Mortgages for Doctors: Which Lenders Lend Up to 6x Income?

Most lenders cap residential borrowing at around 4 to 4.5 times income. Doctors can often borrow more. A number of lenders run professional mortgage ranges that offer higher income multiples to medical doctors and other regulated professions, on the basis that their earnings are secure and tend to rise over their career.

This guide to mortgages for doctors explains which lenders offer them, who qualifies, and how the different ways doctors are paid are treated. Criteria change often, so treat the lender details as a snapshot checked in November 2026 rather than a promise. We confirm the current position before recommending anything.

How much can a doctor borrow?

On a professional mortgage, the headline multiple is usually 5 to 6 times income, sometimes with a minimum income or a cap on the loan-to-value (LTV) at the higher multiples. The multiple is a ceiling, not an entitlement: every lender still runs a full affordability assessment, looking at your outgoings, credit commitments, student loan deductions and childcare costs.

As a rough illustration, a consultant earning £120,000 who would typically be offered about £540,000 at 4.5 times income could be offered up to £720,000 at 6 times income, if affordability supports it. The difference often decides whether a family home in Surrey or south London is within reach. Our how much can I borrow calculator gives a quick starting point.

Lenders with professional mortgages for doctors

These are examples from the lenders' own published criteria. They are not the only options, and the best fit depends on your income, deposit and the property.

Metro Bank

Metro Bank's professional mortgage range is open to medical doctors and dentists, among other professions. Applicants must be fully qualified, registered with the relevant UK professional body and practising, and must have qualified within the last ten years. It offers up to 6 times income, subject to affordability, and every case is manually underwritten. Only one of two applicants needs to meet the professional criteria.

Hodge

Hodge's Professional Mortgage includes medical doctors and dentists, with income multiples up to 6 times. It lends up to 90% LTV on repayment (loans up to £850,000 at that level) and up to 75% LTV on interest-only. There is no minimum or maximum time since qualifying, and newly qualified medics can apply with an offer letter confirming their start date and salary.

Scottish Building Society

Despite its name, Scottish Building Society extended its lending to England and Wales in September 2026, and its professional mortgage is one of the products it brought south. It is open to medical doctors and dentists registered with their governing body. Its published criteria show 5 times sole or joint income, up to 95% LTV for loans up to £500,000, with lower LTVs for larger loans up to £1.25 million.

High-street lenders also have enhanced income multiples for higher earners, which can suit established consultants and GP partners. Which one is best depends on the whole picture, not just the multiple.

How lenders treat the way doctors are paid

Salaried NHS doctors

Basic NHS salary is straightforward. The questions usually arise over the extras. Lenders vary on how much of your on-call supplements, additional programmed activities, overtime and bank shifts they will count, and over what period they want to see it. We cover this in more detail in getting a mortgage with NHS bank shifts and overtime.

Consultants with private practice

Private practice income is usually treated as self-employed income alongside your NHS salary. If you see private patients through a limited company, lenders will look at your salary and dividends, or in some cases your share of the company's net profit, which can be considerably more. How many years of accounts a lender needs varies.

GP partners

GP partners are self-employed, and lenders assess your share of the partnership profit from your tax calculations (SA302s) and tax year overviews, or partnership accounts. Salaried GPs are assessed as employees. See SA302s and tax year overviews for a mortgage for what to prepare.

Locum doctors

Locum work may be paid through a limited company, as a sole trader, or through an agency or umbrella company. Some lenders assess regular locum income on a day-rate basis, much like a contractor, while others want accounts. Getting the lender choice right is what makes the difference here. Our page on contractor mortgages explains the day-rate approach.

What you will need

• Proof of registration, such as your GMC number

• Recent payslips and your latest P60, or tax calculations and tax year overviews if you are self-employed

• Your employment contract or offer letter, especially if you have just started a new post

• Three months of bank statements

• Proof of deposit and, if any of it is a gift, a gifted deposit letter

Appointments around your shifts

We work with a large number of doctors and dentists, so we are used to rotas, rotations and private income. If your shifts make weekday appointments difficult, we can arrange evening and early-morning appointments, in person at our Croydon office or by video.

Our mortgage advice is fee-free and we are whole of market. To talk through what you could borrow, book a free consultation. It is also worth thinking about income protection: sick pay for doctors is generous at first but reduces over time, and a larger mortgage means a larger commitment to protect.

Sources: Metro Bank professional mortgage range; Hodge Professional Mortgage; Scottish Building Society professional mortgages (lender criteria pages, checked November 2026).

Lender criteria quoted were checked in November 2026 and can change at any time. All lending is subject to the lender's affordability assessment, credit checks and property valuation.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.