BTL Insider

Foundation Home Loans has relaunched its ‘specials’ range of BTL products. “With the budget now out of the way, and a greater degree of clarity and certainty available, we anticipate landlord borrowers will be much more comfortable in the financial choices they are able to make,” said Tom Jacob, director of product and marketing at Foundation Home Loans. Read the full story on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/ea56mdUB

"Sometimes the property market can throw out some surprises for investors and landlords. Surprises that can catch some off-guard. But for us in the specialist lending market, they serve as a reminder to remain flexible, and never assume anything. "Take this recent analysis from Zoopla, it found that over a third of Brits wouldn’t buy a home if it wasn’t walking distance from a pub — specifically, anything over a mile was a “deal-breaker”." Read the full opinion piece by Omkar Hushing, head of BTL and specialist lending underwriting at Market Financial Solutions on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/e3c-ZA4J

New plans that will make it easier for local authorities to introduce selective licensing schemes for landlords have been slammed by the National Residential Landlords Association - NRLA. Chris Norris, policy director for the NRLA, has warned there is a risk of “misuse” by local authorities and is urging the government to provide greater clarity about these rules. Read the full story on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/e-zCwVje

A 7% fall in BTL lending has been forecast for next year, with UK Finance anticipating only £9bn of new volumes for 2025. Commenting on this data in total, UK Finance head of analytics James Tatch said: “In 2025 we are forecasting continued steady growth in both house purchase and remortgage lending as affordability improves further. “We are however forecasting a slight fall in BTL lending in 2025." Read the full story on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/e9teX5bK

Landlords have “shrugged off” the stamp duty surcharge hike, according to the Hamptons monthly lettings index. The stamp duty surcharge hike has continued to push landlord purchases further north, with lower property prices on average resulting in smaller stamp duty bills in cash terms, said Hamptons. Read the full story on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/em-c-rpR

Dudley Building Society has joined White Rose Finance group’s lender panel. Robert Oliver, head of distribution at Dudley, said: “Five years ago, our presence was much smaller, but today, building societies are vital to the sector.” “This partnership with Dudley Building Society is a fantastic opportunity for our brokers to expand their offering with products that truly stand out in the market,” said John Kent, managing director at White Rose Finance Group. Read the full story on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/eFRRwj_m

The BTL arm of Foundation Home Loans has cut rates on a range of fixed-rate products, by up to 0.30%. “Our range, pricing and criteria is tailored to an array of landlord borrowers and property types, and these specials cover a wide variety of needs and circumstances, whether standard buy-to-let finance or more niche areas such as HMOs and MUFBs,” said Tom Jacob, director of product and marketing at Foundation Home Loans. Read the full story on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/eMQuJUkW

The majority of landlords who voted for Labour in the 2024 general election wouldn’t do so again, research from LANDBAY has found. One landlord told Landbay: “Where is the incentive to invest? Who will take up the displaced tenants when private landlords, most of whom only have two or three properties, dispose of their properties?” Commenting on the findings, Landbay sales and distribution director Rob Stanton, said: “With encouragement and support, the sector can continue to play an important role in helping solve the housing crisis.” Read the full story on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/eUVyySms

Tenant demand declined slightly in November by -1%, for the first time since 2020. “Although the latest survey results continue to signal a steady improvement in buyer demand across the residential market, the broader macro environment is likely to pose additional headwinds moving forward,” said Tarrant Parsons, head of market analytics at RICS. Read the full story on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/eJ4ekUnT

A change in tax treatment of landlords by the Welsh government has been criticised as “baffling” by the National Residential Landlords Association - NRLA. NRLA CEO Ben Beadle has been critical of this move and its potential implications for the private rented sector in Wales. “To discourage investment in the market with punitive taxation, at a time when Wales needs many more homes for rent, is a frankly baffling move” Read the full story on BTL Insider: https://lnkd.in/e_mkwmaY