TL;DR

• Teachers on approved unpaid leave may still be eligible for a home loan if they can demonstrate a confirmed return to work, reliable future income and sufficient funds to cover the income gap.
• The type of leave matters, with approved leave, parental leave and career breaks assessed differently depending on employment certainty and supporting documentation.
• Lenders consider more than current income, including future earnings, savings, partner income, living expenses, existing debts and overall serviceability.
• Choosing the right time to apply, preparing key documents and understanding how leave affects borrowing capacity can help improve the strength of a home loan application.

With borrowing capacity already under pressure from higher rates and stricter serviceability buffers, a teacher planning parental leave, an approved break from teaching, or simply a career pause is often left wondering whether a home loan is realistic at all during that period. It is a genuinely common situation. Teachers take parental leave, approved leave without pay, long-service leave and career breaks for travel, study or family reasons far more often than general home-loan guides tend to acknowledge, and the financial questions that come with it are real: will the bank use my normal salary, do I need a confirmed return date, and is it better to apply before, during or after the break?

The useful starting point is that a temporary pause in teaching income is not the same as having no future employment at all. A lender’s real concern is whether the reduction in income is genuinely temporary, whether the future income is certain enough to rely on, and whether the household can meet its commitments until that income resumes. How confidently a lender can answer those three questions depends heavily on what kind of leave is involved, and a confirmed, employer-approved return to a substantive role is a very different proposition to an open-ended career break with no guaranteed position waiting at the end of it.

This article works through the different types of leave a teacher might be taking, how a lender assesses future income during each, what a return-to-work letter should say, how much of a cash buffer is typically expected, and how the timing of an application, before, during or after the break, can change the outcome.

Can Teachers Get a Home Loan While on Unpaid Leave?

Often, yes, though the answer depends heavily on the type of leave and how well it is documented. A teacher on approved leave without pay, with a confirmed return date and a clear return-to-work letter from their employer, is generally in a stronger position than someone who has resigned with only an informal intention to return to teaching later.

Lenders are not simply looking at whether income has stopped. They are trying to work out whether the employment relationship remains genuinely open, whether the future income can be reasonably relied upon, and whether the household has enough financial capacity to bridge the gap until normal income resumes. Where all three of those elements are reasonably clear, a home loan application can often proceed, though the specific policy still varies meaningfully between lenders.

How Lenders View Temporary Leave

Rather than applying a single rule to every form of leave, most lenders work through three underlying questions when assessing a teacher whose income has temporarily reduced or stopped.

• Is the income interruption genuinely temporary, or does it reflect a more permanent change in circumstances?
• Is the future employment, and the income attached to it, sufficiently certain to be relied upon?
• Can the household meet its ongoing repayments and living costs until that income resumes?

These three questions explain why the specific type of leave matters so much. A confirmed, employer-approved return to a permanent role answers all three questions clearly, while an open-ended career break with no guaranteed position leaves at least the second question unresolved.

What Type of Leave Are You Taking?

The label attached to a period away from teaching matters less than the underlying facts, but understanding which category applies to your situation helps predict how a lender is likely to approach the application.

Paid parental leave

Some income continues during this period, whether through an employer-funded scheme, a government payment, or both, even though it is usually lower than the regular teaching salary.

Unpaid parental leave

Employment remains open, and a return date is generally confirmed, but the regular salary temporarily stops, which means the household needs another way to cover repayments during the gap.

Approved leave without pay

The teacher remains formally employed by their school or education department, with an agreed return date, but is not receiving their ordinary salary during the leave period.

Long-service leave

Depending on the arrangement, income may continue at full pay, half pay, or another structured rate, which is generally more straightforward for a lender to assess than a period with no income at all.

Study leave or sabbatical

The borrower may receive no salary, a scholarship or grant, or partial employer support, and the certainty of return can vary depending on the specific arrangement with the employer.

Voluntary career break

The teacher takes time away for travel, family, health or personal reasons, but may or may not have a guaranteed position to return to, which makes this one of the more variable categories from a lending perspective.

Resignation with plans to return to teaching

The borrower has no existing role to return to, even if they fully intend to teach again in the future. This is a materially different position to approved leave, since no current employer is confirming a return.

