Chapter 6 of 10 · Buying in a particular situation · 6 of 14
Buying a house with a partner in Ireland, married or not
Checked 21 Oct 2026the Central Bank's mortgage measures, Revenue's rules and the scheme operators' published terms.
Joint mortgages for couples, married or not: combined income, joint tenants or tenants in common, cohabitation agreements and what happens if you split.
Check before you hire: a solicitor should be on the register kept by the Law Society of Ireland. Law Society: find a solicitor
Written in plain English for the person buying, selling or switching. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
Two incomes buy more than one. That is the simple part. The harder questions are how you own the home, what each of you put in, and what happens if you part. This guide covers the mortgage, the two ways to own a home together, the agreements that protect each of you, and the rules on a split.
Do you have to be married to get a joint mortgage?
No. A lender looks at income, outgoings, savings and credit history. It does not ask whether you are married, engaged or living together. Two friends can take a joint mortgage on the same terms.
What marriage changes is the law around the home after you buy. We come to that below.
How a joint mortgage works
Both names go on the loan. Both incomes count towards the Central Bank limit. And both of you owe the whole loan, not half each. If one of you stops paying, the lender can ask the other for the full repayment. The legal phrase is "jointly and severally liable".
The Central Bank limits for a couple are the same as for one person, applied to your combined income.
- Both first-time buyers: up to 4 times your combined gross income, and up to 90% of the price.
- Either of you has owned a home before: up to 3.5 times, and 90%.
Gross income is pay before tax. Read the Central Bank rules for how lenders treat bonuses, overtime and a second job.
A worked example
Aoife earns €52,000 and Tom earns €41,000. Neither has owned a home. Their combined income is €93,000.
- 4 times €93,000 is €372,000. That is the most a lender can give them under the rules.
- At a 90% loan, the price is €413,333.
- Their deposit is 10% of that: €41,333.
If Tom had owned an apartment before, the limit would be 3.5 times: €325,500, a price of €361,667, and a deposit of €36,167. One past purchase cuts €52,000 off what they can buy.
The mortgage calculator runs this for your two incomes and shows the monthly repayment.
If one of you has owned before
The Central Bank rule is strict: every borrower must be a first-time buyer for the 4 times limit. One past owner on the application makes it a 3.5 times application.
Help to Buy has the same rule. Everyone on the application must be a first-time buyer. If one of you has owned a home, here or anywhere else, there is no Help to Buy on the purchase. The First Home Scheme follows the same rule, with an exception for Fresh Start applicants (separated, divorced or after insolvency, with no home now). Read who counts as a first-time buyer.
Some couples ask whether the first-time buyer can buy alone. They can, but then only their income counts, and the other partner has no legal share in the home. That has its own risks, covered under unequal deposits below.
Joint tenants or tenants in common?
When two people own a home, the deeds say which of two forms you hold it in. Your solicitor (check the Law Society's register) asks you to choose before closing. Read about the conveyancing solicitor.
| Joint tenants | Tenants in common | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns what | The whole home, together, with no shares | Each owns a set share, such as 50/50 or 70/30 |
| When one of you dies | The other owns the whole home automatically | Your share passes under your will |
| Suits | Married couples, equal deposits | Unequal deposits, unmarried couples, friends |
| Changing later | Can be converted to tenants in common | Shares can be changed by agreement |
Most married couples choose joint tenancy. Many unmarried couples choose tenants in common so that each person's share reflects what they put in. Neither choice changes the mortgage: you both owe the whole loan either way.
Unequal deposits
Suppose Aoife brings €30,000 to the deposit and Tom brings €10,000. If they own as joint tenants and sell, the law treats the home as owned equally. Aoife's extra €20,000 is not protected.
Tenants in common fixes that. The deeds can say Aoife owns 60% and Tom 40%, or any split you agree. A separate written agreement can go further: what happens to the extra deposit on a sale, who pays which bills, and what happens if one of you wants out. Read the gift letter guide if one family is giving the deposit.
