Metro Bank contractor mortgages
Metro Bank is known for underwriting cases individually — a real person reads the file rather than a credit score deciding it. That flexibility is why it earns a place on complex contractor and mixed-income cases.
Can a contractor get a Metro Bank mortgage?
Yes, and Metro Bank is often worth a look precisely when a case is not straightforward. It underwrites manually, so an assessor can weigh the whole picture — multiple income sources, a recent switch to contracting, a directorship with retained profit — rather than rejecting on an automated rule.
That human approach is the point of difference. Where a score-driven lender says no to anything unusual, a manually underwritten lender can say yes when the underlying case is sound.
Where Metro Bank fits
It suits contractors and directors whose income does not fit a single box: salary plus dividends, a mix of contract and employed work, or foreign income alongside UK earnings. Because a person reads the file, context that an algorithm would miss can be taken into account.
A director on salary and dividends
Dividends: £70,000
Assessed income basis: ≈ £82,570
An illustration; the assessed basis is settled once the case reaches an underwriter.
Does manual underwriting cost more?
Not by rule. Metro Bank competes on the high street, and where your case fits its criteria you are not penalised for being underwritten by hand. The trade-off is usually time and paperwork, not price — and on a complex case that is time well spent.
Metro Bank or a mainstream automated lender?
If your income is clean and simple, a fully automated lender like Halifax may be quicker and just as competitive. Metro Bank comes into its own when the case needs a human to see the whole story. We test both routes before recommending one.
A note on criteria
Metro Bank sets out intermediary criteria, but how it treats a specific mix of income is decided case by case — which is exactly why a summary figure would mislead. We put the actual case to it rather than quoting a rule that may not apply to you.
Smart Mortgage Solutions is an independent, whole-of-market broker. We have no affiliation with Metro Bank and are not endorsed by it; the lender is named here only to describe lending we can arrange. Anything we say about its approach is subject to change and is confirmed at the point of application.
Lenders we work with — a selection
Lender guides: Halifax · Barclays · HSBC · NatWest · Nationwide · Accord · Clydesdale · Yorkshire BS · Kensington See how we place cases →
Metro Bank contractor mortgages, answered
Is Metro Bank good for complex or mixed income?+
Yes — manual underwriting is its strength. Where income comes from more than one source, or a case has an unusual feature, a human assessor can weigh it rather than an automated rule rejecting it outright.
Does Metro Bank lend to limited-company directors?+
It can consider director income including salary and dividends, and in some cases retained profit. The basis used is confirmed at application once an underwriter has seen the accounts.
Is a manually underwritten mortgage more expensive?+
Not as a rule. Metro Bank prices on the high street, and manual underwriting affects how the case is assessed, not a surcharge on the rate. The trade-off is usually more documentation.
Will Metro Bank consider a recent move to contracting?+
It can, because a person reads the file and can weigh your prior employment in the same field. Whether it fits is settled when the case is submitted.
Should I approach Metro Bank myself?+
On a complex case, a broker helps — the value of manual underwriting is only realised if the file is presented clearly. We assemble the income evidence the way an underwriter needs to see it.