Approved Leave Versus Resigning

This distinction matters more than almost any other factor in this topic, because it changes what a lender is actually being asked to assess. A teacher on approved leave without pay still has an employer, a defined return date, and generally a role waiting for them, which gives a lender something concrete to verify. A teacher who has resigned, even with every intention of returning to teaching once personal circumstances allow, is asking the lender to rely on future employment that does not yet exist in any confirmed form.

This does not mean a resigned teacher cannot obtain finance. It usually means the application needs to stand on other grounds, such as a partner’s income, rental income, or a genuinely strong cash position, rather than relying on an assumed return to teaching. Where a new teaching position has already been secured and confirmed through a signed contract, the situation shifts closer to the graduate or job-change scenarios covered elsewhere, since there is once again a confirmed employer and role to point to.

Can Your Return-to-Work Income Be Used?

Where leave is approved, and a return is expected, many lenders are willing to consider the income the teacher will earn once they are back at work, rather than relying only on the reduced or nil income during the leave period itself. This is often referred to as assessing future income, and it depends on several specific factors.

• Whether the return date is confirmed by the employer rather than simply anticipated by the borrower.
• Whether the return is to the same employer or a different school or department.
• Whether the role being returned to is permanent, fixed-term or casual.
• Whether the return will be full time or part time.
• The expected salary and hours once back at work.
• How long the leave period runs before that income actually resumes.

It is worth being clear that not every lender accepts future income in the same way or to the same extent. Some place considerable weight on a well-documented return-to-work letter, while others prefer to wait until at least one payslip confirms the borrower is actually back at work and being paid as expected.

What Should a Return-to-Work Letter Include?

A well-prepared return-to-work letter is one of the most useful documents a teacher can provide during leave, since it gives the lender a clear, employer-confirmed picture of what happens once the leave period ends.

• The teacher’s name and position.
• Current employment status, including whether the role is permanent, fixed-term or casual.
• The leave start date.
• The approved leave end date.
• The confirmed return date.
• Expected hours after returning, including whether the return will be full time or part time.
• The base salary the teacher will be paid on return.
• Any ongoing allowances attached to the role.
• Whether the position remains permanent or fixed-term after the return.
• Employer contact details for verification.
• Whether any conditions remain outstanding before the return is finalised.

For teachers employed by a state education department, this confirmation may need to come from a central human resources team rather than the individual school, so it is worth checking who is best placed to provide it well before the letter is needed.

How Much Savings Might You Need?

Where a teacher’s income is reduced or paused during leave, a lender will generally want some assurance that the household can cover its commitments in the meantime. This is often thought of as a shortfall buffer, worked out by comparing what the household needs to spend against what reliable income remains during the leave period.

A simple way to think about it is: expected leave-period expenses, including mortgage repayments and living costs, minus any reliable income received during leave, leaves the shortfall that savings or other funds need to cover. This is a conceptual guide rather than a fixed formula, since actual lender calculations vary and will also factor in the length of the leave period and how much confidence they have in the timing of the return.

Sources that generally help

• Cash savings held outside the loan.
• Funds sitting in an offset account attached to an existing mortgage.
• Term deposits or other readily accessible savings.
• Confirmed paid-leave income, where applicable.
• Government parental-leave payments accepted under the lender’s policy.
• Partner income.
• Rental income, generally after an appropriate discount is applied.

Sources that are generally more problematic

• Undrawn credit card limits, which are not the same as available cash.
• An expected tax refund that has not yet been received.
• An unconfirmed bonus that has not yet been paid or guaranteed.
• Funds already earmarked for settlement costs.
• Equity in a property that has not been approved for release.
• Future income from a return to work that has not been confirmed by the employer.

What Income May Be Considered During Leave?

Beyond the teacher’s own future return-to-work salary, several other income sources may support an application during a leave period, though how each is treated depends on the specific lender’s policy.

• Employer-funded paid leave, generally treated similarly to ordinary salary while it continues.
• Government parental-leave payments, which some lenders accept as part of the overall income picture during the paid portion of leave.
• Partner income, which can carry much of the serviceability load where the teacher’s own income is reduced or paused.
• Rental income, where the borrower or household holds an investment property, typically assessed after an appropriate discount for vacancies and costs.
• Investment income, such as dividends or interest, if it is regular and can be verified.
• Casual work undertaken during the leave period, though this is usually treated cautiously given its typically short history and variability.

