Nottingham Building Society has announced a series of significant criteria enhancements designed to improve affordability and widen access to homeownership for borrowers with complex or non-standard income profiles.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that around 1.6 million people - just over 5% of UK employees - were working in temporary roles in early 2025, up almost 10% year-on-year. A 2025 report from People Management also found around one third of permanent employees were considering switching to temporary or contract work, particularly in professional and knowledge worker roles, reinforcing that demand and supply for non permanent arrangements are both strengthening.
Among the changes, the Nottingham has removed minimum time remaining requirements for applicants on fixed-term contracts, now considering temporary contracts, short-term renewable contracts, and rolling contracts.
The specialist lender will take into account future income when assessing affordability, including pending pay rises and confirmed future employment, allowing borrowers to secure a mortgage before starting a new role. The latter is an extension of the Society’s foreign nationals proposition.
Additional changes also include increased flexibility around secondary employment, acceptance of certain variable income types previously excluded, and a more pragmatic approach to customer profiles that do not fit traditional affordability models.
The last notable sourcing change has been to capital-raising options, for which up to 80% LTV will be accepted including: gifts to family members, lease extensions, medical expenses, purchased commercial property, and buy-to-let purchases where a property has not yet been identified.
These latest updates follow the Society’s buy-to-let product changes announced earlier in December, which were introduced in response to the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget and the increased tax burden facing landlords.
Matt Kingston, sales director at Nottingham Building Society, said: “Too many lending models are still built around a version of work and income that simply doesn’t reflect how people live today. Careers evolve, contracts change, pay rises are agreed in advance and borrowers shouldn’t be forced to put major life decisions on hold because systems haven’t caught up.
“These changes are about backing real people with real incomes. By widening our criteria and taking a more practical view of affordability, we’re helping brokers support customers who are doing the right thing but don’t fit a narrow definition of ‘standard’.
“This is just our latest step in ensuring our lending remains relevant, flexible and supportive - whether that’s for homeowners navigating complex incomes or landlords facing increasing pressure on returns.”
