on death or a move into care. Many modern lifetime mortgages allow voluntary payments to keep the balance under control, but the defining feature is that you do not have to pay anything month to month.
The trade-off is that interest compounds, so the amount owed can grow significantly over a long retirement and reduce what is left for your family. That is why equity release is regulated separately, and advising on it requires a specialist equity release qualification. Quanstrom Financial can help you understand whether a standard mortgage or a RIO would meet your needs first, and if equity release looks like the right route we will make sure you speak to a suitably qualified specialist rather than pushing you towards it.
[[table: | Standard mortgage | Retirement interest only | Lifetime mortgage (equity release) ;; Monthly payments | Capital and interest, or interest only with a repayment plan | Interest only, every month, for life | None required (voluntary payments often allowed) ;; End of the mortgage | Fixed term set by your age and the lender's limit | No fixed term - repaid on death or move into care | No fixed term - repaid on death or move into care ;; Does the balance grow? | No | No | Yes, as interest is added ;; Minimum age | 18 | Typically 50 or 55 | Typically 55 ;; Maximum age | Set by the lender, from 70 to no limit | None with most RIO lenders | None ;; How much you can borrow | Based on income, often 4 to 5 times | Based on affordability of the interest, often up to 55 to 75% of the value | Based on age and property value, with lower percentages at younger ages ;; Impact on inheritance | Equity builds as you repay | Equity preserved, less the loan | Equity reduces as interest compounds ;; Advice needed | Mortgage adviser | Mortgage adviser | Equity release qualified adviser]]
None of the three is better than the others in general. A standard mortgage keeps your options open and builds equity but needs a term that fits your age. A RIO removes the term problem but needs lifelong affordability. A lifetime mortgage removes the payments but costs the most over time. The right one depends on your income, your health and life expectancy, what you want to leave to your family and how you feel about the balance growing.
Can you get a buy to let mortgage as an older borrower?
Buy to let is often easier for older borrowers than a residential mortgage, because the rent rather than your personal income is doing most of the work in the lender's affordability calculation. That means age limits are typically more generous, and some lenders have no maximum age at all, either at application or at the end of the term.
Leeds Building Society states there is no maximum age for buy to let, including limited company, HMO and holiday let lending. The Mortgage Works has no maximum age at application for experienced landlords borrowing up to 70% of the property value. Bath Building Society has no maximum age on buy to let, provided affordability is proven into retirement. Others sit at 85 at the end of the term, including Skipton, Coventry, Aldermore and Landbay for individual landlords, with NatWest at 80 and Accord at 75. Most buy to let lenders also want to see a minimum personal income, commonly £20,000 to £25,000, which pension income can satisfy.
For anyone thinking about a rental property as part of their retirement income, our guide to buy to let mortgages covers the rental calculations and the deposit lenders expect. If you already own a rental and your current lender's age limit is approaching, a remortgage to a lender with no maximum age is often straightforward.
Which situation are you in?
[[accordion: I'm in my 50s and want a 25 year term|Most high street lenders will allow this if the term ends by 75 or 80, but they will want to see how the mortgage stays affordable once you retire, usually from a pension forecast. If you would prefer a term into your 80s, a building society with a higher limit is the route. ;; I'm retired and living on my pension|Pension income supports a mortgage with most lenders. The question is the term, and lenders with no maximum age on pension-based affordability, or a RIO, remove that constraint entirely. ;; I'm buying with my younger partner and my income isn't needed|Ask for a lender that disregards your age when your income is not in the affordability assessment. The term can then be set on your partner's age, and the monthly payment falls accordingly. ;; My interest-only mortgage is ending and I can't repay it|Do not wait. A remortgage to a lender with a higher interest-only age limit, a switch to part repayment, or a retirement interest-only mortgage can all keep you in the home, but they need to be arranged before the term ends. ;; I'm over 60 and want a rental property|Buy to let lenders are more relaxed about age because the rent carries affordability. Several have no maximum age at all, and pension income can meet the minimum personal income requirement.]]
