Drink Driving and Mortgage Applications
A drink driving conviction does not automatically prevent you from obtaining a mortgage. Mortgage lenders are primarily concerned with your ability to repay the loan, not your criminal history. However, certain aspects of a conviction can indirectly affect your application.
Most standard residential mortgage applications do not ask about criminal convictions. The lender is focused on income, employment stability, credit history and the value of the property. A drink driving conviction will not appear on a standard credit check.
The situation can be different for buy-to-let mortgages, professional mortgages and applications where the lender requires a declaration of criminal convictions. Some specialist mortgage products do include questions about unspent convictions.
How a Conviction Can Indirectly Affect Your Mortgage
Employment and Income Impact
The most significant risk to your mortgage is the indirect impact on your employment and income. If a drink driving conviction leads to job loss or reduced income, this will affect your ability to meet mortgage payments and to qualify for a new mortgage.
For professional roles that require driving, such as sales, delivery or transport, a driving ban can result in dismissal or demotion. A lender assessing your application will consider your current income and employment stability.
Insurance Requirements
Mortgage lenders require you to have buildings insurance on the property. A criminal conviction does not typically affect your ability to obtain buildings insurance, as these policies are based on the property rather than the policyholder's driving record.
However, if your drink driving conviction is part of a broader pattern that includes other convictions, some insurers may ask about criminal history as part of a general question on insurance application forms.
Existing Mortgage Obligations
If you already have a mortgage, a drink driving conviction does not affect the terms of your existing agreement. The lender cannot change your interest rate, call in the loan or take any action based on a criminal conviction.
The risk arises if the conviction leads to financial difficulty. If you lose your job or experience reduced income as a result of the conviction, you may struggle to meet payments. Contact your lender early if you anticipate difficulty, as they may offer temporary payment reductions or holidays.
Do You Need to Declare a Drink Driving Conviction?
Standard residential mortgage applications generally do not ask about criminal convictions. You are only required to declare information that is specifically asked for on the application form.
If the application does ask about unspent criminal convictions, you must answer honestly. Providing false information on a mortgage application can constitute fraud. However, once the conviction is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, you are not required to disclose it even if asked.
For a drink driving conviction resulting in a fine, the conviction becomes spent after 1 year. For a community order, 1 year after the order ends. After these periods, you have no obligation to disclose the conviction on any mortgage application.