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Mortgage Deposit Gift Letter

Mortgage deposit gift letter example

If you are receiving part of your mortgage deposit as a gift, the donor may be asked by the lender to provide a letter confirming that the funds are a gift (not a loan). A gift letter needs to be from the donor, addressed to the lender, and must include specific information. An example of a suitable mortgage deposit gift letter is below.

gift_letter_editable

Complex mortgage deposit situations

  • Deposit is a loan, not a gift
  • My Partner is providing the deposit but won’t be on the mortgage
  • My Landlord is providing my deposit
  • I am buying from a Parent who is providing the deposit
  • My friend is gifting my deposit

The circumstances above are examples of situation where a standard gift letter may not be enough to satisfy the mortgage lender. In these cases speak to an experienced mortgage broker.

Mortgage Deposit Gift Letter Notes

Addressing

The gift letter must show donor’s full name(s) and address (both donors if a couple) and should be addressed to the lender but forwarded to your mortgage broker (do not send direct to the lender). Include purchaser’s full names and current address in the letter.

Content

You must include gift size, the property address, and the donor’s relationship to the purchasers. If any sums have already been supplied to third parties by the donor(s), this should be noted as in our example. Our sample content as shown is sufficient for the majority of mortgage lenders.

Date

Please date your letter

Gifts from more than one source

Each donor should produce their own gift letter (unless they are a couple when a joint letter is sufficient).

Identification

Lenders do not usually ask for identification details for the donor(s) (and example of where they may is when the donor lives overseas).

Original copies

Please post an original signed copy of the gift letter to your mortgage broker, fax or email a copy initially to reduce delays.

Permission to hold detail

Where a donor’s identification is requested, the lender will ask for permission to keep that identification on file and permission should be given in the content of the gift letter.

Proving funds

Proof of donor’s funds can often be requested. Your broker will inform you if proof of donor’s funds will be requested.

Donor resident in the property

The Lender will not normally expect a donor to reside in the purchase property and the donor should indicate in their letter that they do not intend to do so. If the intention is that your donor will reside in the property, you should speak to your mortgage broker in the first instance.

Signature

All Donors must sign the Gift Letter.

Potential complications with mortgage gifted deposits that you should be aware of

1. Suitable donors

Lenders consider the following as suitable donors for your gift.

  • Parents (including step-parents)
  • Grandparents
  • Brothers and Sisters

The gifts from following are considered by a limited number of Lenders.

  • Uncles and Aunts
  • Cousins
  • Family friends
  • Personal Friends
  • Landlords

Please call us now on 020 8979 9684 if you are buying using a gifted deposit.

2. Inheritance tax

Should your donor die within seven years of gifting your funds there may be an inheritance tax bill payable by you on the value of the gifted deposit. Since inheritance tax is currently payable at 40% this could be a considerable problem.

Whether any tax is due will depend on a number of factors, the most important of which will be the value of the deceased’s estate. The current nil rate band is £325,000 which means that any individual’s estate which values in excess of £325,000 could be liable to 40% tax on the remainder including any gifts in the seven years before death (subect to various rules and allowances).

A simple way to protect yourself against this is for the donor’s life to be insured for the value of the potential IHT bill for a minimum seven year period. Ask your mortgage broker for more information about this.

3. Bankruptcy of your donor

If your donor were to be made bankrupt after your gift has been made, the Insolvancy Act 1986 allows for the trustees of the bankruptcy to ‘set aside’ the gift (in other words they could seek to reclaim the funds). Although the Act does not refer to gifts as such, the trustees could consider that the bankrupt was attempting to protect assets from the estate. Although this is an extremely unlikely problem to have, some lenders consider it and as a result sometimes request additional paperwork to be completed by the legal team.

Lender’s gifted deposit policy

Abbey Santander

Abbey look for a letter signed by the person(s) making the gift confirming the amount and the terms of the gift. They do not accept gifted deposits where:

  • the gift is provided by the vendor
  • the gift is protected by a deed of trust
  • the Donor will be living in the property and is not named on the mortgage
  • there is no beneficial interest in the property

Accord Mortgages

Accord Mortgages accept family gifted deposits in conjunction with a standard gift letter.

Aldermore Bank

Aldermore accept family gifted deposits in conjunction with our standard gift letter.

Barclays Woolwich

Barclays accept gifted deposits and our standard gifted deposit letter should meet their requirements.

Coventry Building Society

Coventry BS accept gifted deposits and our standard gifted deposit letter should meet their requirements.

Halifax

Gifts from family are acceptable but Halifax require a letter prior to completion from the family member provided the gift. This should be addressed Halifax confirming their relationship to the applicant and should include the amount of the gift the fact it is non-repayable and that the person giving the gift has no interest in the property.

HSBC Bank

HSBC allow gifted deposit but only from family members. HSBC consider family members to be:

Partners, Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, in Laws or Step relations, so quite a comprehensive list.

In every case HSBC will require a gifted deposit letter stating the gift is non-refundable and there is no interest claimed on the property. If a gift donor wants to protect their beneficial interest using a Declaration of Trust, that is generally acceptable to HSBC if set up correctly.

If you are an HSBC existing mortgage customer looking for a new mortgage rate please view our product transfer pages.

Kensington Mortgages

Kensington accept family gifted deposits and we regularly use our standard gift letter with them.
Expect Kensington to ask for proof of deposit and permission to keep ID for the donors on file.

Leeds Building Society

Leeds do not require a gift letter but use their own pro forma.
Download a copy of the Leeds Building Society gifted deposit pro forma here

Nat West

NatWest are comfortable with family gifted deposits and our standard gift letter from the donor should be sufficient.

Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide do not require a gift letter but use their own pro forma.
Download a copy of the Nationwide Building Society gifted deposit pro forma here

Skipton Building Society

Skipton are comfortable with family gifted deposit with a Gift Letter

Virgin Money

Virgin look for a gifted deposit letter confirming the money is a gift and the person does not expect to be repaid either whilst the borrower owns the property or upon its sale.
Our standard gift letter should meet their requirements