Mortgage FAQ
-Answers to your mortgage questions-
From 1 January 2023, the Central Bank of Ireland has made changes to who can now be considered a First Time Buyer.
You are a First Time Buyer if you:
- and anyone else applying with you have never borrowed for a property anywhere before;
- have borrowed as a first time borrower for a family home before as part of a couple, but you no longer have an interest in that property yourself because your marriage, civil partnership or relationship has ended, and you have no other mortgage loans (this is called a “Fresh Start”);
- have been declared insolvent or bankrupt and no longer have an interest in any property (this is called a “Fresh Start”);
- are switching a mortgage for a first family home in the Republic of Ireland to us and you are borrowing more money;
- are topping up your Haven mortgage on your first family home; or
- have a first family home with no mortgage and you want to borrow money against the value of this home.
Every application is different, so to help you, you’ll find some of the typical required documents that we need here. There may be others that we need, but we will tell you as they come up.
First Time Buyers can borrow up to 90% of the value of the property (this percentage is known as the LTV, or Loan to Value of your home). The other 10% difference is your deposit which you may have from savings.
Up to 80% loan to value is available for a studio apartment valued at €275,000 or above, or a one-bedroom property. We do not lend for studio apartments valued under €275,000.
The amount you can borrow depends on what you can comfortably afford to repay monthly, this typically is not more than 35% of your disposable income. As a general rule, you can borrow up to four times your income, but it really depends on your overall financial commitments.
Once you give your Mortgage Broker your application and any other documents they ask you for (these are listed in your Approval in Principle letter) they will contact you within three business days to say we have received it.
a) If there is any information missing, they will tell you, within three business days.
b) We will let your Mortgage Broker know our decision on your mortgage application within ten business days of receiving all the information we need.
c) If we cannot give you a decision within ten business days, we will tell your Mortgage Broker why and when we are likely to.
Mortgage Approval in Principle lasts for 12 months.
Building Energy Rating (BER) is a rating on the overall energy efficiency of a residential property or building. The BER scale ranges from A (most energy efficient) to G (least energy efficient).
From 27 January 2025, all our mortgage customers must give us a valid BER certificate / completed Building Certificate (stage payments) before their mortgage funds are released.
If your Letter of Offer is dated on or after 27 January 2025, you must give us a valid BER certificate to draw down the mortgage funds irrespective of the interest rate you have selected or the BER rating of the property.
If your Letter of Offer is dated before 27 January 2025, you only need to give us a valid BER certificate if you have chosen a Green interest rate. For more information on the interest rates available, please visit our website Mortgage Rates.
A BER certificate is valid for 10 years. The mortgage must be taken out before the end date on the certificate.
- If you are buying a new or second-hand property, the seller of the property will have the BER certificate. The estate agent or solicitor should be able to share it. Or the BER reference number will be available on the property listing. This reference number can be used to source the complete report from the SEAI National BER Register.
- If you are switching your mortgage to us, you must give us a valid BER certificate before you take out the mortgage, irrespective of the interest rate you have selected or the BER rating of the property. If you don’t have a valid BER certificate for your property, you will need to arrange to get one and you will have to pay for it. To check if your property already has a BER certificate, visit the SEAI National BER Register website. For more information on arranging a BER assessment of your property, please visit the SEAI website.
- If you are a self-build customer or topping-up your mortgage for works that need planning permission, you need to give us a completed Building Certificate confirming nZEB standards each time you ask for a stage payment. Your architect or engineer will complete these certificates. You can locate a copy of the Architect Certificate on our website under the Useful Forms section or by copying this link: www.havenmortgages.ie/content/dam/haven/pdfs/architects-interim-certificate.pdf
- If you are topping up your mortgage to carry out renovations that do not require planning permission, or you are topping up your mortgage for any other reason, you will need to give us a valid BER certificate prior to drawdown. If you don’t have a valid BER certificate for your property, you will need to get one and you will have to pay for it. For more information, please visit the SEAI website.
If your property or the property you are buying is registered as BER exempt, you must provide us with documents that show this from the appropriate Local Authority Record of Protected Structures (PSR) prior to drawdown of your mortgage. The cost of a BER certificate varies based on factors like the provider and property size, so it is not included in our credit cost calculations.
What is the Mortgage Interest Tax Credit?
The Mortgage Interest Tax Credit (MITC) was announced in Budget 2024. The tax credit is available on the increase in mortgage interest paid in 2023 over mortgage interest paid in 2022.
It is available to taxpayers with mortgage balances of between €80,000 and €500,000 as of 31 December 2022.
The Mortgage Interest Tax Credit is only available for the 2023 tax year.
What documents do I need to apply?
To claim the credit, the following documents are required to be uploaded through Revenue’s online services:
- 2022 Mortgage Statement
- 2023 Mortgage Statement
Information on your mortgage interest is included in your Haven Mortgage Statements.
