No guaranteed hours? You can still buy.
Zero-hours and agency work is the toughest category for the high street — but a minority of lenders will average your income over time to build a figure they’ll lend against.
The highest-friction category — and the way through
Without guaranteed hours, most lenders struggle to see a dependable income. The solution is a smaller group of lenders who average your earnings over an extended period — often 12 months or more — to establish a reliable figure, rather than insisting on contracted hours.
Consistency is what wins here. A steady record with the same agency or in the same sector demonstrates that your income, while variable, is dependable in practice. The clearer that pattern, the more of your income a lender will count.
What helps your case
- 12+ months of consistent work in the same field.
- Clean bank conduct showing regular income credits.
- A larger deposit, which widens the lender pool and improves rates.
- A clean credit record to offset the income variability.
Estimate your borrowing
Enter your average annual income — the steady figure once the ups and downs are smoothed out.
Building the evidence that changes the answer
Zero-hours and agency income is not weak — it is irregular on paper, which a rigid process reads as the same thing. The work of getting a mortgage here is largely the work of demonstrating that the irregularity is a pattern rather than an uncertainty.
What does that in practice: a run of payslips or bank statements long enough to show a consistent average; continuity with one agency or sector rather than scattered short engagements; and a clear account of why the hours look as they do. A quiet month explained is very different from a quiet month left unexplained. The document checklist sets out what to gather.
How lenders average the income
The common approach is to take earnings over a recent period and work from the average, sometimes discounting the figure to build in caution. How long a period, and how heavy a discount, varies enormously between lenders — which is precisely why the same applicant gets very different answers.
A related point worth knowing: some lenders will consider a contract or shift pattern going forward rather than only looking backwards, which is closer to how contract-based underwriting treats a day-rate contractor. Where that route is open it usually produces a better figure than a cautious historical average.
What strengthens your position
Three things carry disproportionate weight. Length of relationship with an agency or employer, because it converts irregular hours into a demonstrable arrangement. Sector continuity — the same work through different agencies reads far better than unrelated jobs. And a clean recent bank history, since with variable income the statements do more work than usual.
Deposit helps too, but less than people assume. A larger deposit improves your loan-to-value band and therefore your rate; it does not fix an income assessment that has read your earnings too cautiously. That fix comes from lender choice.
Lenders open to variable income — a selection
Lender guides: Halifax · Barclays · HSBC · NatWest · Nationwide · Accord · Clydesdale · Yorkshire BS · Kensington See how we place cases →
Zero-hours mortgages, answered
Can you get a mortgage on a zero-hours contract?+
Yes, though it’s the hardest contractor category. A minority of lenders assess zero-hours and agency workers by averaging income over an extended period — often 12 months or more — to establish a dependable figure to lend against.
How much history do I need?+
Usually at least 12 months in the same line of work, sometimes longer, to show consistent income. A stable pattern with the same agency or sector strengthens the case considerably.
How is my income worked out?+
Lenders average your earnings over the assessment period — for example, the last 12 months of payslips or bank credits — rather than relying on guaranteed hours. The more consistent your income, the more of it counts.
Will I be offered worse rates?+
Not automatically. Once a lender accepts the income basis, you’re assessed like any other applicant. A larger deposit and clean credit widen your options and can secure mainstream rates.
How long do I need to have been on a zero-hours contract?+
It varies substantially by lender. Some want a year or more of history; others will consider less where the pattern is consistent and the sector experience is longer than the current arrangement. Because the range is so wide, applying blind is particularly risky here — a decline leaves a footprint and the next lender may have said yes.
Will agency work through multiple agencies count against me?+
Not necessarily, provided the work itself is continuous and in the same field. What lenders are wary of is gaps and unrelated changes of direction, not the number of agencies. Presenting it as one continuous career rather than a series of separate jobs is part of what packaging the case properly means.
Can I include overtime and shift premiums?+
Often, though lenders differ in how much they count — some take a proportion rather than the full amount, and most want to see it evidenced consistently rather than as a one-off. Where a large share of your income comes from premiums, the lender's treatment of them can change your borrowing figure considerably.