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Can my aunt, uncle or sibling be my guarantor?
Bayley Clarke · Mortgage broker on the road · Last checked 11 November 2026 · 2 min read
The short answer
It needs to be immediate family. A sibling generally can be your guarantor. An aunt or uncle generally can't.
The way the family tree works with guarantor loans, immediate family is typically parents, siblings and grandparents, and it can sometimes be step parents and step kids. So it's a lot broader than just mum and dad, but it stops short of the bigger family.
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Who usually counts as immediate family
Most lenders that do guarantor loans have a list, and the common ground across them is parents, siblings and grandparents. A lot of them also include step parents, step siblings and adult children, and some include a spouse or legal guardian. So it can be your step mum, your step dad, your brother, your sister, your grandma or your grandpa.
The lists aren't identical though. At least one lender only takes parents, and at least one doesn't take grandparents. So if your guarantor is anyone other than mum or dad, that narrows down which banks we can use, and it's one of the first things I check.
Why aunts and uncles generally don't
You can't have your uncle out in the boonies guarantee your home loan. Across the lenders I can see, aunts and uncles are generally excluded. The reason is the bank wants a guarantor with a close family tie to you, because putting your own home up as security for someone else's loan is a big call, and banks are wary of anyone being leaned on to do it.
Every now and then a lender will let its credit team look at something outside the list as an exception, but that's case by case, rare, and not something to build a plan around. If an aunt or uncle wants to help, there are other ways, like a cash gift towards the deposit, which the bank treats very differently.
The honest bit: family is only the first box
Being the right relation gets you in the door. The guarantor still needs enough equity in their property, and lenders look at what's already owing against it.
And whoever it is, they should go in with their eyes open. Most banks want guarantors to get independent legal advice first, and I go through how it works with them as well as with you.
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Next question
My guarantor's house is owned by two people. Do they both need to be a guarantor?Yes. Everyone on the title of the guarantor's house needs to be a guarantor, because the bank is taking security over that property.
Related answers
The full guide: How to buy your first home The full guide: Guarantor home loans Can two friends or siblings buy a home together? Does a guarantor need to qualify for the loan themselves, or is having equity enough? Can my parents go on the loan with me instead of being guarantors? If my parents go guarantor, what are they actually risking?Not your question? Book a call and ask it, or call 0437 189 939.