Lånelöfte

What it is

A lånelöfte (mortgage promise) is a preliminary statement from a bank on how much you can borrow for an upcoming home purchase. It is not a guarantee. It is an assessment of your finances that shows where your budget sits before you start looking and bidding. With a lånelöfte in hand you know which homes are realistic, and you can act quickly when the right one appears.

The fact that it is not a guarantee means the bank can review the statement again. In practice you normally get the loan as long as your finances are unchanged and the home matches the details in the promise, but if you change jobs or take on new loans in the meantime, the amount can shift.

How long it lasts

A lånelöfte is valid for a limited time. Banks usually set it to 3 or 6 months, and once that period is up you need to renew it. At renewal the bank runs a fresh credit check and looks at your finances again, so keep an eye on the expiry date if your search runs long.

How much you need to put in yourself

From 1 April 2026 the bolånetak (loan-to-value cap on mortgages) rises from 85 to 90 percent of the home’s market value. That lowers the kontantinsats (the deposit you pay yourself) from 15 to 10 percent. On a home priced at 4.5 million the deposit becomes 450 000 kr instead of 675 000 kr, and that feeds directly into how large a lånelöfte you can get.

What to do now

Apply for a lånelöfte before you start going to viewings, ideally with more than one bank so you can compare. Work out your deposit based on the homes you are looking at, and check the expiry date on the promise. Remember that the lånelöfte sets a ceiling, not a target: it is wise to keep your own budget below that figure so the monthly cost still feels comfortable even if interest rates rise.