If you have been declined for an agreement in principle, send me the decline letter and I will tell you which lenders are worth approaching. Call 01425 203055, WhatsApp 07731 675537, or book a 15 minute call.
HTG Mortgages
Declined for an Agreement in Principle? What to Do Next
Last Updated: September 2026
Featured in The Telegraph • Daily Mail • The Times • Sky News
An agreement in principle decline usually means one lender’s automated checks did not like something on your credit file, your deposit or your income. It is not a record that follows you to every other lender. The right next step is to find out why before you apply anywhere else, because a string of applications made blind can do more damage than the first decline.
The decision itself is not recorded on your credit file. A hard search is, and stays visible for 12 months
Each lender has its own scorecard. One decline tells you almost nothing about what another lender will say
With access to over 120 lenders, I check criteria before your name goes near a search
As featured in…
Meet your Advisor
Harry Goodliffe
- FCA Authorised
- Director & Mortgage Advisor
“I‘m not about confusing jargon or passing you from person to person. From our first chat to the day you get the keys, you’ll deal directly with me. I‘ll keep you updated, answer any burning questions, and do everything I can to make the whole process as stress-free as possible.”
Let’s Talk About Your Mortgage
What to do after an agreement in principle decline
1
Step 1
Get your reports
Pull your credit reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Lenders do not all use the same one. Look for anything you did not expect: a missed payment, a default, a wrong address, a financial link to an ex-partner.
2
Step 2
Find the reason
The common reasons are a credit file problem, an address history that does not match the electoral roll, a deposit below that lender’s minimum, income the scorecard weights lightly (bonus, overtime, a new job, under two years self-employed), or a loan too big for its income multiple.
3
Step 3
Match the lender
If the deposit is tight, the fix is a lender that accepts your deposit size. If it is income, a lender that counts more of it. If it is the credit file, either a correction or a lender that accepts that blemish at that age. I do this in one go rather than by trial and error.
4
Step 4
Reapply once
A second lender does not see the first decision, only the search if it was a hard one. Several hard searches in a short period is what lenders dislike, so the second attempt should be the one that fits.
About
Our approach.
A decline is one lender’s opinion, and mostly an automated one
An agreement in principle (some lenders call it a decision in principle or mortgage in principle) is a quick check, mostly automated. If your details fall below that lender’s threshold, it declines. Referred is different: it means an underwriter will look manually, and that is not a no. Mistakes on credit files happen more than people expect, a mis-recorded late payment, an account you never opened, a previous occupant’s debt linked to your address. Each agency has a dispute process and must investigate within 28 days. In my own cases the AIP declines I see most often come down to affordability, and usually a spending commitment that was forgotten when the numbers went in: car finance, a personal loan, a credit card that is still open. The lender pulls those from your credit file whether you mention them or not, so we go through the file together before anything is submitted.
Whole-of-Market Access
Whole-of-market comparison across 120+ lenders
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A flat £350 fee, payable only once your mortgage offer is issued
Honest Advice
If the right answer is to do nothing, I will say so
Outside My Scope
I do not offer equity release
How I help
I read the decline, check your credit reports with you, and run the case against lender criteria before anything is submitted. If it can be placed, I tell you where. If it cannot be placed yet, I tell you what needs to change and when to come back. My £350 fee is only payable when a mortgage offer is issued. See also bad credit mortgages and the first time buyer hub.
Who this is for
Anyone who has been declined for an agreement in principle by a bank, a comparison site or another broker and wants to know whether the case can be placed elsewhere before making another application.
Why use HTG’s mortgage services?
Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm
We are an independently owned, whole-of-market mortgage broker offering first-charge mortgages
You deal with Harry directly, from the first conversation to completion
Let’s get your mortgage sorted
Written by Harry Goodliffe
Director & Mortgage Adviser, HTG Mortgages · FCA Authorised (1017945)
CeMAP Qualified · Featured in National Press · South England Prestige Awards 2026/27 winner