Buy-to-lets

Whether you are looking at buying-to-let, where you are borrowing to invest in a rental property, or letting-to-Buy, if you want to turn your current home into a house that generates income, the Buy-to-let mortgage market is a specialised one.

Lenders generally view buy-to-let mortgages as higher risk than residential mortgages because they know that many landlords rely on rental income to make the mortgage repayments and if the property is vacant for a period, there is no income.  Because of this perceived risk, interest rates tend to be higher than residential mortgages, and the lender will usually demand a higher deposit.  Stamp duty charges are also 3% higher than residential mortgages.

Typically in the current market, you will struggle to borrow more than 75% of the property value, and any lender will look for rental income that covers around 125% – 145% of the mortgage repayments.

However, despite the risks and costs associated with buying-to-let, the main benefit is for its investment potential – both capital growth on the value of the property and the income it generates in rent.  The buy-to-let market that exists today has a huge part to play as first time buyers are getting older and younger people are renting.

When borrowing to invest in a rental property it is important to ensure you have a clear understanding of the process, benefits, risks and associated costs.  By seeking whole of market mortgage advice, you will get access to all the non-directly brokered mortgages available across the market place, i.e. not limited to a select few lenders, so you are more likely to get a better rate.