Thousands of Sberbank clients complained about the changes in the conditions for issuing a mortgage loan at the final stage – the bank sharply increased the down payment, which turned out to be a barrier for many clients. This is reported by Kommersant with reference to realtors who cooperate with the largest bank in the country.
Mortgages insist on an "unreasonable" increase in the down payment on already approved loan applications, in some cases the amount of the installment suddenly doubled, and the average amount – from 15-20% to 35%. Realtors claim that more than a thousand clients have suffered from the actions of the state bank.
From the point of view of legislation, the actions of the bank are clean – it has the right to change the terms of the loan agreement up to the conclusion of the contract. Nevertheless, lawyers admit that Sberbank is clearly abusing “inhumane towards customers” practices. Many clients have already incurred expenses by the time the loan was approved: they paid a deposit to the seller, paid for a property appraisal, spent money on a realtor, etc.
“The increase in the down payment in the mortgage serves only one purpose – to reduce the risk component of the bank. The most reliable level of down payment is 30-40% of the cost of housing,” says Sergey Gordeiko, chief expert at Rusipoteka, noting that this level of down payment will allow the bank to sell the apartment at a discount without any problems in case of bankruptcy of the borrower.
A representative of the bank, in a conversation with the publication, admitted that in "some cases" Sberbank "really recommends increasing the down payment or reducing the loan amount." However, changes in the terms of the loan in the bank are explained by objective factors, for example, a decrease in the solvency of potential borrowers. However, potential clients themselves claim that their financial condition has not changed during the period of applying for a mortgage.
Lawyers insist that it may be worth making additional amendments to current laws that could regulate such situations. The Bank of Russia is also calling for attention to the problem, however, the regulator has already withdrawn itself in a similar situation, noting that such a practice on the part of the bank does not violate the laws. In March, Sberbank just abused the right to renegotiate the contract at the last moment – the state bank sharply raised mortgage rates against the backdrop of a tightening policy from the Central Bank due to the war with Ukraine. Some clients had pre-approved applications cancelled .
