The maximum debt-to-income ratio of 35% including insurance set by the HCSF has quasi-regulatory value since 2022. This ceiling directly conditions the minimum salary for a mortgage loan of 150,000 euros, but it only tells part of the story. The margin of exception granted to banks remains narrow, and the disposable income can be enough to cause a technically compliant file to be rejected.
Charge jumps and disposable income: the filters that block before the debt-to-income ratio
A borrower who pays a rent of 500 euros and ends up with a loan payment of 850 euros experiences a charge jump of 350 euros. Banks measure this gap to assess the household’s actual capacity to absorb the increase in monthly payments.
You may also like : What criteria to choose the right kayak?
The charge jump does not appear in any regulatory formula, but we observe that it weighs heavily in credit committees. A file with a debt-to-income ratio below 35% can be rejected if the charge jump exceeds a threshold set internally by each institution.
Disposable income works in the same way. It corresponds to the amount available once the monthly payment is deducted. For a single borrower, banks generally require a minimum that covers unavoidable current expenses. A disposable income that is too low will result in the rejection of a loan of 150,000 euros even under the debt ceiling.
See also : How to calculate your net salary from a gross salary of 30,000 euros per year? Detailed explanations
To estimate the salary needed to borrow 150,000 euros, one must reason beyond the simple income/payment ratio and integrate these two filters upstream.
Calculation of the minimum salary for 150,000 euros based on the loan duration
The basic formula remains the same: divide the monthly payment by 0.35 to obtain the minimum net income. The monthly payment depends on the duration and the nominal rate to which the borrower’s insurance is added.
Over a short duration, the monthly payment increases and the required salary does too. Over 25 years, the monthly payment decreases, but the total cost of the loan increases significantly. The maximum duration of 25 years imposed by the HCSF prohibits extending further to artificially reduce the monthly charge.
Ranges of net monthly salary by duration
| Loan Duration | Estimated Monthly Payment (excluding insurance) | Minimum Net Monthly Salary (35%) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years | High | Above 4,000 euros |
| 15 years | High intermediate | Around 3,000 euros |
| 20 years | Intermediate | Around 2,400 euros |
| 25 years | Lower | Around 2,000 euros |
These orders of magnitude assume a current market rate and a standard group insurance. Any ongoing credit at the time of application reduces borrowing capacity by increasing the numerator of the debt ratio.
Income considered by the bank for a mortgage loan of 150,000 euros
Banks do not consider all income in the same way. A permanent contract salary outside the trial period is included at 100%. Recurring bonuses (thirteenth month, seniority bonus) are generally averaged over twelve months if they appear on the last three pay slips.
For self-employed individuals, the lending institution examines the financial statements or tax notices from the last two or three years and takes an average. A loss-making year can significantly drop the reference income below the actual income of the current year.
- Rental income: generally considered at 70% to account for the risk of vacancy and expenses.
- Allowances and pensions: included if they are stable and verifiable on tax notices, but not temporary aids.
- Variable income (commissions, overtime): averaged over the last months, often reduced by the bank for caution.
A co-borrower on a permanent contract significantly strengthens the file by combining two sources of stable income, making it easier to cross the required salary threshold.
Personal contribution and insurance: two levers on the actual amount borrowed
The contribution does not enter into the calculation of the debt ratio, but it modifies the amount to be financed and thus the monthly payment. With a contribution covering notary and guarantee fees, the borrower limits the borrowed capital to the 150,000 euros of the property’s price. Without a contribution, these fees are added to the loan and inflate the monthly payment.
We recommend considering borrower insurance as a separate negotiation item. The insurance is included in the calculation of the 35% debt ratio, which means that a cheaper insurance delegation frees up borrowing capacity. For a young, non-smoking profile, the difference in premiums between group contracts and delegation can represent several dozen euros per month.
Margin of exception from banks
The HCSF allows banks to deviate from the 35% and 25-year criteria for a small fraction of their quarterly production. These exceptions are primarily reserved for first-time buyers purchasing their primary residence. A solid file with comfortable disposable income and residual savings after contribution can benefit from this flexibility.
A loan of 150,000 euros remains a moderate amount on the market scale. The real bottleneck rarely lies in the amount, but in the overall coherence of the file: professional stability, incident-free banking management, and consistency between the charge jump and the household’s lifestyle. Working on these three axes before submitting an application changes the outcome more than a few dozen euros of additional salary.