How Reduced Hours Affect Borrowing Capacity

A teacher who worked full time before taking leave does not necessarily return to the same hours afterwards. Some return full time, others move to four days a week, three days a week, a job-share arrangement, casual relief work, or a part-time fixed-term role. This matters because a lender assessing future income is generally looking at what the teacher will actually be earning once back at work, not simply assuming the previous full-time salary will continue unchanged.

A teacher planning to return on reduced hours should expect the assessment to reflect that reduced income, which in turn affects the borrowing capacity available for the application. Overestimating future income by assuming a full-time return, when a part-time arrangement is actually planned, can lead to a mismatch between what is approved and what is genuinely affordable once the household’s actual post-leave income is confirmed.

Fixed-Term and Casual Teachers

A teacher on a fixed-term contract who takes leave partway through faces an additional layer of complexity, since the contract itself may expire during the leave period. Where this is the case, a lender will generally want to understand whether the contract extends beyond the planned return date, whether renewal has already been confirmed, and whether the employer can verify future employment beyond the current contract’s expiry. A pattern of previous contract renewals can help support continuity, but where the borrower expects further work without a signed renewal in place, the lender is left assessing a genuinely less certain position.

Casual teachers taking a career break face a related issue, since casual income is already assessed more conservatively than permanent employment, and a gap in that income history during a break can make it harder to demonstrate the consistent pattern a lender typically wants to see before relying on the income again after the break ends.

Applying Before, During or After Leave

The timing of an application relative to the leave period has a real effect on how straightforward the assessment is, and each stage carries its own advantages and risks.

• Before leave begins. Potential advantage: current payslips are available and current income is straightforward to verify, which may make more lenders a workable fit initially. Main risk: a known, upcoming reduction in income must still be disclosed, and the lender may choose to assess the future position rather than relying solely on the current salary.
• During unpaid leave. Potential advantage: the leave dates and household cash flow are already known, employer confirmation may be readily available, and the required savings buffer can be measured with more accuracy. Main risk: current salary may be nil, fewer lenders may be willing to rely on future income alone, and the return-to-work evidence becomes central to the outcome.
• Shortly after returning. Potential advantage: current income can be directly evidenced through a payslip confirming actual hours and salary, which may widen the range of lenders willing to proceed. Main risk: the teacher may have returned on reduced hours, new dependant or childcare costs may affect serviceability, and some lenders may still want to see more than one payslip before finalising the assessment.

What Happens to Pre-Approval If You Start Leave?

A pre-approval reflects the borrower’s circumstances at the time it was issued. If leave begins after pre-approval has already been granted, based on the borrower’s previous full-time income, this is a material change that generally needs to be disclosed rather than left unmentioned. The lender may need to reassess income and employment status, updated employer evidence may be requested, and borrowing capacity could change as a result. Some lenders reverify employment shortly before settlement, so a borrower who has started leave in the period between pre-approval and settlement should not assume the original terms remain automatically unaffected.

Documents You May Need

The specific documents required vary depending on the type of leave and the lender involved, but the following gives a reasonable sense of what is commonly requested.

Employment documents

• Current or most recent employment contract.
• Confirmation of employment status, whether permanent, fixed-term or casual.

Leave documents

• Approved leave start and end dates.
• Confirmation that the leave has been formally approved by the employer.

Income evidence

• Recent payslips prior to leave commencing.
• Evidence of any paid-leave income or government payments received during leave.

Savings and offset evidence

• Bank statements showing available savings.
• Offset account balances, where relevant.

Expense and liability evidence

• Details of existing debts, including credit cards, personal loans and car finance.
• Anticipated new expenses, such as childcare costs.

Return-to-work confirmation

• A return-to-work letter covering the elements outlined earlier in this article.
• A first payslip after returning, where the lender requires it.

How Unpaid Leave Affects Serviceability

Unpaid leave does more than simply reduce current income. It changes several inputs into the broader serviceability calculation at once, and understanding this helps explain why the assessment can feel more involved than a straightforward employed application.

