If your UK mortgage agreement in principle (AIP)—also called a decision in principle (DIP)—expires before you find a property, contact the lender or broker that issued it. Ask whether it can be renewed, whether your information must be updated and whether the lender will use a soft or hard credit search. Do not assume the old borrowing figure still applies.
An AIP is only a provisional indication based on initial information. It is not a formal mortgage offer, does not reserve a property and does not guarantee that the lender will approve the loan. After you choose a home, you still need a full application and a satisfactory assessment of the property.
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What an expired AIP actually means
An AIP is an early estimate of how much a lender might be prepared to lend, subject to fuller checks. Lenders and brokers use several names for the same broad stage, including “mortgage in principle”, “agreement in principle” and “decision in principle”. The label on your document matters less than its stated expiry date and the conditions attached to it.
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MoneyHelper’s consumer guidance, updated 11 March 2025, says an AIP will typically be valid for 30 to 90 days. That is a general range, not a universal rule. The expiry date printed on your lender’s document controls. Some lenders may use a different period, and a broker may have obtained the AIP under a particular product or set of assumptions.
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Expiry does not mean you have lost a mortgage offer, because an AIP is not an offer in the first place. NatWest, for example, describes its AIP as not legally binding and says it does not guarantee a mortgage offer. The lender can still reassess your finances and the property before deciding whether to lend.
What to do first: a practical sequence
- Find the original AIP. Check the exact expiry date, the lender’s name, the reference number and whether a broker submitted it. Save a copy of the document or the online confirmation.
- Contact the issuing lender or broker. Explain that the AIP has expired before you have found a home. Ask whether the existing decision can be renewed or whether you must submit a new AIP application.
- Ask what information must be reconfirmed. Be ready to confirm income, employment, regular outgoings, outstanding credit, deposit, intended loan amount and the type of property you are seeking.
- Ask about the credit search before authorising an application. Confirm whether the renewal or new AIP will use a soft search or a hard search and how it will appear on your credit file.
- Disclose every material change. Tell the lender about a new job, reduced hours, changed pay, additional borrowing, a larger or smaller deposit, a new dependent or a change in the amount you need to borrow.
- Obtain the result in writing. Keep the renewed AIP, a new expiry date and any conditions. If the lender will not renew it, ask for the reason and whether a different application route is available.
Do not submit several applications simply to obtain fresh dates. First establish which lender will handle the next assessment and what type of search each application involves.
Renewal options you may be offered
There is no universal right to renew an expired AIP. The lender’s policy, the age of the original information and any changes in your circumstances determine what happens next.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →| Possible route | What it usually involves | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Existing AIP renewed | The lender confirms your details and issues a new validity period. | Whether the borrowing estimate, product assumptions and expiry date remain unchanged. |
| Fresh AIP application | You provide current information and the lender runs its normal preliminary assessment again. | Whether the search is soft or hard, which documents are needed and whether the result could differ. |
| Estimate revised | The lender changes the amount it may consider because your finances, lending criteria or requested loan have changed. | The new maximum, affordability assumptions and any reason the figure changed. |
| Renewal declined | The lender will not extend the old decision or cannot support the request under current criteria. | Whether the issue is missing information, a changed circumstance, a property restriction or a general policy decision. |
| Broker-led reassessment | A qualified adviser reviews your current position and identifies lenders whose criteria may fit. | Fees, authorisation for credit searches, the scope of the advice and how your information will be shared. |
Example: a lender-specific renewal process
Nationwide says its customers can renew an expired decision in principle through its Mortgage Hub after confirming their details. That is a Nationwide process, not a standard procedure across the UK market. If your AIP came from another lender, use that lender’s instructions rather than assuming the same online route exists.
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Will renewing the AIP affect your credit file?
Ask the specific lender before you proceed. Published guidance does not support one rule for every lender or every renewal.
- MoneyHelper says some lenders use soft checks and others use hard checks.
- Nationwide says its own decision in principle uses a soft search.
- Which? reports that most lenders use hard searches.
- Experian’s general guidance says most lenders use soft checks.
Those statements describe different providers and broad market observations; they are not a guarantee about your application. A soft search is generally visible only to you and does not affect the score used by lenders, while a hard search is recorded for lenders to see and may be considered in later assessments. The practical question is not which description is “typical”, but what the lender handling your renewal will do.
