What documents do you need to apply for a mortgage?
As part of your mortgage application process, you will need to provide essential documents to support your application. Ensuring you have the correct documents from the outset could make the application process easier and quicker.
To support you through this process, we’ve provided a list of everything you’ll need to provide during the application.
Identification
You must provide evidence that you are the individual applying for the mortgage. Identity theft is one of the most common types of fraud and can have devastating effects on the victim. The name on your identification can also be used to ensure the correct spelling of your name on the application and, ultimately, the formal mortgage offer document.
Evidence of address
Despite the fact that many lenders will be able to confirm that you reside at your current address when they conduct a voters roll search as part of the credit check, you may be required to provide additional proof.
Typically, the document must have a date within the last three months to demonstrate that it was issued recently. Typical acceptable documents include council tax notices, bank statements, and utility bills.
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Proof of earnings
When applying for a mortgage, your income and affordability are key factors in determining how much a lender is willing to allow you to borrow. If you are an employee, the documentation you will be required to supply is fairly straightforward, but if you are self-employed or have multiple streams of income, you may need to submit extra documentation.
Below is an overview of the typical income documentation you will be required to supply:
- Basic pay – latest 3 months’ payslips
- Regular overtime, commission, and bonuses – the three to six most recent payslips and P60
- Annual bonus – last two pay stubs displaying bonus payment and P60
- Self-employed – tax calculations and tax overviews for the previous two years and/or the previous two years’ accounts
- Benefits – most recent three months’ bank statements and/or most recent letter of benefits award
Bank statements
Supplying your bank statements is an integral part of the mortgage application process. It enables a lender to verify the income you have previously declared, provides an overview of your spending habits, and enables a lender to check for potential risk factors including fraud, the use of payday loans or excessive gambling or other debts.
If you have multiple accounts, a lender will want to examine each. When reviewing your bank statements, lenders are also checking the source of your deposit. They are looking to see whether the money was saved, earned or whether it was a legitimate gift.
When reviewing your bank statements, if a lender finds issues, or potential issues, this could lead to them rejecting a mortgage application.
Credit history
When you apply for a mortgage, whether it be with HSBC, NatWest, or another lender, the information you provide will be cross-referenced with the information in your credit report. We therefore recommend that, although the lender will not require you to provide them with a copy, if you obtain one prior to applying, you will be able to see exactly what is registered and verify that the information matches.
It is also highly recommended that you obtain a copy of your credit report if you are aware of or have concerns about poor credit history, as this will allow you to pinpoint specific information, such as dates, that will be crucial to your application.
If you have wondered how to apply for a mortgage, the above list should help you to be as prepared as possible for the documentation you will likely be required to provide.