• Current assessable income, which may be reduced or nil during the leave period.
• Future assessable income, once the teacher returns to work, which may differ from their pre-leave income if hours change.
• Household living expenses, which can shift with a new dependant or changed circumstances.
• The number of dependants, which affects the living expense allowance a lender applies.
• Childcare costs, particularly relevant where leave relates to a new child and a return to work will require ongoing care arrangements.
• Higher Education Loan Program or Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS or HELP) repayments, which continue to reduce available income regardless of the leave situation.
• Existing loan repayments and credit card limits, both factored in as usual.
• Rental income, where applicable, generally shaded to allow for vacancies and costs.
• The serviceability buffer, set with reference to Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) guidance, which continues to apply regardless of employment or leave status.
• The length of time until normal income resumes, which affects how confident the lender can be in relying on the future position.

Deposit, LVR and LMI

A smaller deposit generally invites more scrutiny in any application, and this effect can be more pronounced where income is also temporarily interrupted. A higher loan-to-value ratio (LVR) leaves the lender with less equity buffer, which can make it more cautious about relying heavily on future income during a leave period. Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) may apply where the deposit falls below the usual threshold, adding to upfront costs at a time when cash reserves may already be stretched by the leave period itself. It is worth being realistic that a smaller deposit and a temporary income interruption can compound each other’s effect on how conservatively the application is assessed.

First Home Buyers on Unpaid Leave

A first-home buyer planning a purchase around a period of unpaid leave needs to think through the full financial picture rather than focusing on the deposit alone. It is worth checking whether the deposit remains genuinely intact once a sufficient leave-period buffer has been set aside, understanding any stamp duty or transfer-duty concessions that may apply, and confirming eligibility for any first-home-buyer scheme being relied upon. LMI or government guarantee options should be checked against current eligibility rules rather than assumed, and it is worth keeping emergency funds available after settlement rather than allocating every available dollar to the purchase itself. A purchase timed just before unpaid leave begins is worth scrutinising particularly closely, since it can leave very little cash cushion at exactly the point income is about to reduce.

Can You Refinance During Unpaid Leave?

Refinancing during a leave period is possible in some circumstances, but it is generally assessed with real care, since the lender is effectively approving a new loan based on the borrower’s current position. Common reasons for refinancing during or before leave include reducing the interest rate, extending the loan term to lower repayments, consolidating other debts, accessing an offset account, changing repayment frequency, or releasing equity for planned expenses.

A few cautions are worth keeping in mind. Extending the loan term can reduce monthly repayments but increase the total interest paid over the life of the loan. Consolidating short-term debt into a mortgage can lower immediate repayments while extending the repayment timeline for what was originally a shorter-term debt. Available equity in the property does not itself satisfy a serviceability requirement, since the lender still needs to be confident the loan can be repaid. Refinancing also carries its own costs, including discharge fees, application and valuation fees, and potential break costs on a fixed-rate loan, all of which should be weighed against the expected benefit. Finally, if leave is planned but has not yet started, that future change still needs to be disclosed as part of the refinance application.

Can You Buy an Investment Property During a Career Break?

A teacher on a career break considering an investment property purchase should expect a cautious assessment, since taking on new debt during a period of reduced or paused income adds risk on top of an already less certain employment position. Rental income will typically be shaded to allow for vacancies and ongoing costs, existing property expenses will be factored in, and the lender will want to understand how the investment is supported, whether through cash reserves, partner income, or a confirmed future return to teaching. Choosing between interest-only and principal-and-interest repayments is also worth considering carefully in this context, since interest-only repayments may ease short-term cash flow but do not reduce the loan balance during that period.

Loan Features That May Help Manage a Career Break

Several loan features can help manage cash flow through a period of reduced income, though it is worth understanding their limitations rather than treating any of them as a solution to an underlying affordability gap.

Offset account

An offset account can hold a cash reserve while reducing the interest charged on the loan, which is genuinely useful for managing funds through a leave period. It is worth remembering, though, that holding a large offset balance does not itself make an otherwise unaffordable loan affordable once that balance is drawn down.

Redraw

A redraw facility may allow access to extra repayments made in the past, subject to the lender’s specific terms and conditions. It should not be treated as identical to funds sitting in an offset account, since access can be more restricted and is not always guaranteed in the same way.

Fixed or variable rate

A fixed rate can provide repayment certainty through a leave period, which may suit a household wanting predictability, but it can restrict extra repayments and may involve break costs if the loan is refinanced or paid out early. A variable rate offers more flexibility but exposes the household to rate movements during the leave period.

