The number of people taking out mortgages fell to its lowest level for 19 months in August, according to Britain's High Street banks.
A total of 36,997 homeowners had their mortgages approved, the British Bankers' Association (BBA) said.
That is the lowest figure since January 2015, and a 21% drop on August 2015.
The number of people borrowing to buy a house or flat has been falling since April, when there was a rush to buy property ahead of stamp duty changes.
The figures do not include lending by UK building societies, which account for about a third of mortgage borrowing.
However, UK consumers are continuing to borrow more through loans and overdrafts.
The total amount of consumer credit grew by 6.4% in the year to August, the fastest rate of growth for nearly 10 years.
Article published on BBC website - 26th September 2016.