Later life lending in Eastbourne and East Sussex
This is home ground for Quanstrom Financial. Eastbourne, Bexhill-on-Sea, Seaford, Polegate and the surrounding towns have some of the oldest populations in England, with more than a third of Bexhill residents aged 65 or over and a similar picture along the coast. Downsizing to be nearer family, buying a bungalow with a mortgage rather than tying up all your capital, helping a child buy, or keeping a rental property into retirement are everyday conversations in our Eastbourne office, and we know which lenders say yes. See our Eastbourne and Bexhill-on-Sea pages for how we work locally, or speak to us by phone or video call wherever you are in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum age for a mortgage in the UK?
There is no legal maximum. Most high street lenders require the mortgage to end by age 75 or 80, several building societies allow 85 or 95, and a small number set no maximum age at all where the mortgage is affordable on pension income. Retirement interest-only mortgages and lifetime mortgages have no fixed end date, so there is no upper age limit on those.
Can I get a mortgage at 60?
Yes. At 60 you could have a term of 15 to 20 years with a high street lender, and 25 years or longer with a lender whose age limit is 85 or higher or who has no maximum age. The lender will want to see that the mortgage remains affordable after you retire, typically from a pension forecast or pension already in payment.
Can I get a mortgage at 70?
Yes, though the choice of lender narrows. Lenders with a limit of 85, 95 or no maximum age will consider a repayment mortgage at 70 on pension income, and a retirement interest-only mortgage is available from most specialist later life lenders with no maximum age. Buy to let at 70 is often more straightforward still, as several lenders have no maximum age on buy to let.
Can pensioners get a mortgage?
Yes. Pension income in payment, including the state pension, workplace pensions, personal pensions and annuities, is accepted by the vast majority of lenders as income for a mortgage. Some lenders will also count a pension pot you have not started drawing, using a percentage of its value as notional annual income.
Can I use my SIPP to get a mortgage?
With some lenders, yes, even if you are not drawing from it. Skipton counts up to 4% of a SIPP pot's value as annual income for applicants aged 55 and over, and lenders including Hodge, Family Building Society and Suffolk Building Society have their own formulas for treating an undrawn pension pot as income. Other lenders only count pension income that is actually being paid, so the choice of lender is important.
Does my age affect how long my mortgage can be?
Yes. The lender's maximum age at the end of the term, minus your current age, sets the longest term available with that lender. A shorter term means higher monthly payments on the same loan, but choosing a lender with a higher age limit, using pension income to run the term past retirement, setting the term on a younger joint applicant's age, or using part interest only can all bring the payment back down.
Can I get an interest-only mortgage at 65?
Possibly, but the term would be short with most lenders, as many cap interest only at age 70 at the end of the term. Some lenders go to 75 and a few to 80 or beyond, and a retirement interest-only mortgage has no end date at all. You will also need an acceptable plan for repaying the capital, such as sale of the property or savings.
What is the difference between a retirement interest-only mortgage and equity release?
With a retirement interest-only mortgage you pay the interest every month, so the balance never grows, and the loan is repaid when the home is sold on death or a move into care. With equity release, usually a lifetime mortgage, no monthly payments are required and the interest is added to the loan, so the balance grows over time. A RIO needs proof you can afford the interest for life; a lifetime mortgage does not, but costs more over time and reduces what is left to inherit.
Is there a maximum age for a buy to let mortgage?
Not with every lender. Leeds Building Society states no maximum age for buy to let, The Mortgage Works has no maximum age at application for experienced landlords up to 70% loan to value, and Bath Building Society has no maximum age provided affordability is proven into retirement. Many others allow the term to run to 85. Buy to let age limits are generally more generous than residential because the rent carries the affordability.
Whose age counts on a joint mortgage?
Most lenders set the maximum term on the age of the oldest applicant. However, where the older applicant's income is not needed for affordability, some lenders, including Skipton and Aldermore, will disregard their age or allow it to go higher and set the term on the younger applicant instead. Whether that is available depends entirely on the lender.
Written by Toby Quanstrom CeMAP, Director at Quanstrom Financial, a whole-of-market mortgage broker based in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Lender criteria change regularly and eligibility depends on your individual circumstances. Equity release and lifetime mortgages require advice from a suitably qualified equity release adviser.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
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