Banks are in increasingly asking home owners to start paying off interest-only mortgages because of the crisis on the housing market, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Friday.

The move follows a steady decline in house prices, which is forcing some home-owners into negative equity – meaning they have borrowed more than their house is worth.
Earlier this week, the national statistics office said house prices were down 3.3% in November compared with a year ago.
Debt
‘We have sent a number of clients a letter, pointing out they need to be aware they are not building up enough to pay off their debt,’ a spokesman for ING bank told the paper.
ABN Amro has also begun phoning customers to talk about their mortgages.
Since the summer, banks may only extend mortgages of which at least half has to be paid in advance.
Next year, junior finance minister Frans Weekers is due to publish measures to encourage more home owners to pay off their mortgages, the paper said.