Bolton Business Finance is a specialist buy to let mortgage broker, assisting landlords and property investors to source mortgages for limited company, specialist and portfolio buy to let.
A buy to let mortgage can be used to purchase or refinance a residential property for investment purposes. Typically this would involve letting the property to a single tenant or household. In England that tenancy is now an assured periodic tenancy, which replaced the assured shorthold tenancy (AST) on 1 May 2026 under the Renters’ Rights Act, as the NRLA sets out.
Same day decision in principle. You may also need a BTL mortgage for a small HMO, a multi unit block, or for holiday lets and serviced accommodation.
As an independent property finance broker we can help to search the market to find a limited company buy to let mortgage, a portfolio facility or a specialist BTL mortgage that meets your criteria. This can be for new purchases or for remortgages.
Written by Marcus Wright, owner and founder of Bolton Business Finance Ltd, in financial services since 2008 and a commercial finance broker since 2019. Last reviewed September 2026.
The short version
- Bolton Business Finance arranges buy to let mortgages for limited companies, SPVs, LLPs, trusts and individual landlords borrowing for business purposes, and property lending to SIPPs and SSAS schemes.
- Most new buy to let purchases by investors are now made through a limited company, usually a special purpose vehicle set up only to hold property.
- Individual landlords can no longer deduct mortgage interest from rental income. They receive a basic rate tax credit instead, which is the main reason investors buy through a company.
- The Prudential Regulation Authority treats a borrower with four or more mortgaged buy to let properties as a portfolio landlord, and lenders then assess the whole portfolio.
- Loans start at £40,000 with no limit on portfolio size, and banks on our panel lend over £200 million on the largest portfolios.
- We also place property let to companies, to supported living and social housing providers, and to Home Office asylum accommodation contractors such as Serco and Mears.
- We do not arrange residential mortgages or consumer buy to let. All lending we arrange is for business purposes.
On this page
Buy to let for business purposes only
Who we can and cannot help
We arrange buy to let mortgages where the borrower is a limited company, SPV or LLP, and for individual landlords buying or refinancing a property as an investment to let to tenants. Bolton Business Finance Ltd is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
We do not arrange residential mortgages, consumer buy to let, such as letting out a home you have inherited or previously lived in, or any mortgage on a property that you or a member of your family will live in. Those agreements fall under FCA rules and we are not able to arrange them. If your case is one of these, we will tell you at the first conversation.
Specialist buy to let mortgage broker
Whether you are a first time property investor or an experienced portfolio landlord, we can help. We work with a wide range of banks and specialist buy to let lenders to accommodate a wide range of circumstances, including limited company and SPV borrowers, large portfolios and property types the high street will not touch.
- Experienced buy to let experts
- Named independent relationship manager
- Property finance and investing made simple
- Purchases and remortgages
- Assistance with mortgage applications
- Compare buy to let mortgage rates
Call 0161 546 9128 to speak with a broker or fill in the form below.
Key features of buy to let mortgages
We can assist with a wide variety of property types, investment strategies and individual circumstances.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Loan size | From £40,000, with banks on our panel lending over £200 million on large portfolios |
| Term | 1 to 30 years |
| Loan to value | Up to 80% |
| Repayment | Interest only or capital repayment |
| Rate types | Fixed rates over 2, 3, 5 and 10 years, and tracker rates |
| Charge | First and second charge |
| Borrowers | Limited companies, SPVs, trading companies, LLPs, PLCs, trusts, SIPPs, SSAS, expats and individual landlords borrowing for business purposes |
| Tenancy and lease types | Single lets, HMOs, multi unit blocks, holiday lets, corporate lets, supported living and social housing leases, and asylum accommodation leases |
| Portfolio size | No limit on the number of properties |
| Deposit | Usually around 20% of the purchase price, higher on some specialist property types |
| Decision in principle | Same day on most cases |
We can assist with applications for any entity type, including individuals, LLPs, limited companies, PLCs, trusts, SIPPs, SSAS and expats, provided the mortgage is for business purposes.
For limited companies we can assist new special purpose vehicles (SPVs) or trading businesses.
The minimum required buy to let mortgage deposit is usually around 20% of the purchase price.
Limited company buy to let mortgages
A limited company buy to let mortgage is a mortgage taken out by a company, rather than by you personally, to buy or refinance a residential property that is let to tenants. The company is the borrower and the registered owner. In most cases it is a special purpose vehicle, a company set up only to hold property, and its directors give personal guarantees for the loan.
The reason most investors now buy this way is tax. Since April 2020 individual landlords have not been able to deduct mortgage interest from their rental income. They receive a tax credit at the basic rate instead, a change usually called Section 24. A company pays corporation tax on its profit after finance costs, so for a higher rate taxpayer with a mortgaged property the difference can be significant. Whether it is right for you depends on your income, your plans for the profit and how long you intend to hold, and is a question for your accountant.
How lenders assess a limited company buy to let
Buy to let lending is assessed mainly on the rent. The lender applies a stressed interest rate to the loan and requires the rent to cover that interest by a set margin, known as the interest cover ratio. Limited company applications are usually assessed at a lower ratio than a higher rate taxpayer borrowing personally, because the company does not suffer the Section 24 restriction. On the same rent, that can support a larger loan.
For illustration only. If a lender stressed a loan at 5.5% and required the rent to be 125% of that interest, a £120,000 mortgage would need rent of about £688 a month. At a 145% ratio, the same £688 a month would support a loan of about £103,000. Stress rates and ratios vary by lender and by product, particularly on five year fixed rates.