Use a precise question such as: “Before I authorise this renewal, will you carry out a soft or hard credit search, and will it be recorded on my credit file as a full application?” If a broker is involved, ask whether the broker’s eligibility check and the lender’s own AIP search are separate events.
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An expired AIP may have been based on facts that are no longer accurate. Give the lender current figures rather than trying to preserve the old estimate.
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Income and employment
Report a new employer, probationary period, promotion, reduced hours, variable commission, self-employment, a contract ending or any fall in income. Ask how the lender will treat bonuses, overtime or other variable pay now that it has more recent evidence.
Commitments and outgoings
Include new loans, credit-card balances, car finance, maintenance payments, childcare costs and other regular commitments. Even if your salary is unchanged, a new monthly payment can reduce the amount a lender considers affordable.
Deposit and borrowing need
Confirm the deposit you can actually use, its source and whether it includes a gift. Tell the lender if you now need to borrow more or less, or if the purchase price you are targeting has changed. A larger deposit can alter the loan-to-value calculation, but it does not automatically preserve an old AIP.
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Tell the lender about a new dependent, a change in marital or financial circumstances and any move from one property type to another. Flats, new-build homes, leasehold properties, unusual construction and properties affected by restrictions can require additional assessment after the AIP stage.
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What happens after you find a property?
Once you have an accepted offer or are ready to proceed, move from the preliminary decision to the lender’s full mortgage application. The lender will verify income and identity, assess your commitments and arrange or review a valuation of the specific property. It may ask for payslips, bank statements, tax documents, proof of deposit and details of the purchase.
The AIP can help show an estate agent that you have discussed borrowing, but it does not commit the lender to lend on the home you choose. The formal mortgage offer comes only after the full assessment. Keep the AIP available for the estate agent if requested, but do not treat it as evidence that the purchase is guaranteed.
If the purchase price is higher than your AIP
Ask the lender or adviser to recalculate affordability before making an offer that depends on extra borrowing. Do not assume a small increase will be accepted; the lender may apply a different loan-to-value band, stress test or property policy.
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If the property is unusual
Tell the lender early if the home is a non-standard construction, has a short lease, includes commercial space or has another feature that could affect lending. An AIP is based primarily on your initial financial information and does not approve the property itself.
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If the original lender will not renew
Ask whether the refusal is because the AIP simply cannot be extended, because your information changed or because the intended purchase falls outside current criteria. A clear reason helps you decide what to do without making unnecessary applications.
If your circumstances have changed or you are unsure which lenders may consider them, speak with a qualified mortgage adviser. Explain that the previous AIP has expired and ask how the adviser will protect your credit file while checking eligibility. An adviser cannot guarantee approval, but can help you present accurate, current information and identify an appropriate application route.
Do not conceal a change in income, borrowing or deposit to obtain a result closer to the old figure. Misstated information can cause problems during underwriting or when the lender checks documents for the formal offer.
Common mistakes that create delays
- Using the old expiry date. Estate-agent discussions do not extend an AIP. Check the document and obtain a current decision.
- Assuming renewal is automatic. Some lenders offer a renewal route; others require a new application.
- Assuming every search is soft. Confirm the search type with the lender handling this application.
- Ignoring changed finances. An AIP based on outdated income or commitments can produce an unrealistic borrowing figure.
- Confusing an AIP with a mortgage offer. The property and your evidence still have to pass full underwriting.
- Applying repeatedly without a plan. Establish the lender’s process and credit-search effect before authorising additional checks.
- Letting the AIP dictate the purchase price. Treat the estimate as a ceiling subject to reassessment, not as a budget you must use in full.
A simple checklist before you contact the lender
- Original AIP or DIP and its expiry date
- Lender or broker contact details and reference number
- Latest payslips, accounts or other income evidence, if requested
- Current monthly commitments and credit balances
- Up-to-date deposit amount and source
- Target borrowing and realistic price range
- A written question about soft versus hard credit searches
- Details of any employment, household or property changes
Keep a note of who you spoke to, the date, the search type confirmed, documents requested and the new expiry date. That record is useful if your purchase takes longer than expected or a different adviser later handles the full application.
The bottom line
An expired AIP is a prompt to obtain a current lender decision, not evidence that you can no longer buy. Check the lender’s stated validity period, contact the issuing lender or broker, confirm whether renewal or a new application is required, ask about the credit search and update every material financial detail. When you find a home, proceed to the full application and property assessment; only that process can produce a formal mortgage offer.
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