Mortgage lending in the United Kingdom fell in April 2026, pointing to a cooling in housing market activity after a stronger March. Total new mortgage lending declined to £4.37 billion in April, down from £6.15 billion in March 2026, according to data updated on 2 June 2026.
The pullback suggests borrowers may be turning more cautious after a period of relatively robust lending, with fewer new loans being advanced compared with the previous month. While one month’s data does not establish a trend, the sharp drop from March’s level indicates that demand for new mortgages may be softening or that tighter conditions are filtering through to the market. Analysts and market participants will now watch the coming months’ figures closely to assess whether April’s reading marks the start of a more sustained slowdown in UK mortgage activity.