01.05.202608:30:00UTC+00UK Mortgage Approvals Edge Higher in March, Signaling Tentative Housing Market Resilience

United Kingdom mortgage approvals ticked up in March 2026, suggesting a modest improvement in housing market activity. According to the latest data updated on 1 May 2026, approvals rose to 63.53K in March, up from 62.58K in February 2026.

The increase of just under 1,000 approvals month-on-month points to a cautiously firmer demand for home loans, potentially reflecting improving buyer sentiment or slightly more accommodating lending conditions. While the change is incremental rather than dramatic, it indicates that mortgage activity is stabilising rather than weakening as the spring period progresses.

Market participants will be watching upcoming monthly releases closely to see whether March’s uptick develops into a more sustained trend in the UK housing market or remains a marginal improvement after February’s reading.