Split loan

A split loan, combining fixed and variable portions, can offer a balance between certainty and flexibility, which some households find useful when managing income that will change during and after a leave period.

Interest-only repayments

Interest-only repayments may reduce short-term cash outflow in some circumstances, but they require lender approval, do not reduce the loan balance during the interest-only period, and can increase total interest paid and future repayments once the loan reverts to principal and interest.

Repayment assistance

A repayment holiday or hardship arrangement is not a standard entitlement and generally involves a specific hardship assessment process, may include capitalised interest, and comes with lender-specific conditions. It should be understood as a support mechanism for genuine hardship rather than a routine planning tool for an anticipated leave period.

Teacher Borrower Scenarios

The scenarios below are illustrative rather than predictive, intended to show how different leave situations tend to be viewed rather than to guarantee any particular outcome.

Scenario 1: Permanent teacher on twelve months of parental leave

A teacher takes twelve months of parental leave, part paid and part unpaid, planning to return three days a week. The lender is likely to focus on the confirmed return date, the part-time salary expected on return, and the household’s ability to cover the unpaid portion of the leave period.

Scenario 2: Teacher taking six months of approved unpaid leave

A teacher takes six months of approved leave without pay, returning to the same permanent role and salary. With a confirmed return date and unchanged role, this is generally one of the more straightforward leave scenarios to assess, provided the shortfall buffer for the unpaid period is adequately covered.

Scenario 3: Teacher taking a year to travel

A teacher takes a year off to travel, without a guaranteed role to return to, though they expect to pick up relief teaching afterwards. Without a confirmed employer or return date, this is a more uncertain position, and the application is likely to need to rely more heavily on savings, partner income, or other verifiable sources rather than assumed future teaching income.

Scenario 4: Fixed-term teacher whose contract expires during leave

A teacher on a fixed-term contract takes leave partway through, with the contract due to expire before any renewal has been signed. The lender is likely to want clarity on whether the contract will be renewed and whether the employer can confirm ongoing employment beyond the current expiry date.

Scenario 5: Joint application with one partner unpaid

A teacher is on unpaid leave, but their partner has stable, established income that supports most of the application. The partner’s income can carry much of the serviceability assessment, though the teacher’s own leave and return-to-work details will still be considered as part of the overall picture.

Scenario 6: Single teacher with a substantial offset balance

A single teacher has built a significant offset balance and has a confirmed return to permanent work in four months. The available buffer, combined with the confirmed and relatively short leave period, generally supports a more straightforward assessment than an open-ended break would.

Scenario 7: Existing homeowner refinancing before leave

A teacher plans to refinance shortly before taking leave, seeking lower repayments and also hoping to release some equity. The upcoming leave still needs to be disclosed as part of the refinance application, and the lender is likely to assess the application with the future reduction in income in mind rather than relying solely on current payslips.

Scenario 8: Investor teacher on a career break

A teacher on an open-ended career break holds an investment property with reliable rental income but has no confirmed date for returning to teaching. The lack of a confirmed return date is likely to result in a more cautious assessment, with the rental income and any other reliable sources carrying more of the weight than an assumed future teaching salary.

Scenario 9: Teacher returning part time

A teacher who worked full time before leave plans to return on a part-time basis. The lender is likely to base the future income assessment on the confirmed part-time hours and salary, rather than the previous full-time income, which affects the resulting borrowing capacity.

Scenario 10: Teacher changing schools after leave

A teacher’s leave period ends with a new contract at a different school beginning shortly afterwards. This introduces an additional layer of verification, since the lender will want to confirm the new employer, role and salary in the same way it would for any teacher changing schools, alongside the practicalities of the leave period itself.

Should You Apply Now or Wait?

Deciding when to apply comes down to how confidently the three core questions covered earlier in this article can be answered for your specific situation.

• Applying during leave tends to be reasonable where employment remains active, the return date is confirmed, return hours and salary are documented, the leave period is relatively short, the household has enough funds to cover the shortfall, partner or other accepted income supports repayments, the application remains affordable once post-leave expenses are considered, and a suitable lender is prepared to accept future income on these terms.
• Waiting tends to strengthen the application where there is no guaranteed role to return to, the borrower has resigned rather than taken approved leave, the return date is uncertain, future hours have not been confirmed, a fixed-term contract expires during the leave period, savings are needed for both settlement and ongoing leave-period expenses, the return will be on significantly reduced hours, one or more payslips would materially widen the range of available lenders, or the planned loan would leave very little cash available after settlement.