Customers received their 2022 Mortgage Statement in March 2023. 2023 Mortgage Statements will be issued from March 2024.
You can request a duplicate Mortgage Statement including your mortgage interest information by calling our Customer Service Team on 0818 565 500.
How do I apply for the Mortgage Interest Tax Credit?
In order to claim the Mortgage Interest Tax Credit for the 2023 tax year, the individual must file an Income Tax Return via Revenue’s online services.
Am I entitled to claim this tax credit?
An individual will be entitled to claim the Mortgage Interest Tax Credit for the 2023 tax year where they:
- Paid interest on a qualifying loan in the years 2022 and 2023.
- The interest on the qualifying loan increased from 2022 to 2023.
- The outstanding mortgage balance on 31 December 2022 was between €80,000 and €500,000.
- The property (situated in the State) was his or her principal private residence.
- Local Property Tax obligations in respect of that property are satisfied.
I redeemed my mortgage in 2023. Can I still claim this tax credit?
Yes, you will still be able to claim your tax credit. Where interest has been paid for less than a full year in 2023, an adjustment is required so that your claim can be assessed on a pro rata basis.
For full details on how to calculate this, please visit Revenue.ie
Customers who redeemed their mortgage in 2023 will need to request a Mortgage Statement which includes the required information on their mortgage interest by calling our Customer Service Team on 0818 565 500.
For all other information relating to the Mortgage Interest Tax Credit, please visit Mortgage Interest Tax Credit.
Haven 4-year Green Rate mortgage FAQs
The Haven Green 4-year Fixed rate mortgage features include:
A lower rate of interest
4-year Fixed rate term
Available to new and existing Haven mortgage customers whose property has a certified Building Energy Rating (BER) of between A1-B3 or in the case of a self build mortgage, meets nearly Zero Energy (nZeb) standards .
- BER certificate is issued by Sustainable Energy Authority Of Ireland website and is valid for 10 years from the date of issue
Home address of the property being mortgaged
BER Grade – A1, A2, A3, B1, B2 or B3
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Indicator Calculation
A valid-until date
The Haven green 4 year fixed rate mortgage is available to customers who are buying for the first time, moving, building their own home, buying a holiday home, topping-up an existing mortgage, switching a mortgage to us, moving to a different fixed rate or have fully completed building a high energy rated home.
You’ll need to provide a valid BER certificate with a rating of A1, A2, A3, B1, B2 or B3 from within the last ten years.
If you are building your own we’ll need Architect Certs that show the build work meets nearly Zero Energy Building (nZeb) standards.
If you are undertaking renovations that don’t require planning permission. We’ll need your BER Cert to confirm the home has a BER rating of between A1 and B3 before starting the work. Or, if the work being done is intended to improve the BER of the home to at least B3 then a BER Cert can be provided after the work is done and the mortgage loan can then be changed to the Green 4 Year Fixed Rate.
Before the end of your Haven Green 4-year Fixed mortgage term, we will send you a list of rates we offer at that time. You can then choose a new rate.
You can apply for the Haven Green 4-year Fixed rate mortgage again if:
Your property’s BER certificate has a rating of A1, A2, A3, B1, B2 or B3; and
You have a BER certificate dated within 10 years; and
The Haven Green 4-year fixed rate is still available
If you do not select a rate, the default Variable rate at that time will be applied.
Haven €5,000 Cashback FAQ
You have to take out your mortgage loan between 14 January 2021 and 31 December 2025.
You have to be a First Time Buyer, buying a holiday home, moving to your next home or switching your mortgage loan to us. You can also have this offer if you are moving home, and your negative equity mortgage is with us.
You have to use the mortgage loan to buy a home in Ireland that you intend to live in, or a holiday home in Ireland, or to switch the mortgage loan to us for the home in Ireland that you live in.
At least €250,000 of the new loan must be on a Fixed rate, but not the Haven Green 4-year Fixed rate. You need to apply using the cashback application form (PDF, 2 pages, 56.5KB) before we agree to the offer. You need to set up a direct debit on the current account you use to repay your mortgage. We will use this current account to pay the Haven €5,000 cashback into within two months of you taking out the loan.
The offer does not apply to:
Top-up loans or transfers of title mortgage loan.
Mortgage drawdowns before 14 January 2021 or after 31 December 2025.
A stage drawdown that takes place more than 18 months after the first drawdown.
Variable rates.
Self-Build FAQs
You can draw down your mortgage in up to six stages, as your home is being built – allowing you to borrow only what you need across the period of the build.
The first stage drawdown of your mortgage must happen between 14 January 2021 and 31 December 2025.
We will pay you the Haven €5,000 Cashback when your stage drawdowns are €250,000 or more, and on a Fixed rate.
