Debt is zero: the share of mortgage recipients with a high load has dropped to a minimum

Russians who spend more than half of their income on debt servicing are becoming less likely to get a mortgage. These borrowers accounted for less than a third of all loans in the second quarter. And candidates with a debt burden above 80% of their income received less than 4% of all housing loans. This is a historical minimum, the Central Bank told Izvestia. It is becoming increasingly difficult for customers with multiple loans to get a mortgage, as a result, it is becoming available to fewer and fewer Russians. How to increase the chances of an application being approved is in the Izvestia article.

Who is not given a mortgage

The vast majority of housing loans are received by Russians who send less than half of their income to service all their debts, according to data from the Central Bank, which was studied by Izvestia. According to the results of the second quarter, this category issued a mortgage for more than 617 billion rubles. This is about 70% of all issues for April – June.

It is more difficult for more creditworthy clients to get a new loan. Borrowers who already have debts that take up more than 50% of their earnings accounted for about 27% of mortgage originations.

People with the largest amount of debts, who spend at least 80% of their income on paying them off, were able to get a mortgage for only 34 billion rubles. This is less than 4% of all disbursements in the second quarter. Their share in the primary market is even lower. Since a significant part of loans for new buildings are issued under government programs, borrowers with a high debt burden have actually been cut off from preferential mortgages.

The share of loans granted to people with personal income of more than 50% is now at a historic low, the press service of the Central Bank reported. Even before the restrictions were introduced in the second quarter of 2025, such borrowers accounted for 36% of loans. And for clients with PD, more than 80% issued 6% of loans.

Moreover, two years earlier, the last indicator was even higher. In the third quarter of 2023, it reached 47%, said the Vice president for Retail Risks at Dom Bank.Russian Federation" Roman Evdokimov.

That is, before the introduction of restrictions by the Central Bank, people with a high level of debt burden were actively receiving mortgages, said Nikita Kulagin, head of the Macroeconomic Analysis Department at Sovcombank.

Everything at home: Russians have increased early mortgage repayments

Lower deposit rates have forced people to change their strategy and get rid of debts faster.

However, this is extremely risky both for the borrower and for the bank itself, said Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Global. Any drop in income or increase in expenses can lead to late payments or, in extreme cases, default on the mortgage — in this case, a person often loses his home, which is secured by the bank.

The PSB added that in 2023, only one out of four mortgages issued had a low level of risk. Now the situation has radically changed.

The Bank of Russia has tightened the rules in order to gradually reduce the issuance of the riskiest loans, explained Dmitry Gritskevich, Head of Banking and Financial Market Analysis at PSB. According to him, such restrictions help to reduce the likelihood of new problem debts.

Banks are now requesting all official information about the borrower's income and assessing his debt burden more accurately, the regulator's press service noted.

How has the approach of banks changed

Previously, financial institutions assessed the solvency of customers in a different way and much more often allowed loans to take more than 50% of income if the remaining money was enough for mandatory expenses, said Roman Evdokimov from Dom.RF Bank. However, according to him, in conditions of high interest rates and inflation, the restriction of personal income has become justified to reduce risks.

Before July 1, 2025, banks approved 40-50% of mortgage applications, but now the share has decreased to 17-25%, Natalia Milchakova said. Taking out a housing loan, if you already have a valid loan, and even more so several, is already much more difficult.

The Central Bank's restrictions have effectively limited access to loans for people with low official incomes (the self-employed, freelancers, and those who receive low salaries), said Natalia Bogomolova, senior director of NRA ratings of financial institutions.

How to increase your chances of getting a loan

To be more likely to get mortgage approval, it is important to have as little debt burden as possible. Even a small valid credit card or installment payment increases it and may worsen the evaluation of the application, Natalia Bogomolova said.

Moreover, credit card limits are fully taken into account in the debt burden. Even if only 30,000 rubles are actually used out of the 100 thousand rubles allowed on the card, the bank will consider the entire potential debt of the client.

Urgent repayment: high interest rates have shortened the mortgage of Russians

Why do borrowers promise to pay off housing loans faster and how profitable is it?

Therefore, Russians who plan to apply for a mortgage should reduce their debt burden in advance and, if possible, increase the initial payment. According to the Central Bank, only about a third of borrowers are ready to immediately pay more than 30% of the cost of housing, while the majority expects a minimum of 20-30%.

In addition, the involvement of a co-borrower can help, Natalia Milchakova added. In this case, the debt burden will be calculated depending on the income of both people, which will increase the chances of approval of the application.

When will it be easier to get a mortgage

In the near future, it is not necessary to count on the return of credited customers to the mortgage market. The Central Bank expects that the share of housing loans granted to borrowers with high personal income will not grow, and the current limits will effectively limit the most risky loans.

The PSB stressed that the situation is just stabilizing now. The share of low—risk mortgages is gradually approaching a long-term plateau - 80-85% of all housing loans issued will be issued to reliable borrowers, Dmitry Gritskevich noted.

The situation for Russians with a personal income tax above 80% may become even tougher, Natalia Milchakova believes. Over the next 2-3 years, their share in disbursements may approach zero.

For clients with a debt burden of 50 to 80%, the prospects look less clear, Natalia Milchakova added. This group is considered not so risky, therefore, with a significant reduction in rates, the regulator can ease restrictions, and banks can start lending more actively to such customers again. In the future, this will make mortgages more affordable.