A cohabitation agreement for unmarried couples
A cohabitation agreement is a contract between two people who live together but are not married. It says who owns what, how the mortgage and bills are split, and what happens to the home if you part. Each of you gets your own legal advice before signing, so that it holds up.
Without one, an unmarried partner who splits up after living together for five years (two years with a child) can apply to court for a share of the other's property. That comes from the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. The court decides what is fair. A cohabitation agreement can set that out in advance instead. DivorceWise explains the cohabitants' rules in plain words.
If you are married
Marriage brings its own rules to the family home.
- The Family Home Protection Act 1976 says a married person cannot sell or mortgage the family home without the other spouse's written consent, even if the home is in one name only.
- On a divorce, the court can order the home to be sold, transferred or kept by one spouse, whatever the deeds say.
- Married couples share the rent tax credit at the couple rate (€2,000 for 2024 to 2026; €2,300 announced for 2027, waiting on the Finance Act 2026; see changes).
Your solicitor explains the consent rule at closing. If one of you is buying alone while married, the lender asks the other spouse to sign a consent.
Mortgage protection for two
The law (the Consumer Credit Act 1995, section 126) requires a life policy that clears the loan on death. On a joint mortgage, the policy covers both of you, so that the survivor is not left with the full loan. Joint cover costs more than single cover. Read mortgage protection and the loan offer guide.
What happens if you split
The mortgage does not end when the relationship does. Until the loan is paid off, sold or moved into one name, both of you owe the whole amount and both credit records carry it.
There are three usual routes.
- One of you buys the other out. A lender must agree to a new mortgage in one name, under the usual limits (3.5 times one income, since you are no longer a first-time buyer). The person leaving is released from the loan only when the lender signs that release.
- The home is sold and the proceeds split as the deeds, or your agreement, say.
- One of you stays and both keep paying for a time, with a written agreement on who pays what.
If the repayments fall behind during a split, talk to the lender early. Read money help for the free services that step in. The person who leaves and ends up with no home may later count as a Fresh Start applicant for the First Home Scheme and the council loan.
For separation, divorce and the orders a court can make about a home, read DivorceWise. The selling the family home after separation guide covers the sale itself.
Before you sign anything
- Agree the ownership form, joint tenants or tenants in common, and tell your solicitor.
- Write down what each of you is putting in and how you want it treated on a sale.
- If you are not married, get a cohabitation agreement drawn up, each with your own solicitor.
- Check both credit records on the Central Credit Register before you apply. Read the credit check guide.
Where this leaves you
Put both incomes into the mortgage calculator to see your joint limit, the price and the monthly figure. Then choose how you will own the home, and get it in writing. The first-time buyer journey lists every step, and get quotes puts you in touch with a solicitor who can draw up the deeds and any agreement between you.
Questions people ask
Can an unmarried couple get a joint mortgage in Ireland?
Yes. Lenders do not ask whether you are married. Both incomes count together, both names go on the loan, and each of you owes the whole amount. The difference comes later, in how the home is owned and what happens on a split.
How much can a couple borrow for a mortgage in Ireland?
Up to 4 times your combined gross income if you are both first-time buyers, and 90% of the price. If either of you has owned a home before, the limit is 3.5 times. On €90,000 combined that is €360,000 or €315,000.
What is the difference between joint tenants and tenants in common?
Joint tenants own the whole home together, and when one dies the other owns it all automatically. Tenants in common each own a set share, such as 70% and 30%, which passes under a will. Married couples usually pick joint tenancy. Unmarried couples with unequal deposits often pick tenants in common.
What happens to a joint mortgage if we split up?
You both still owe the whole loan until it is paid off, sold or moved into one name. One of you can buy the other out if a lender agrees to a mortgage in one name. Otherwise the home is usually sold. A cohabitation agreement or a separation agreement sets out who gets what.
Do we both have to be first-time buyers for Help to Buy?
Yes. Everyone on the application must be a first-time buyer. If one of you has owned a home before, here or abroad, neither of you can claim Help to Buy on that purchase, and the Central Bank limit drops to 3.5 times income.
On the sister sites
Separation, divorce and the family home · DivorceWise