Buy to let mortgages

How lenders assess it

Rental cover

Lenders want the rent to cover the mortgage payment with a margin on top, stress-tested at a higher rate than you're actually paying. This is often what limits how much you can borrow, rather than your income.

Your own income

Most lenders want to see a minimum personal income alongside the rent.

Deposit

Typically 25% as a starting point, sometimes more depending on the property and the lender.

What we cover

• Standard buy to let — single properties, individual or joint names.
• Limited company buy to let — increasingly common. Whether it's right for you is a tax question as much as a mortgage one.
• Portfolio landlords — four or more mortgaged properties puts you in portfolio territory, and lenders assess your whole portfolio, not just the new purchase.
• HMOs — a smaller pool of lenders, more specific criteria, and licensing to think about.
• Let to buy — letting out your current home and buying a new one to live in. Two mortgages, arranged together.

On tax

We're mortgage advisers, not tax advisers. Buy to let has real tax consequences, including Stamp Duty surcharges on additional property and how rental profit is taxed. Talk to an accountant. We'll happily work alongside yours.