Prisoners to their mortgage

September 7, 2015

Many interest only mortgages are fast reaching the end of their term, those mortgage holders who have not made plans as to how the original sum borrowed will be paid off could face repossession at the worst, nearly a million people are in such a situation because they have interest-only mortgages they just cannot pay off, some retirees are being forced to sell-up and move to a smaller home to pay down their debt.

According to the The Citizens Advice Bureau, 934,000 interest only mortgage holders do not have a plan in place to repay in full the mortgage, in fact 432,727 say they haven’t even thought about it. The Financial Conduct Authority has calculated that 300,000 homeowners will struggle to pay back interest-only mortgages over the next five years and around 600,000 interest-only mortgages will reach the end of their term by 2020 and half of those could become mortgage prisoners.

The charity CAB says that in the UK there are 3.3 million mortgage holders who have interest-only products, of these, the survey shows that around 1.7 million have no linked repayment vehicle such as an endowment or ISA.

Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy reportedly said, “People buy a home for stability – but interest-only mortgages have forced many into a financial black hole.
“It is good rules around these mortgages have changed, but there are many people who previously took out these products and face losing their home.”

Interest-only mortgage holders don’t have the same protections when their term ends as other mortgage holders do when they fall into arrears, in 2013 the FCA asked banks to contact all borrowers with interest-only mortgages ending before 2020 about how they plan to repay, only around 30% of borrowers responded

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

Section 21 reform divides landlords and tenants

Five months after Section 21 was abolished, landlords and tenants remain sharply divided over whether the reform was necessary, but both sides agree that good relationships and clear communication have the greatest influence on how secure a renter feels, according to new research from LRG. The Autumn 2026 Lettings Report, based on responses from 405…
Read More →
to let sign 2025
Breaking News

70% of landlords anticipate rent rise due to Autumn Budget

As landlord exodus threatens rental supply The latest research from LegalforLandlords has found that 70% of UK landlords are considering increasing rents following the Government’s latest property income tax changes, while almost half are considering selling properties or reducing their portfolios, raising concerns about the future availability and affordability of privately rented homes. LegalforLandlords commissioned…
Read More →
Estate Agents should not all look the same
Estate Agent Talk

Estate agent earnings fails to keep pace with inflation

Estate agency earnings have failed to keep pace with inflation over the last decade, despite more positive growth in recent years, according to the latest industry analysis from eXp UK, highlighting why more agents may be looking towards the self-employed model to maximise their earning potential. eXp UK analysed Office for National Statistics (ONS) data…
Read More →
Breaking News

Southern landlords face up to £22,000 tax hit

Landlords in the South East could pay more than £22,000 extra tax over 25 years, with those in the South West facing more than £19,000 Property income tax hike squeezes a generation that has turned to bricks and mortar to fund retirement Retirees across the South of England who rely on property to supplement their…
Read More →
Breaking News

Corporate landlords cautiously optimistic after first six months of RRA

Impact of Renters’ Rights Act not as bad as feared for professional investors More than four in five (82%) corporate landlords looking to expand Analysis of data from LRG’s Living Markets division reveals that after six months in force, the Renters’ Rights Act is yet to have any significant negative impact on the corporate landlords…
Read More →
Breaking News

Property market has failed to meet expectations

Two-thirds of developers say property market has failed to meet expectations as Autumn Budget fails to boost confidence Jonathan Samuels, CEO of specialist lender, Octane Capital, believes that the Autumn Budget has done little to restore confidence across the UK development sector, with the firm’s latest industry insight revealing that 67% of developers feel property…
Read More →