A gifted-deposit letter records who is giving you money towards your home purchase and whether any repayment or property interest is expected. Ask your lender or conveyancer whether you must use their own form before completing a general template. The letter must describe the real arrangement; it does not replace identity checks, evidence of the money’s source or the lender’s mortgage assessment.
Written by Count Ready · Updated 7 September 2026 · For UK buyers and people giving an outright deposit gift.
Download the mortgage gift-letter example
The editable Word file is a starting point for a straightforward gift from one donor to one recipient, with no expectation of repayment or ownership rights for the donor. Check whether it is suitable for your case before completing it.
Download the gift-letter example (Word)
Free existing DOCX example; no email address required. The file is one page before you add your details. It is not a lender-approved form or a legal deed.
Before using the download: follow the lender’s current form and signing instructions. The file’s signature placeholder mentions a physical copy; this does not mean an electronic submission can be left unsigned. Ask what signature method is accepted. Add any required source-of-funds details, donor contact information and other declarations using wording agreed with the lender or conveyancer.
If repayment, a share in the home or a right to live there is part of the arrangement, do not sign the example’s unconditional statements. Read our gifted-deposit guide and explain the arrangement to your adviser first. Specific family-support arrangements need their own assessment.
What should a gifted-deposit letter include?
The lender or conveyancer sets the exact requirements. Prepare the following details so you can complete the correct document accurately:
- Donor: full name, address and contact details as requested.
- Recipient: the intended recipient’s full name and relationship to the donor. Identify the mortgage applicants separately if requested.
- Gift: the amount and whether it has already been transferred or is still to be provided.
- Purchase: the property address and lender or application reference where required.
- Origin: an accurate description of where the money came from, supported by the evidence requested separately.
- Terms: whether repayment is expected, any conditions and whether the donor will retain rights or an interest in the property.
- Execution: the required signature or signatures and date, following the recipient firm’s instructions.
For example, if a parent is giving money to their daughter, who is buying with her partner, the letter should not casually name both buyers as recipients unless that reflects the intended gift. Ask the conveyancer how the gift and ownership arrangements should be recorded. A standard gift letter does not settle the buyers’ ownership shares.
What should the donor check before signing?
The donor should read each declaration and understand its effect. In the Word example, they confirm that the contribution is voluntary, is not a loan, requires no repayment and gives them no financial interest or ownership rights in the purchased property.
Those statements must be true. A private understanding to repay the money later, including when the property is sold, must be disclosed. Do not remove or soften a lender’s declaration to conceal a different arrangement.
Some forms ask additional questions about the donor’s finances, the source of the gift or whether they will occupy the property. Do not assume a statement applies just because it appears in a template. Ask for clarification before signing anything you do not understand.
Independent legal advice may be appropriate if there are conditions, family disagreements or concerns about giving the money away. Count Ready can explain the mortgage requirements; a solicitor advises on legal rights.
How do you complete and send the letter?
- Ask for the right form. Confirm the current requirements with your adviser, lender or conveyancer before spending time on a general example.
- Check every detail. Replace the placeholders and make sure names, the gift amount and property details agree with the application. Explain anything not yet known rather than guessing.
- Confirm how to sign. Check who must sign, whether an electronic signature is acceptable and whether any witnessing or certification is required.
- Prepare the separate evidence. The donor may need identity documents, statements and records explaining the money’s origin. Use the case-specific checklist supplied.
- Send it through the agreed channel. Keep a copy, confirm receipt and ask whether anything remains outstanding. Do not send bank statements or identity documents through a general website enquiry form.
The lender and conveyancer may each need the letter or supporting evidence. Ask who will pass information on; sending it to one professional does not necessarily complete the other’s checks.
Agree the timing of any money transfer with your conveyancer. A signed letter is not an instruction to transfer funds, and an accepted letter is not a mortgage offer. Legal purchase stages differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so follow the solicitor handling your purchase.
Why might a letter need correcting?
- A placeholder remains, a signature is missing or the date is unclear.
- The gift amount or intended recipient differs from the application.
- There is more than one donor but only one contribution is explained.
- The lender requires its own form or additional declarations.
- The money’s origin or a condition attached to it has not been disclosed.
A request for a correction does not by itself mean your mortgage is declined. Ask what needs changing and provide an accurate revision. If the donor, amount or arrangement changes, tell your adviser and conveyancer before proceeding; the application may need to be reassessed.
Need help preparing a mortgage with a gifted deposit?
Tell Count Ready the approximate gift amount, who is providing it and where you are in the buying process. We can discuss relevant lender requirements and explain the mortgage application steps. You do not need to upload documents to make an initial enquiry.
Discuss my gifted-deposit application
Prefer to call? Speak to us on 01245 934515. Advice is available by phone and online. Let us know if you have owned a home before so the discussion reflects your circumstances.
The initial consultation is free. Fees for further work vary by case and are agreed before chargeable work begins. A processing fee may apply separately from an offer fee and is not charged in every case. See our advice and fee explanation.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Gift-letter questions
Does every lender accept the same gift-letter template?
No. A lender may require its own form, different declarations or supporting documents. Ask for the current requirements before completing a general example. A signed template does not guarantee acceptance of the deposit or mortgage application.
Who signs a gifted-deposit letter?
The donor normally provides the declaration. Follow the particular form for any additional signatures, including those of other donors or recipients. Do not assume that every buyer must sign or that an unsigned electronic copy is acceptable.
Can two people use one letter to give a deposit?
Ask the lender or conveyancer. Each donor and contribution must be clear, and separate declarations may be required. The downloadable example is written for one donor and one recipient; do not use it unchanged for a different arrangement.
Do I still need bank statements if I have a gift letter?
The letter and evidence serve different purposes. The lender or conveyancer may still need statements and other records showing how the donor obtained the money and how it reached the purchase funds. Ask for the exact documents and periods required.
Can I use the letter before finding a property?
You can prepare the information, but ask when the final declaration is needed. A lender may require the property address, application details and an up-to-date amount before accepting it. Do not invent missing details or assume an early letter will remain sufficient.
Sources and related guidance
Requirements checked on 7 September 2026 against Halifax’s gift-letter guidance and Nationwide’s published deposit criteria. These illustrate differences between lenders; their policies are not universal rules.
For donor eligibility, overseas gifts, evidence and family or tax considerations, use our main gifted-deposit guide. For the wider buying process, see first-time buyer mortgages and advice. This page provides general information, not a personal mortgage or legal recommendation.