If you are unsure how unpaid leave may affect your income assessment, deposit requirements or pre-approval, a mortgage broker for teachers can help clarify common lending questions before you commit to a property or refinance. Teachers considering property as part of a longer-term retirement strategy may also need separate guidance on SMSF property loans, as these are assessed under different borrowing, contribution and fund-structure requirements from a standard personal home loan.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Several avoidable mistakes come up repeatedly among teachers navigating a home loan application around leave or a career break.

• Failing to disclose planned or current leave to the lender or broker.
• Assuming the previous full-time salary will automatically be used if the actual return will be part-time.
• Using the entire available cash reserve for the deposit, leaving nothing to cover the leave-period shortfall.
• Relying on an informal or unsigned return-to-work arrangement rather than a properly documented letter.
• Overlooking new dependant or childcare costs when estimating post-leave affordability.
• Assuming an existing pre-approval remains valid unchanged once leave begins.
• Refinancing without properly calculating the total costs involved, including any break costs.
• Treating redraw and offset facilities as identical when they can behave quite differently in practice.
• Taking on new debt, such as an investment purchase, before returning to work and confirming actual post-leave income.

How a Mortgage Broker Can Help

Because the treatment of leave and career breaks varies so much between lenders, a broker’s main value here lies in comparing how different lenders’ future-income policies would treat your specific situation, checking exactly what an employer letter needs to include for a given lender, and calculating the shortfall buffer required for the leave period based on your actual expenses and available funds. This also includes modelling both full-time and part-time return scenarios so the borrowing capacity reflects what will genuinely be earned, comparing the trade-offs between purchasing, refinancing or waiting, and identifying any risks in the application before a property contract is signed.

The Bottom Line

A temporary pause in teaching income is not the same as having no future employment, and lenders generally recognise that distinction, provided it can be properly evidenced. Approved leave with a confirmed return date, documented hours and salary, and an adequate financial buffer tends to be assessed very differently to an open-ended career break with no guaranteed role waiting at the end of it. Understanding which situation genuinely applies to you, and preparing the right documentation accordingly, is what allows a teacher to make a realistic decision about whether to apply now, during leave, or after returning to work.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can a teacher get a home loan while on unpaid leave?

Often yes, particularly where the leave is formally approved, a return date is confirmed, and the household has enough savings or other income to cover the gap. The outcome depends heavily on the specific lender’s policy and how well the leave and return arrangements are documented.

2. Can a bank use my normal teaching salary while I am not being paid?

Not directly, since your current income during unpaid leave is genuinely reduced or nil. Many lenders will instead consider your expected future income once you return to work, provided the return is confirmed by your employer, though some lenders place more weight on this than others.

3. What is the difference between unpaid parental leave and a career break?

Unpaid parental leave generally involves a protected employment relationship with a confirmed return date, while a voluntary career break may or may not involve a guaranteed role to return to. This distinction matters considerably to a lender, since a confirmed return gives far more certainty than an open-ended break.

4. Do I need a confirmed return-to-work date?

It is one of the most important pieces of evidence for a lender assessing an application during leave, since it directly supports the case that the income interruption is temporary rather than open-ended. Without a confirmed date, the application generally needs to rely more heavily on other sources of income or savings.

5. Will the lender require a payslip after I return to work?

Some lenders are willing to proceed based on a well-documented return-to-work letter alone, while others prefer to see at least one payslip confirming the actual hours and salary being paid. This varies by lender, which makes it worth clarifying early if you are hoping to apply close to your return date.

6. What happens if leave begins after I already have pre-approval?

A pre-approval reflects your circumstances at the time it was issued, so starting leave afterwards is a material change that should be disclosed. The lender may need to reassess income and employment status, and it should not be assumed that the original approval remains automatically valid once your income situation has changed.

7. Can I refinance while on unpaid leave?

It is possible in some circumstances, though the application is generally assessed with the same care as a new loan, since the lender is confirming your ability to service the refinanced amount under your current income position. Any planned or current leave still needs to be disclosed as part of the refinance application.