Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by The Negotiator. Read the original article for full details.

Property Lawyer Warns: British Citizenship Not Always Enough to Buy a Home

A property law firm has warned that being British is not always sufficient to secure a home purchase in the UK. Sharpwell Property Law reports that buyers with foreign-sounding names can face additional scrutiny, delays, or refusals from lenders, regardless of their citizenship or residency status.

Tatiana Sharposhnikova, Chief Executive of Sharpwell Property Law, stated that discrimination is present in the British property market. According to Sharposhnikova, cases have been observed where a foreign-sounding name alone has led to extra checks, delays, or outright refusals by lenders, even when buyers are long-standing UK residents or citizens with the legal right to live and work in the country.

The firm highlights that these issues can affect British residents and citizens whose property purchases are partly financed by family members abroad. Examples include parents helping children onto the property ladder, siblings contributing to deposits, or inherited funds from overseas relatives. Sharposhnikova notes that such circumstances can trigger the same level of scrutiny typically reserved for high-risk transactions.

Sharpwell Property Law argues that while robust checks are important, the current system may fail to distinguish between legitimate family support and genuine risk. The firm reports that this can result in weeks of delay, collapsed chains, and failed transactions, adding further strain to the housing market.

This warning is particularly relevant for UK letting agents and inventory clerks, as delays and transaction failures can impact property chains and the wider rental market.