Should You Add a Co-applicant to Your Home Loan

Should You Add a Co-applicant to Your Home Loan
Should You Add a Co-applicant to Your Home Loan
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To have your own home is, undoubtedly, an expensive affair. To ease this huge financial burden you can secure a joint home loan which allows you to share the responsibilities of repaying the loan.

If there are co-applicants in your home loan application, it will improve your home loan eligibility.  A co-applicant for joint home loan can be any of your immediate family members, be it your spouse, or parents, or siblings. As the prices of real estate continue to rise, the investment in purchasing a home can be financially cumbersome but is sure to serve as your longtime savings.

Who is a Co-applicant

A co-applicant is, as the name implies, a person who is listed on a joint home loan application alongside the primary applicant, also known as the borrower. Although it is not required by law to have a co-applicant when applying for a house loan, having one increases your home loan eligibility and chances of having your application approved. The lender takes into account the earnings of both the applicants if you apply for a house loan with a co-applicant. Additionally, because the applicants' salaries are combined when a co-applicant applies, you have access to a high loan amount. However, when applying for a house loan with a co-applicant, borrowers must be aware of the limitations and conditions.

Who is Eligible to Co-apply for a Home Loan

Co-applicants for a joint home loan must fit into particular eligibility criteria and be in certain types of partnerships, according to banks and financial institutions. These include:

  • Husband-wife: The most desirable and favoured pairing is husband and wife. When determining your home loan eligibility, both partners' salaries will be taken into account, increasing the likelihood that the loan would be approved. Couples can also divide payments as works best for them and take advantage of tax deductions.
  • • Father and son: When there is only one son in the family,  it is appropriate for a father and son to co- apply for the home loan. As in this situation, the lender takes into account the incomes of both the applicants and they are both listed as legal owners on the property contract. Either of the two may be listed as the primary owner on a joint home loan.

There are some conditions when it comes to other relationships:

  • • When a father or mother and an unmarried daughter apply for a joint home loan, the property must be in the daughter's name only. This is done to avoid legal issues should the daughter get married. Additionally, in this combination, the income of the father and/or mother is not taken into account.
  • • If brothers apply for a joint home loan, they must have the same address at the time of application and should intend to continue living together in the new home for which they are borrowing money. In this situation, lenders might demand that the brothers be co-owners as well as co-applicants.

Unacceptable Combinations:

Now that we are aware of who is eligible to apply for a joint home loan, here are the combinations that are not eligible for the joint home loan.

  • • Sisters
  • • Sister and brother
  • • Father and a married daughter 
  • • Mother and a married daughter 
  • • Couples that reside together (Live-in Relationship couples)
  • • Friends/ Cousins

What are the Advantages of Having a Co-applicant on Your Home Loan

  1. Increases Home Loan Eligibility

House loan applicants frequently experience difficulty in having the home loan application accepted because of the stringent home loan eligibility requirements established by the bank or lender. The minimum income requirement, creditworthiness, repayment capacity, etc. could be some of the home loan eligibility requirements.

While it is difficult to get your home loan approved, a co-applicant improves your home loan eligibility. If you apply with a co-applicant, you may also be eligible for a larger loan amount. Also, your chances of effortlessly qualifying for a house loan increase if you apply with a co-applicant who has a good credit rating and strong repayment ability.

  1. Tax Benefits 

According to the individual contributions made towards the payback of the joint home loan, each co-applicant for a mortgage who is also a co-owner of the related house property may separately take advantage of the tax benefits.

A tax deduction of up to Rs. 2 Lakhs can be claimed for interest paid on a house loan for a self-occupied property under Section 24b, and a tax deduction of up to Rs. 1.5 Lakhs can be claimed for principal repayment under Section 80C per financial year.

  1. Lower Interest Rates for Female Applicants

Typically, the concession is worth 0.05% (5 basis points) less than what other applicants are given. Even though it might seem like a small distinction, it isn't. This is so as home loans are sometimes very expensive loans, as well as the interest part alone accounts for a sizable portion of the total cost of the loan.

Disadvantages of Adding a Co-applicant 

Financial institutions typically take into account eligibility of each co-applicant and their capacity for repayment. Unless all co-applicants meet the home loan eligibility, the joint home loan will not be authorised. Therefore, if one of the co-applicants has a lower credit score, an excessive debt to income ratio, or fails to fulfil the lender's eligibility requirements for any reason, it could have a negative influence on your joint home loan approval and possibly lead to the rejection of your application.

Conclusion

It is costly to buy a house and for that you may need a loan to make the deal. A co-applicant on a home loan can be helpful in swiftly securing a loan. A co-applicant also eases the financial burden of repayment obligation. You can choose from a list of eligible family members to be your co-applicant for a joint home loan.  There are also some family members who are not eligible to be co-applicants. 

Disclaimer: This article is published in association with Bajaj Finance Limited and not created by TNM Editorial. Please do your own research before applying for loans from the above services and seek independent legal/financial advice if you are unsure.

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