The Mortgage Charter in 2026: Your Rights If You're Struggling to Pay

Quick answer

The Mortgage Charter is a package of borrower-support commitments that participating UK lenders have signed up to, designed to give people struggling with mortgage payments practical breathing room — before things escalate to serious arrears or repossession proceedings — and a clearer, faster route to speak to their lender without penalty for simply asking.

The support options in practice

Two of the most commonly used tools under the Charter are a temporary switch to interest-only payments and a temporary extension of the mortgage term, both aimed at reducing monthly outgoings during a difficult period. Many lenders also allow borrowers to reverse these changes within a set trial window if their circumstances improve, without needing a full new underwriting process. The exact mechanics — how long the trial period lasts, and how reversal works — vary between lenders, so checking the specific terms offered is essential before committing.

Protecting your credit file

One of the more significant Charter commitments is that simply contacting a lender to discuss difficulties, or agreeing one of the short-term support options within the agreed window, should not by itself be reported to credit reference agencies as a mark against the borrower. This matters because fear of a credit-file hit is a common reason people delay contacting their lender until arrears have already built up — the Charter is designed to remove that disincentive to asking early.

A buffer against repossession

Signatory lenders commit to not seeking repossession of a home within a defined minimum period following a first missed payment, without the borrower's consent, except in exceptional circumstances. This isn't unlimited protection — it's a minimum breathing-space window intended to allow support options to be explored and put in place rather than moving straight to enforcement action.

What it doesn't cover

The core Mortgage Charter commitments are targeted at residential, owner-occupied mortgages. Landlords with buy-to-let mortgages are generally outside the main scope and should contact their lender directly to understand what support, if any, applies to an investment property, since the commercial risk profile and available options can differ significantly from an owner-occupied home.

Bottom line

If mortgage payments are becoming difficult, the single most valuable step is contacting the lender early — before missing a payment where possible — since most of the meaningful protections under the Charter are designed to activate from that first conversation, not after arrears have already built up.

Sources

• HM Treasury / FCA: Mortgage Charter
• Financial Conduct Authority: Mortgages and coronavirus: our guidance for firms
• MoneyHelper: Struggling to pay your mortgage