Company Overview
Yorkshire Building Society is one of the UK's largest building societies, founded in 1864 with deep roots in Yorkshire and strong commitment to its members. Through various mergers and organic growth, Yorkshire has become a significant player in the UK mortgage market while maintaining its mutual principles and member-first approach.
Key Highlights
- Founded in 1864, with over 160 years of financial expertise
- One of the top 5 largest building societies in the UK
- Over 3 million members across savings and mortgage products
- Strong Yorkshire heritage with national reach
- Consistently rated for excellent customer service and member value
Yorkshire Values, National Reach
Yorkshire Building Society combines traditional Yorkshire values of honesty, reliability, and value for money with modern financial services and national coverage.
Mortgage Products
Residential Mortgages
- Fixed-rate mortgages (2, 3, 5, and 10-year terms)
- Tracker mortgages following Bank of England base rate
- First-time buyer mortgages with low deposit options
- Help to Buy equity loan mortgages
- Shared ownership mortgages
- Remortgage products with competitive rates
- Green mortgages for energy-efficient properties
Buy-to-Let Products
- Standard buy-to-let mortgages
- Portfolio landlord mortgages
- Limited company buy-to-let
- HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) lending
- Holiday let mortgages
Member Benefits
Exclusive advantages for building society members
Regional Expertise
Strong local knowledge with national presence
Award-Winning
Multiple industry awards for service excellence
Competitive Rates
Market-leading rates across all products
Key Features & Benefits
Building Society Advantages
- Member ownership providing focus on customer benefit
- Competitive mortgage rates and transparent pricing
- Award-winning customer service with personal touch
- Strong regional presence with local expertise
- Long-term stability and conservative approach
- Community involvement and local support
Digital Innovation
- Modern online mortgage application system
- Digital account management platform
- Mobile banking app with comprehensive features
- Online mortgage tools and calculators
- Secure document upload and messaging
- Real-time application progress tracking
Advantages
- Strong mutual values and member focus
- Excellent customer service reputation
- Competitive rates and transparent fees
- Regional expertise with personal service
- Financial stability and strong reserves
- Community-focused approach and values
Considerations
- Smaller branch network than major banks
- Limited specialist lending products
- May have more conservative criteria
- Less international banking capability
- Regional focus may limit national presence
Lending Criteria
Eligibility Requirements
- Age: 18-75 years at application, maximum age 80 at end of term
- Income: Minimum £15,000 per annum for residential mortgages
- Employment: Employed, self-employed, or retired with proof of income
- Residency: UK residents with at least 3 years UK address history
- Deposit: Minimum 5% for residential, 25% for buy-to-let
Assessment Criteria
- Maximum loan-to-income ratio of 4.5 times annual income
- Comprehensive affordability assessment with common-sense approach
- Credit score and history evaluation with manual underwriting
- Stress testing at current rate plus 3% buffer
- Property valuation and location assessment
- Consideration of individual circumstances and member needs