Documents Needed for a Mortgage
A practical guide to preparing your mortgage documents
Getting your documents organised early can make the mortgage process considerably easier.
Mortgage lenders need evidence to verify who you are, where you live, how much you earn, how you manage your finances and where your deposit has come from.
The exact documents required will vary depending on the lender, your employment status and your individual circumstances. However, there are several documents that are commonly requested.
This guide explains what you should consider preparing before starting your mortgage application.
1. Proof of Identity
The first step is being able to confirm your identity.
You will commonly need valid photographic identification, such as:
Passport
UK photocard driving licence
Make sure your identification is current and that the information matches the details you provide during your mortgage application.
If your name has changed, additional evidence may be required.
2. Proof of Address
You may also need evidence confirming your current residential address.
Depending on the lender and circumstances, acceptable documents could include:
Bank statements
Utility bills
Council Tax correspondence
Driving licence
Other official correspondence
Documents used as proof of address will usually need to be recent and meet the particular lender's requirements.
Your address history is also important.
Mortgage applications commonly require details of your previous addresses, so having the correct addresses and dates readily available can save time.
3. Recent Bank Statements
Bank statements are an important part of many mortgage applications.
As a starting point, it is sensible to have your latest three months of personal bank statements available.
The lender may use these to help verify income, expenditure and the overall information provided in your application.
Make sure you provide complete statements rather than screenshots of individual transactions.
If you use several current accounts, additional statements may be requested.
4. Payslips for Employed Applicants
If you're employed, prepare your latest three payslips.
These help demonstrate your regular employment income.
Depending on how you're paid and how your income is structured, the lender may ask for additional evidence.
For example, this could apply where your income includes:
Overtime
Bonuses
Commission
Shift allowances
Other regular additional income
Different lenders can treat additional income differently.
If you've recently started a new job, are in a probationary period or have recently received a pay rise, tell your mortgage adviser. This doesn't automatically prevent you from obtaining a mortgage, but lender criteria can differ.
5. Self-Employed Applicants
If you're self-employed, the documentation can be different.
As a starting point, you may need to prepare your most recent:
Two years' accounts
Two years' Tax Calculations or SA302s
Two years' Tax Year Overviews
Depending on the lender and how your business is structured, additional information may be required.
For example, a sole trader, partner and limited company director may each be assessed differently.
Some lenders look primarily at salary and dividends for company directors, while others may be able to consider different elements of company performance where their criteria permit.
If you are self-employed, it is particularly useful to discuss your circumstances before assuming how much you can borrow.
6. Company Directors
Being a company director can require a little more preparation because lenders don't all assess director income in the same way.
Documents could include:
Personal and business bank statements
Company accounts
Tax Calculations
Tax Year Overviews
Evidence of salary and dividends
Your shareholding in the company can also affect how a lender categorises your employment status.
The important point is that one lender declining to use a particular income structure doesn't necessarily mean every lender will assess it in the same way.
7. Contractors and CIS Workers
Contractors and workers paid through the Construction Industry Scheme can also require different evidence.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be asked for documents such as:
Recent payslips or CIS vouchers
Bank statements
Current contract
Contract rate or day rate
Evidence of previous contracts
Tax documentation
Lenders have different approaches to contractors and CIS applicants, so the appropriate evidence will depend on how your income is structured.
8. Proof of Your Deposit
Your mortgage lender and solicitor will need to understand where your deposit has come from.
If you've built your deposit through savings, prepare evidence showing the accumulation and current balance of those savings.
This could include:
Savings account statements
Current account statements
Lifetime ISA statements
Investment statements where applicable
Your solicitor may also need to carry out their own source-of-funds checks.
Avoid moving money unnecessarily between numerous accounts shortly before the transaction. If money has been transferred, keep a clear record showing where it came from.
9. Gifted Deposits
Many first-time buyers receive help from parents or other family members.
If some or all of your deposit is being gifted, tell your mortgage adviser at the beginning of the process.
The lender may require a gifted deposit declaration or letter confirming information such as who is providing the money and the nature of the gift.
The person providing the gift may also need to provide identification, bank statements or evidence of the source of the funds as part of the relevant checks.
Requirements differ between lenders and solicitors, so don't assume one standard gifted-deposit letter will satisfy everyone.
10. Evidence of Other Income
Your basic salary isn't necessarily the only income that could potentially be relevant to a mortgage application.
