Our Community Living Mortgage is designed to help individuals buy a home within a co‑housing community — perfect for creating shared futures and being part of something bigger.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Why choose a Community Living Mortgage?
5.34%Interest Rate
5.5% APRCOverall cost for comparison
£0Application fee
90%Maximum loan-to-value
Created for co‑housing communities. Designed to help individuals buy a home in developments built around shared spaces, social connection and mutual support.
Flexible borrowing options. Borrow up to 90% on a repayment basis or up to 75% interest‑only (or part repayment and part interest‑only).
Open to non‑standard construction. We consider a range of build types, including those many lenders may not accept.
Available for purchases or re‑mortgages, depending on scheme requirements and subject to eligibility.
Borrow up to £750,000 to purchase your home within a co‑housing community. Subject to eligibility and full assessment.
This is an illustration of a typical mortgage and its total cost. It looks at a mortgage of £225,000, paid over 30 years on a discounted variable rate of 5.34%. This mortgage would need one monthly payment of £2,045.88 and 359 monthly payments of £1,255.03 to pay off. The total amount paid would be £452,601.65. This includes the loan amount (£225,000), interest (£227,271.65), and a valuation fee (£330). This illustration assumes the cost of the property is £350,000.
The overall cost for comparison is 5.5% APRC representative.
APRC (Overall Percentage Rate of Change) shows you, as a percentage, the annual cost of a secured loan or mortgage. It brings together all charges (such as fees and other costs), calculated as if you kept your secured loan or mortgage for the full term without changing it.
Eligibility
We’ll lend based on a full affordability assessment and at a maximum Loan to Value of 90% (repayment basis) and 75% (interest only).
Applicants must be aged 18 years or over. The mortgage is only available to UK residents.
A maximum mortgage term of 35 years is available (subject to eligibility).
Mortgages are available on a repayment, interest only or part (repayment) and part (interest only) subject to eligibility.
The property must have a minimum EPC rating of C or higher. If the property is a new build in development, please provide a copy of the predicted energy assessment.
If the property was built in the last 10 years, the property must have an acceptable build warranty (subject to eligibility).
The mortgage is available for non-standard construction types (for example, timber frame or clad) providing the property complies with the Society’s requirements.
This product is available to all property located in the UK.
Available for leasehold tenures (subject to criteria)
The property must have an acceptable co-housing lease (subject to criteria)
This product is not eligible for C-Change Discounts.
Builder Gifted Deposits and Incentives are not accepted.
This product is not eligible where the property is a discounted market sale home (DMSH).
Fees and charges
An early repayment charge is not applicable to this mortgage, and you are free to overpay or repay the mortgage in full at any point during the mortgage.
A minimum interest rate of 3% applies to the product. This means the interest rate for this product will never fall below 3%.
Work out how much you could borrow and compare monthly payments.
Mortgage Calculator – Summary
Your details
Amount you’d like to borrow
Term
Monthly income
Monthly living costs
Energy efficiency
Current rating
Target rating
Expected rating
Your results
Initial monthly repayments
Monthly repayments with C-Change discount*
Maximum you could borrow
* Calculated on the assumption that an average project is completed after 12 months.
NB: All figures provided are for illustrative purposes only. This is not a formal quotation or a commitment to lend.
Community Living Mortgage FAQs
At Ecology, we’ve funded the development of many community housing projects. So providing residential mortgages on these exciting developments was a natural next step.
Our Community Living Mortgage is designed to provide lending to individuals wishing to purchase a property that’s part of a co-housing model. We know the benefits these developments bring to people and to their local area, so please get in touch to find out how we can help you.
Co-housing is a form of community-led housing where residents live in private homes but share common facilities, such as kitchens, gardens, or meeting rooms. Co-housing communities are typically designed and managed by residents to encourage social interaction and mutual support.
To speak to our friendly mortgage advisors, you’ll need to provide your financial details to obtain a decision in principle. When you’re ready to fully apply, you’ll need to have a specific property in mind. When you’re ready to apply for the mortgage, we’ll ask you for:
Income & expenditure documents
A copy of the energy performance certificate for the property
A copy of the build warranty or building certificate
A copy of your co-housing lease agreement
The property must have a minimum EPC rating of C or higher to be eligible for this product. If the property is a new build and not yet fully completed, please provide a copy of the predicted energy assessment.
An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating is a measurement of the energy efficiency of a building. It is typically required when selling or renting a property in many countries, including the UK. The rating is based on factors such as insulation, heating systems, and the overall energy use of the property.
The rating scale typically ranges from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient), with A being the best and G being the worst. A higher EPC rating indicates that the property is more energy-efficient, which can mean lower energy bills and a smaller environmental impact.
If the property was built in the last 10 years, the property must have an acceptable build warranty or a Professional Consultant’s Certificate, for any property constructed more than 10 years ago, this is not required.
You will need a minimum deposit for a purchase of 10% or for a re-mortgage a minimum of 10% of equity remaining in the property.
For a purchase you can borrow up to 90% of the purchase price or valuation (whichever is lower), for a re-mortgage we can cover any secured lending on the property or any works to be spent on improving the property.
The mortgage has no early repayment charge so has flexibility to make overpayment off the mortgage at any point.
Yes. Please bear in mind that we don’t offer mortgages for second homes, holiday homes or homes classed as mobile planning.
The mortgage is available for non-standard construction types (e.g. timber frame and clad) providing it complies with our ecological requirements, buildings insurance can be obtained, and the valuer confirms the condition and marketability of the property are satisfactory.