All stage drawdowns have to be completed within 18 months of the first drawdown.
The Haven €5,000 Cashback is not available on the Haven Green 4 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage.
For the eligible customers, we will pay the Haven €5,000 Cashback into the current account used for the mortgage repayments within two months of you taking out the loan.
Switcher mortgage FAQs
A ‘Switcher’ Mortgage is one where Haven is re-financing or taking over an existing mortgage borrowing from another lending institution, allowing you to switch your mortgage without switching home.
Switch your mortgage to Haven and we’ll pay you €3,000 to cover your costs. If you’re thinking of switching your home mortgage from your current provider, your Mortgage Broker would be delighted to talk to you about a Haven mortgage. The Haven €3,000 switcher payment is available for Private Dwelling House (PDH) mortgages only, switching to Fixed or Variable rates.
Customers who switch their mortgage to Haven cannot have both the Haven €3,000 Switcher offer and the Haven €5,000 Cashback offer. If customers do not qualify for the Haven €5,000 cashback offer, they will need to complete the relevant application form to apply for the Haven €3,000 Switcher offer. The Haven €3,000 switcher payment is available for Private Dwelling House (PDH) mortgages only, switching to Fixed or Variable rates. You should contact your Mortgage Broker for more information on this offer.
Top-Up mortgage FAQs
With a Haven top-up mortgage, you can borrow a minimum of €10,000. The maximum depends on the value of your home, what you can afford to comfortably repay each month, and what you plan to do with the money.
You can choose a term of up to 35 years (or maximum 68 years of age).
It is an additional mortgage to the one you have, so it can have a different interest rate and be paid back over a different time period.
If you are planning home improvements, you should let your home insurance provider know. If you need to move out of your home while the home improvement work is carried out, additional insurance may be required to make sure your home is fully protected.
- You must have your house evaluated by a Haven Residential Mortgage Valuer as the top-up mortgage loan is secured by the equity of your home. You will be charged €150 for the initial valuation and €65 for any additional valuation that are required. This can be arranged for you by your mortgage broker, who can also confirm when in the application process it is required.
- You may have to pay fees to the mortgage broker for their services.
- Documents like the Family Home Declaration and the Letter of Offer must be witnessed by a solicitor.
- Your life assurance may be affected. To find out if the new loan amount will influence your current cover, get in touch with your insurers.
Haven does not directly offer these products, but your chosen mortgage broker will be able to assist you in meeting all requirements.
Tracker Retention FAQs
A Tracker mortgage ‘tracks’ changes to the ECB (European Central Bank) rate. If the ECB decides to increase or decrease its rate, the rate on the Tracker Mortgage will go up or down by the same percentage.
TIRR (Tracker Interest Rate Retention) will allow you to keep your Tracker interest rate with an additional margin of 1% on your current Tracker mortgage balance, if you want to sell your existing property and purchase a new principal private residence.
TIRR is only available to existing Haven home loan Tracker mortgage customers who are not experiencing difficulties making their existing mortgage repayments.
Please remember that once you switched out of tracker rate you cannot opt for that again.
Fixed Rate Mortgage Change FAQs
We will not apply the increase if you are paying a mortgage within an existing Fixed rate term.
Following the European Central Bank’s increases in interest rates since July 2022 and in a rising interest rate environment, we are increasing fixed mortgage interest rates.
Customers who draw down their new mortgage before close of business on 28 July 2023 can avail of the previous rates.
Our Variable rate customers are not impacted by this Fixed rate increase.
Separately, on 29 June 2023 Haven announced a Variable rate increase for all PDH variable rate customers which will be effective on 15 August 2023. Please refer to our website for further details. Mortgage rates page.
If you are concerned about your mortgage repayments or if you already missed repayments, you can speak to us by calling 0818 280 280. Alternatively, you can visit: Worried about payments.
We have wide range of competitive rate options available to customers. Please visit our website for more information Mortgage rates page.
ECB Rate Change FAQs
A tracker mortgage ‘tracks’ changes to the ECB rate. If the ECB decides to increase or decrease its rate, the rate on the Tracker Mortgage will go up or down by the same percentage
The direct debit for your mortgage will automatically change, so you don’t have to do anything.
You will need to amend your standing order to reflect the increased mortgage repayment. You will need to contact your Bank to make this amendment.
Our Standard Variable Rate and LTV Variable Rates are not affected by this change. Details of our mortgage rates are available on our website. You can visit: Mortgage rates page.
If you are concerned about your current mortgage repayments or if you are already in arrears on your repayments, you can speak to us by calling 0818 280 280.
Alternatively, you can visit Worried about payments page.
We have wide range of competitive rate options available for customers. Please visit our website for more information.
Mortgage rates page.