Depending on your circumstances and lender criteria, other income might include:
Overtime
Bonuses
Commission
Pension income
Certain benefits
Maintenance
Rental income
If you're hoping to use additional income towards affordability, prepare evidence showing what you receive.
Different lenders have different rules concerning what income they will accept and how much of it they will use.
11. Existing Credit Commitments
Your mortgage application needs to accurately reflect your existing financial commitments.
Have details available for things such as:
Personal loans
Car finance
Credit cards
Student loans
Hire purchase
Buy Now Pay Later commitments
Other mortgages
Maintenance commitments
Don't intentionally omit borrowing because you think it might reduce the amount you can obtain.
Lenders can use credit-reference information and other checks when assessing an application.
Accuracy is important.
12. Your Credit Report
It can be useful to review your credit information before applying for a mortgage.
Check:
Your registered addresses
Existing credit accounts
Outstanding balances
Payment history
Defaults or missed payments
County Court Judgments, where applicable
Financial associations
You can obtain a more detailed view of your credit history here:
If you have experienced previous credit problems, tell your mortgage adviser.
Don't wait for a lender to discover them during underwriting.
The date, amount, reason and current status of previous credit issues can all be relevant when considering potential lender criteria.
13. Documents for Your Current Mortgage
If you're remortgaging or moving home and already have a mortgage, prepare your latest mortgage statement.
Useful information includes:
Current lender
Outstanding mortgage balance
Mortgage account details
Current interest rate
Remaining mortgage term
Date your existing deal ends
Any applicable early repayment charges
If you're moving home, your existing mortgage may also have portability provisions.
Porting doesn't automatically mean that you can transfer the mortgage to another property. It remains subject to the lender's criteria, affordability assessment, property requirements and approval at the time.
14. Documents Relating to the Property
Once you've found a property, your mortgage adviser will need accurate property information.
At a minimum, provide:
Full property address
Agreed purchase price
Estate agent details
Property type
Tenure, if known
Details of your solicitor or conveyancer
Additional information may be needed for properties such as flats, leasehold properties, new builds, HMOs or properties of unusual construction.
If you're unsure about something concerning a property, mention it before the mortgage application is submitted.
15. What If I Don't Have All the Documents?
Don't panic.
The purpose of preparing documents early is to identify anything missing before it becomes urgent.
If you're unable to provide a particular document, speak to your mortgage adviser rather than trying to substitute something without checking.
There may be another acceptable form of evidence, depending on the lender and circumstances.
Before Your Mortgage Appointment
If you're preparing for an initial mortgage conversation, having the following available is an excellent starting point:
☐ Passport or photographic ID
☐ Proof of address where required
☐ Latest three months' personal bank statements
☐ Latest three payslips if employed
☐ Two years' accounts and tax documents if self-employed
☐ Evidence of your deposit
☐ Details of any gifted deposit
☐ Details of loans, credit cards and other commitments
☐ Information about any previous credit problems
☐ Existing mortgage statement if applicable
☐ Property details if you've already found a property
You may not need every document on this list.
Likewise, your circumstances may mean that additional evidence is required.
Why Preparing Early Matters
A mortgage application involves several parties, including you, your mortgage adviser, the lender, the estate agent and your solicitor or conveyancer.
Missing information can create unnecessary delays.
Having your documents prepared means your mortgage adviser can understand your circumstances more accurately and identify potential issues earlier in the process.
It also means that when you find the right property, you're in a much better position to move forward.
Keep Your Documents Secure
Mortgage documentation contains highly sensitive personal and financial information.
Don't send identification, bank statements, payslips or other confidential documents through insecure channels simply because it's convenient.
Where your mortgage adviser, lender or solicitor provides a secure document-upload facility, use the appropriate secure method.
Also check that you're sending information to the correct recipient before submitting anything.
Ready to Start?
If you're a first-time buyer, we recommend reading our First-Time Buyer Guide first and using our First-Time Buyer Checklist to keep track of your progress.
Once you're ready to understand your potential mortgage position, Cambs Ely Mortgages can help you explore your circumstances, affordability and available mortgage options.
We help clients in Ely, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia and across England, with appointments available remotely.
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Important Information
The documents required for a mortgage application vary according to the lender, mortgage type and individual circumstances. This guide is for general information and should not be treated as a definitive list of documents that a particular lender will require.
Mortgage applications remain subject to lender criteria, affordability, underwriting and property assessment.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.