Non-standard profiles
Parental leave and mortgage: borrowing at the right time, on the right income
Borrowing on parental leave remains possible: the lender assesses income on the day of review. Choosing the submission date, the documents, the insurance.
Yes, a mortgage remains possible during parental leave. The lender takes into account the income verified on the day of the review, not the salary from before the leave: the file then relies on the income of the other borrower, sometimes supplemented by the benefit from the family allowance fund. The date of submission, before, during or after the leave, is therefore the main lever; approval remains the lender's decision.
By Sandy MASCART, mandataire d'intermédiaire en opérations de banque et en services de paiement ORIAS 26000541 sous le mandat de CDV PATRIMOINE & ASSURANCE (ORIAS 14005573)
Key points
- Borrowing during parental leave remains possible: the lender takes into account the income verified on the day of the review, not the salary from before the leave.
- During the leave, the file relies on the income of the other borrower, sometimes supplemented by the benefit from the family allowance fund.
- Part-time leave keeps an active employment contract and a reduced salary, visible on the payslips: a simpler basis to defend.
- At the end of the leave, the law guarantees a return to the previous job or a similar position, at a remuneration at least equivalent.
- The right submission date is deduced from the position of the preliminary sale agreement relative to the start of the leave, not from a general rule.
Yes, a mortgage remains possible during parental leave, calculated on the income of the day. Your lever: the date of submission, before, during or after the leave. This is one of the profiles that bank grids read poorly.
Borrowing during parental leave: on which income?
On the income recorded at the time of the assessment. During the leave, the application relies on the other income of the household, sometimes supplemented by the benefit from the family allowance fund. If it does not cover the instalment, it is the date of submission that shifts.
Le ratio rapporte l'ensemble des charges d'emprunt, assurance comprise, aux revenus que l'établissement accepte de retenir. Un revenu suspendu par un congé parental sort du dénominateur : le plafond ne bouge pas, c'est la base qui rétrécit.
- En vigueur depuis le
- Source
- Décision D-HCSF-2021-7, art. 1er — Légifrance
| What you receive | How the bank reads it |
|---|---|
| The salary from before the leave | No longer paid: it documents your career, without entering the calculation |
| The benefit from the family allowance fund linked to the stoppage or reduction of activity | A limited-term income: often excluded, sometimes retained for the sole period during which it runs |
| Other family benefits | Retained or not depending on the institution and the age of the children; never the foundation of an application |
| The salary of a part-time parental leave | A real salary, retained for the reduced amount of the payslips of the moment |
Amount and duration of the benefit: your certificate of entitlement is authoritative (family allowance fund). The complete grid: the income retained by the bank.
Choosing the right application date
- Before leave: two full salaries. Check that the monthly instalment is affordable during the leave, and declare that leave has already been requested.
- During leave: a single income. A project or a down payment commensurate with this income is required.
- Upon return: a certificate of return to work or payslips, depending on the institution. Two banks respond differently.
Can a single salary not cover the price? Reduce the project or apply upon return.
Part-time work, better understood
A part-time parental leave keeps a contract active and a payslip each month. Provide the addendum that specifies the start date, the proportion of working time and the end date: without it, the part-time arrangement is read as permanent.
The employer's certificate reassures the analyst
At the end of the leave, the employee resumes their job or a similar job, at a remuneration at least equivalent. The analyst wants to read this return: a date, a position, a proportion of working time.
A dated certificate is sufficient: contract, length of service, dates of the leave, return (service-public.fr). Leave following a maternity leave? Attach older payslips.
Insurance: check the cessation of work
Death does not depend on your activity; cessation of work does. Many policies require an activity on the day of the event. See the definition of incapacity and the borrowing capacity of a couple.
Loan in progress: activate flexibility before departure
Modulation, deferral: re-read these clauses before the leave, they often require notice modulate or defer your instalments).
Four steps before submission
- Align three calendars: leave, preliminary sale agreement, bank.
- Calculate the project twice: income during leave, then after resuming work.
- Gather your documents: employer’s certificate, addendum, CAF entitlements, payslips from before the leave, and the rest of the list.
- Describe the situation as it is, including the leave.
I am a mortgage intermediary working under mandate (fees). Schedule your submission date by telephone.
Create your file: including the leave, it must be prepared now.
Sources
- Légifrance — Article L. 1225-47 du code du travail
- Légifrance — Article L. 1225-50 du code du travail
- Légifrance — Article L. 1225-55 du code du travail
- Service-Public.fr
- CAF, Caisse d'allocations familiales
- economie.gouv.fr/hcsf/mesures/mesure-relative-loctroi-de-credits-immobiliers
- abe-infoservice.fr
Read next
- Mortgage in Lyon: frequently asked questions
- Borrowing while pregnant or on sick leave: your rights vis-à-vis the bank and the insurer Mortgage while pregnant, on maternity leave or on sick leave: what the bank reads, what the insurer may request, and what the law prohibits.
- Borrowing as a couple: the true calculation of your joint borrowing capacity, and how to protect each partner Borrowing as a couple: what the bank actually adds up, what it examines next, and how to protect an unequal contribution in the deed.
- Adjusting, deferring or suspending instalments: getting through a difficult period without changing your loan Adjusting, deferring or suspending instalments: what each clause really costs, the condition raised against you, and the written confirmation to get.
- “Your own profession” or “any profession”: the definition of incapacity that decides everything Two wordings, two worlds: depending on your contract’s definition, the same period of work incapacity either triggers the cover or does not.
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