At the beginning of the month, Bank of Scotland owner Lloyds Banking Group announced that it was reintroducing 10% deposit mortgage deals, while Yorkshire Building Society and Barclays introduced similar offers in the past few weeks.

According to Which?, TSB and Atom Bank have also announced 90% deals in the past month. Nationwide and a collection of smaller building societies have also announced such offerings.

The move has suggested that the mortgage market is opening up again, meaning first-time buyers have a better chance of getting on the property ladder.

Natwest Group will be reintroducing 90% loan-to-value (LTV) deals for its Natwest and Royal Bank of Scotland brands. There will be four new products for customers looking to take a two or five-year fixed rate with an LTV of 90% and it will be one of the first to offer this facility for first-time buyers and existing homeowners.

Miguel Sard, managing director of homebuying and ownership at Natwest, said: “We are committed to supporting customers who are looking to move, whether that’s first-time buyers or those moving home. We recognise how challenging the last few months have been for all buyers, particularly for first-time buyers who are ready to get a foot on the ladder and raise a deposit.”

At the beginning of March, the number of 95% mortgage deals available for first-time buyers was 391 but this month that figure had dropped to 8, the lowest number recorded this year.

According to Moneyfacts, there were 78 offers of 90% mortgages available on December 1, compared with 56 at the beginning of November, The Times reports.

Lloyds, the country’s biggest mortgage lender, and its subsidiary Halifax, have similar offers with the maximum loan amount of £500,000 and a maximum loan-to-income ratio capped at a multiple of 4.49.

Which? said: “The return of 90% mortgages is good news for first-time buyers, but the high costs mean you may be better holding off until more lenders return to the market, or consider saving until you have enough for a 15% deposit.”