New Swedish mortgage rules 2026: what changed and what applies now

From 1 April 2026, new mortgage rules apply in Sweden (Lag 2026:226). Since then the requirements are set out in law, the Act (2026:226) on Limitation of Residential Mortgages (lag om begränsning av bostadskrediter), which replaced the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority’s (Finansinspektionen) regulations on amortisation and its general guidelines on the mortgage ceiling. The down payment (kontantinsats) drops from 15 to 10 %, the tightened amortisation requirement at a debt-to-income ratio (skuldkvot) above 4.5 is abolished, and top-up loans (tilläggslån) are capped at 80 % of the value of the home. This page summarises all the changes, what they mean in kronor and who is affected.

The rules on this page were checked on 2026-10-03 against the sources listed at the end.

Before and after — summary

Rule	Before 1 April 2026	After 1 April 2026
Mortgage ceiling on purchase	85 %	90 %
Down payment	At least 15 %	At least 10 %
Top-up loans	Max 85 % of the value of the home	Max 80 %
Tightened amortisation requirement	+1 % at debt-to-income ratio >4.5	Abolished

The short version: easier to enter the market, harder to increase the loan after the purchase.

Down payment: 15 % → 10 %

The change that got the most attention. This is the difference in kronor:

Price of the home	Down payment 15 % (before)	Down payment 10 % (after)	Less needed up front	Extra cost/month (2.65 % interest, 2 % amortisation, before the interest tax deduction)
SEK 2,000,000	SEK 300,000	SEK 200,000	SEK 100,000	+SEK 388
SEK 3,000,000	SEK 450,000	SEK 300,000	SEK 150,000	+SEK 581
SEK 4,000,000	SEK 600,000	SEK 400,000	SEK 200,000	+SEK 775
SEK 5,000,000	SEK 750,000	SEK 500,000	SEK 250,000	+SEK 969

A lower threshold, but the larger loan costs more every month. The table shows the difference in monthly cost between a 10 % and a 15 % down payment, using the assumptions in the column heading.

The time it takes to save for a down payment becomes considerably shorter. Handelsbanken has calculated on median prices and the average savings ratio: in Stockholm from roughly 16 to 10 years, in Gothenburg and Malmö from roughly 10 to 6 years.

In depth: New mortgage rules — everything that changes

Abolished debt-to-income amortisation

The tightened amortisation requirement meant an extra 1 % amortisation per year for households with a debt-to-income ratio above 4.5 times gross income. That requirement is abolished.

Worked example: Johan earns SEK 600,000 per year and has a SEK 3 million loan with a loan-to-value ratio above 70 %. Debt-to-income ratio: 5.0.

	Before 1 April	After 1 April
Amortisation requirement	3 % (2 % + 1 % tightened)	2 %
Amortisation per year	SEK 90,000	SEK 60,000
Amortisation per month	SEK 7,500	SEK 5,000
Lower amortisation per month		SEK 2,500

The Act contains no provision saying that the bank must change the amortisation on an existing loan on its own initiative. Ask your bank what applies to your loan.

Top-up loans: new ceiling of 80 %

Top-up loans — loans that increase your existing mortgage with the home as collateral, typically for renovation — are limited to a maximum of 80 % of the value of the home, down from 85 %. In addition, the home may be revalued at the earliest five years after the purchase or after the most recent revaluation that changed the amortisation amount or the borrowing room.

If the loan-to-value ratio is already at 80 % or higher, the rule leaves no room to increase the loan.

Exception: if the value of the home has changed substantially because of something other than the general price trend, for example a major rebuild, the revaluation may be made earlier.

Is my existing mortgage affected?

Three aspects:

1. Tightened amortisation — ask the bank. If you pay 3 % amortisation because of the earlier tightened requirement, the statutory requirement is now 2 % (or 1 %, depending on the loan-to-value ratio). Ask the bank whether the amortisation on your loan can be lowered.

2. The mortgage ceiling — no. The new 90 % ceiling applies when a mortgage is granted. Your existing loan-to-value ratio does not change.

3. Top-up loans — yes, if you increase the loan. The 80 % ceiling applies when a mortgage is increased, and the five-year rule governs when the home may be revalued. If you were planning to renovate with a top-up loan, your current loan-to-value ratio decides the room.

First-time buyers — what changes?

The entry threshold is lowered. The time needed to save for a down payment is shortened by 4–6 years depending on the city. The basis of the affordability assessment (KALP) does not change: the banks’ stress interest rate (kalkylränta) is the same and the standardised living-cost estimates are the same. What does change in the assessment is the amortisation for anyone who was previously hit by the tightened requirement: 2 % instead of 3 % per year gives more room, see what is KALP. Otherwise, what happens is that you can enter the market with less saved capital, but only if your income actually carries the larger loan.

KALP calculator — work out your borrowing capacity · Market data after the rule change

Calculate for your own situation

What do the rule changes mean for your own finances? In BoKalk you can compare a 10 % and a 15 % down payment, see how different interest rate levels affect the monthly cost, and stress-test your finances with a calculation similar to the bank’s KALP assessment — all in one place.

Frequently asked questions

When did the new mortgage rules take effect?

On 1 April 2026, when the Act (2026:226) on Limitation of Residential Mortgages entered into force. The Riksdag took the decision on 4 March 2026. The day before, on 31 March, Finansinspektionen repealed its regulations on amortisation and its general guidelines on the mortgage ceiling.

Do I still have to amortise?

Yes. The basic rules are unchanged: 2 % per year at a loan-to-value ratio above 70 %, 1 % at a loan-to-value ratio above 50 % and up to and including 70 %, no requirement at 50 % or lower. What was abolished is the extra 1 % at a debt-to-income ratio above 4.5.

Will prices rise because of the rules?

This guide makes no price forecast. What can be measured afterwards is in market data after the rule change.

Is my existing mortgage affected?

The tightened amortisation requirement is not part of the new Act. Ask the bank whether the amortisation on your loan can be lowered. The mortgage ceiling (90 %) applies when a mortgage is granted and does not affect your loan. The 80 % ceiling applies when a mortgage is increased, and the five-year rule governs when the home may be revalued.

Sources

The rules on this page were checked on 2026-10-03 against:

• Lag (2026:226) om begränsning av bostadskrediter, riksdagen.se (in Swedish): loan-to-value ratio of at most 90 % when a mortgage is granted (section 4) and 80 % when it is increased (section 5), amortisation of 1 % at a loan-to-value ratio above 50 % and 2 % above 70 % (section 7), revaluation at the earliest after five years (section 13), in force 1 April 2026.
• Committee on Finance report 2025/26:FiU36, riksdagen.se (in Swedish): the Riksdag’s decision of 4 March 2026, the mortgage ceiling raised from 85 to 90 % and the tightened amortisation requirement abolished.
• FI upphäver föreskrifter och allmänna råd om bolån – lag tar över, Finansinspektionen 2026-03-19 (in Swedish): the regulations on amortisation and the general guidelines on the mortgage ceiling repealed on 31 March 2026, the ceiling for top-up loans lowered from 85 to 80 %.

The worked examples are our own calculations using the assumptions stated in the tables.

Christoffer, founder BoKalk