buy to let mortgage
General Notes
Page Down
 

Need help to understand Mortgage Jargon ?


We have put together some mortgage help pages  

We hope you find this of use. Good Luck !  

This page -    buy to let mortgage

Credit Cards
Loans
Insurance
Mortgages
Utilities







  UK Buy to Let Mortgages

Buy to let mortgages are designed for prospective landlords wanting a mortgage for the purpose of letting the property out to tenants.

These mortgages have become popular over the past few years, driven by increasing house prices, a strong demand for rental properties and a drop in the interest rates available to private landlords. A wide range of buy to let mortgages are now available, including fixed rate, discount, tracker and variable rates.

Buy to let mortgages differ to residential mortgages in three main ways:

  • Rent Potential - the decision as to whether or not a mortgage will be offered is usually based on the rent you will earn as well as your income. In some cases your income is not considered.

  • Interest Rate - buy to let mortgages have slightly higher interest rates.

  • Larger Deposit - typically a minimum of 20% or 25% of the property's value is required as a deposit.
Becoming a private landlord should not be seen as an easy way of making money. It is riskier, more complicated and more time consuming than most other forms of investment and there is no guarantee that house prices will continue to rise. That said, letting a second property to tenants can reap considerable financial rewards over time.

When buying a property to let you will need to decide whether your primary objective is income or capital growth. In other words, are you looking to make a profit month on month or are you looking to make a profit through increased equity in the property as it increases in value over time. The decision may affect the type of property you purchase, and the location. For example, a prime city centre location may be more suited to high growth.

When you manage a property there are many costs involved in addition to the monthly mortgage repayments. As a guide, you should be aiming to achieve a gross rent of about 130% of the rental property's mortgage repayments (interest only) in order to cover your costs.

The additional costs include:
  • letting agency fees - letting agents charge around 10% of the monthly rent for finding and vetting tenants and an additional cost of around 5% if you require a full management service.

  • ground rent / service charges - applicable to leasehold properties.

  • property's upkeep - maintenance costs for the property.

  • gas / electrical appliances - cost of maintaining appliances and ensuring they comply with any regulations.

  • insurance - building insurance and content insurance for those items provided as part of the rental agreement.

  • furnishing - the purchase of any furniture if the property is to be let furnished.

  • legal insurance - to cover the costs of evicting tenants in the event of non payment.

  • decorating costs - the property may require work ranging from painting to a new bathroom suit before it is suitable to be let to tenants.
When choosing a property to let it is wise to take advice from local letting agents to determine what type of properties are in demand and in which areas. The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) state that a property 'needs to be in the right area, close to transport and other facilities, and in good condition'.

When choosing a letting agent to act on your behalf it is sensible to choose one that is a member of the ARLA. The reason is because members of the ARLA must join in a bonding scheme to protect rent and tenant's deposits. The bond provides total compensation of up to £2 million a year.

There are a number of tax issues that need to be explored in order to maximise your tax position, such as being able to offset your maintenance costs, letting agent fees as well as any interest paid on a buy to let mortgage against your tax.

You can visit the ARLA website at www.arla.co.uk for further information on becoming a private landlord.


NEXT - commercial mortgages

Mortgages explained | About mortgage types | repayment mortgage | endowment mortgage | interest only mortgages | how much can I borrow ? | mortgage payback rates | variable rate mortgages | fixed rate mortgages | capped rate mortgages | discounted rate loans | remortgages | first time buyers | buy to let mortgage | commercial mortgages | mortgage costs | glossary of terms | mortgage FAQ's |

Latest Mortgages News

12:59 AM Mortgage lending edges up but remains subdued - The Guardian

The Guardian

Mortgage lending edges up but remains subdued
The Guardian
Mortgage lending made a surprise recovery in February, increasing by 6% compared to the previous month, according to figures released by the Council of ...
Housing Market Fragile As Mortgage Levels FallSky News
Mortgage costs rising for people with small deposits, says BoECitywire.co.uk
UK's Six Biggest Banks Grant Fewest Mortgages in Nine MonthsBusinessWeek
MoneyWeek (blog) -Independent
all 94 news articles »
01/01/1970
12:59 AM US mortgage rates steady below 5 percent in week - Reuters

MonitorBankRates.com

US mortgage rates steady below 5 percent in week
Reuters
NEW YORK, March 18 (Reuters) - US fixed mortgage rates held steady under 5 percent over the past week, Freddie Mac (FRE.N) said on Thursday, ...
Freddie Mac: 30-year mortgage rate mostly flatMarketWatch
Mortgage Rates Barely Rise; 30-Year Fixed at 4.96% - FreddieWall Street Journal
Mortgage rates still below 5 percentThe Associated Press
Housing Watch -DSNews.com -FreeRateUpdate.com
all 339 news articles »
01/01/1970
12:59 AM Ken: Tory misery on mortgages - Mirror.co.uk

Ken: Tory misery on mortgages
Mirror.co.uk
Mortgage rates are set to soar under the Tories, the Shadow Business Secretary has warned. Ken Clarke said people should think ...

and more »
01/01/1970
12:59 AM To fix or not to fix? Mortgage options that may help - Citywire.co.uk

To fix or not to fix? Mortgage options that may help
Citywire.co.uk
Demand for home loans is down and as a result competition is coming back into the mortgage market with a tranche of new mortgages to attract homebuyers. ...
New market leading 5-year fixed rate mortgage from Leeds Building SocietyBigNews.biz (press release)

all 2 news articles »
01/01/1970
12:59 AM Fraudsters to target mortgage providers in 2010 - Mortgage Solutions

MSN News UK

Fraudsters to target mortgage providers in 2010
Mortgage Solutions
Mortgage providers are likely to be the main target for fraudsters in 2010, with fraud losses likely to reach £1.2bn, according to the latest Experian ...
Identity theft up by 20pcTelegraph.co.uk

all 25 news articles »
01/01/1970

buy to let mortgage    Links Page    Blogger Users   Privacy - We do not database any visitor information.

Other useful search terms: Help with mortgage , how to get a mortgage , mortgage help , what are mortgages ? understanding mortgage loans , simplified mortgage notes , easy mortgage help , mortgage basics , mortgage facts , how much home deposit , what mortgage rate types , home loan options , morgage answers , home loans questions , house buying loans notes , reasons for quote , explanation of mortgag facts , understanding home buying basics , how much salary required , no deposit , rules for loan amounts