Can you get a mortgage with an IVA?

The answer depends on whether you mean the mortgage you already have or a new one. Most homeowners in an IVA keep the same mortgage and the same home all the way through. The difficulty comes if you need to borrow more, move, or switch lenders while the IVA is running, and to a lesser extent for a few years after it ends.

What happens to your existing mortgage in an IVA?

Nothing changes with your lender. Your mortgage is secured on your home, so it is not included in the IVA and you keep paying it in full each month. The payment is one of the essential costs in your IVA budget.

If you are behind on your mortgage, Citizens Advice says it is best to pay mortgage arrears separately from your IVA, because that is what protects your home. Mortgages and secured loans can only be included in an IVA if the lender agrees, and lenders usually do not. Mortgage arrears are a priority debt, so deal with them first.

Will you have to remortgage to release equity?

Not if your protocol IVA was agreed on or after 1 July 2025. Under the IVA Protocol 2025 you will not be asked to sell your home or release equity. If your share of the equity is £10,000 or more, the IVA runs for 72 months instead of 60. What happens to your home and belongings explains the 85% calculation.

Older IVAs are different. Many IVAs agreed under the IVA Protocol 2021 have a remortgage clause for homeowners whose equity was above £5,000. The home is revalued around month 54 and you are expected to try to remortgage, with the new borrowing no more than 85% of the home’s value. The 2021 terms also say the extra monthly cost of the remortgage should be no more than 50% of your monthly IVA payment at the final review. If a remortgage cannot be obtained, the IVA stays at 72 months. If this applies to you, your own proposal sets out the terms, so ask your supervisor well before month 54.

Can you get a new mortgage or remortgage during an IVA?

It is possible, but two things have to happen.

First, your supervisor has to agree in writing. The IVA Protocol 2025 terms say you “must not obtain any credit greater than £500” without their prior written approval, and any mortgage is well over that.

Second, you need a lender willing to lend to someone with an active IVA. StepChange warns that it may be hard to find one, and that lenders may not offer you the cheapest rate. Each lender has its own criteria, so we do not list them here. A mortgage broker authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority can tell you which lenders consider applicants in your position. You can check a firm on the FCA register.

The situations that most often raise this question are:

• Your fixed rate is ending. Ask your current lender what deals it offers existing customers. Tell your supervisor before you agree to anything, and ask whether it needs their approval.
• You need to move. A new mortgage needs approval, and so does any change that means borrowing more. If you sell your home during a protocol IVA and the IVA later fails, the Protocol warns that creditors may look into how the sale money was used.
• You are separating. If you and a partner need to sell, or one of you wants to take over the mortgage, talk to your supervisor early, because it can affect both your home and your budget.

Can you get a mortgage after an IVA?

Yes, it is possible, but rarely straight away. Three records matter, and they end at different times:

• the IVA itself ends when you get your completion certificate, which the supervisor issues within 28 days of your last payment or of meeting all the terms, whichever is later
• the Individual Insolvency Register entry is removed about 3 months after the IVA ends
• the credit file entry usually stays for 6 years from the date the IVA started, even if you finished early

Here is a hypothetical timeline for a 60-month IVA with every payment made on time.

For a 72-month IVA that runs to time, the six years on your credit file are up at about the same point the IVA ends. If an IVA runs longer than 6 years, some credit reference agencies keep it until it ends: see how long an IVA stays on your credit file.

While the IVA is on your file, fewer lenders will consider you and the deals may cost more. After it drops off, applications usually get easier, but many mortgage application forms ask whether you have ever been insolvent. Answer truthfully. Do you have to declare an IVA after 6 years? explains why.

How can you prepare for a mortgage after an IVA?

1. Keep your completion certificate safe. Lenders and brokers may ask to see it.
2. Check your file with all three credit reference agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and make sure the IVA shows as completed and the dates are right.
3. Register to vote at your address. National Debtline says lenders look at whether you are on the electoral register.
4. Pay every bill on time, and avoid applying for credit you do not need. Experian says most hard credit searches stay on your report for 12 months.
5. Build up a deposit once your IVA payments have stopped. A bigger deposit gives you more choice of lender.
6. Speak to an FCA-authorised mortgage broker before you apply, so you do not collect a string of rejections.

How an IVA affects your credit rating covers rebuilding in more detail.

What to do next

1. If you already have an IVA, check the home and credit sections of your proposal so you know which rules apply to you.
2. If your fixed rate ends during the IVA, contact your supervisor and your current lender a few months before it does.
3. If you are still deciding, compare the options for homeowners. Bankruptcy puts your home at much greater risk: see IVA or bankruptcy?. Free, impartial debt advice is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice and National Debtline: see where to get free debt advice.

For more on day-to-day life in an IVA, see life in an IVA. If you use our checker, we may pass your details to a licensed insolvency practitioner or debt adviser. We do not give mortgage advice.