Setting up an SPV for buy to let
Most lenders want the company’s registered nature of business to be property letting. The usual SIC codes are 68100, 68209, 68201 and 68320. A company with other activities, or one that already trades, can still borrow, but it is treated as a trading company and the choice of lender is narrower. We work with both.
- New SPVs with no accounts are accepted by most limited company lenders
- Directors and significant shareholders normally give personal guarantees
- Multiple directors and layered structures, including holding companies, can be placed with specialist lenders
- Transferring existing properties into a company is treated as a sale, so the company needs its own mortgage and stamp duty and capital gains tax can apply
Buying in your own name or through a limited company
The structure changes the tax, the way the loan is assessed and the lenders available to you. The table sets out the general differences. The right structure for your circumstances is for your accountant to confirm.
| Point of difference | Personal name | Limited company |
|---|---|---|
| Borrower | You as an individual | The company, with directors giving personal guarantees |
| Mortgage interest | Relief restricted to a basic rate tax credit under Section 24 | Generally deducted as a cost before corporation tax |
| Rental cover | Higher rate taxpayers are usually assessed at a higher ratio | Usually assessed at a lower ratio, which can support a larger loan |
| Choice and pricing | The widest choice of lenders | A narrower but well supplied market, with rates and fees often a little higher |
| Drawing the profit | Rental profit is taxed as your income | Profit is taxed in the company, then again as salary or dividends when drawn |
| Commonly used by | Basic rate taxpayers with one or two properties | Higher rate taxpayers, growing portfolios and investors reinvesting profit |
Portfolio landlord mortgages
The Prudential Regulation Authority defines a portfolio landlord as a borrower with four or more mortgaged buy to let properties. Once you reach that point, a lender no longer looks only at the property in front of it. It assesses your whole portfolio, including properties mortgaged elsewhere, before it will lend on the next one.
We arrange mortgages for portfolio landlords with no limit on portfolio size, from a landlord buying a fifth property to investors refinancing several hundred units. Banks on our panel will lend over £200 million on the largest portfolios. Expect a lender to ask for:
- A portfolio schedule listing every property, its value, rent, lender and outstanding mortgage
- Evidence of rental income, usually tenancy agreements or a letting agent statement
- A business plan or cash flow on larger portfolios, showing how the portfolio performs as a whole
- Company accounts where properties are held in one or more limited companies
- Your experience, including how long you have been letting and how the properties are managed
A lender will want the portfolio overall to meet its rental cover and loan to value limits, not only the new property. Where one weak property drags the numbers down, it can be better to refinance several properties together or to use a lender that looks at the portfolio in the round. Larger portfolios, blocks and mixed use property can also be funded on a commercial mortgage, which is assessed on the portfolio’s income rather than property by property.
Some lenders will also allow top slicing, where surplus personal income from the directors or the borrower is used to support a property whose rent falls a little short of the rental cover test. It is not available everywhere and the rules vary, which is where a broker’s panel earns its keep.
Different types of specialist buy to let mortgage
We have experience sourcing mortgages for a wide range of property types in the UK. The type of property and what your plans are for it can have a big impact on the kind of mortgage that you may need.
Single let residential houses and flats BTL
Perhaps the most common type of BTL mortgage is for a single residential house let to one tenant or household. For example, a terraced house with a single family paying £600 per month rent.
- Fixed rates 2, 3, 5 and 10 years
- Interest only or capital repayment
- Terms up to 30 years
- No minimum income required with many lenders, particularly on limited company applications
For a buy to let mortgage the house must be in a rentable condition upon completion of the loan. For renovations of non-habitable homes, please see bridging loans, and our guide to buy, renovate, rent, refinance for how the bridge moves onto a buy to let mortgage afterwards.
MUFB: multi unit freehold block mortgage broker
We are specialists in arranging mortgages on multi unit blocks for our clients. If your property has more than one self contained apartment or flat on a single freehold title, then you will need a multi unit (MUFB) mortgage.
- Blocks of flats and apartments
- Student accommodation
- Retirement living
Read our full article here: multi unit buy to let mortgages.
HMO buy to let mortgage
We can arrange HMO mortgages for any size of house in multiple occupation.
Your property investment is a house in multiple occupation (HMO) if both of the following apply:
- 3 or more tenants live there, forming more than 1 household
- Shared toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities with other tenants
Larger HMOs need a licence from the local council, and lenders will ask to see it. Many HMO lenders also look for some landlord experience, and value the property on its rental income rather than on bricks and mortar alone, which can support a higher loan on a well let house.
Holiday let and serviced accommodation mortgages
If you are planning to purchase a property to use as a holiday let or serviced accommodation, then you will need a specific type of mortgage. See our page on holiday let mortgages.
- Holiday let mortgages
- Airbnb mortgages
- Serviced accommodation mortgages
Expat and overseas investors
UK expats and overseas investors can buy UK buy to let property, either personally or through a UK limited company. A smaller group of specialist lenders operates here, deposits are often higher and the lender will want to understand where your income comes from and the currency it is paid in.
First time landlords and adverse credit
Many lenders accept a first time landlord, and some will lend to a limited company whose directors have never let a property, as long as the rental cover works. Specialist lenders will also consider missed payments, defaults and CCJs, depending on how recent and how large they are. Expect a lower loan to value and a higher rate where the history is recent.
Corporate lets, supported living and social housing leases
A corporate let is a property let to a company rather than to an individual, usually so the company can house its staff or contractors. Many high street buy to let lenders will only accept individual tenants, so corporate lets sit with specialist lenders that will assess the company as the tenant and look at the length of the agreement.
We also arrange buy to let mortgages on properties let to vulnerable tenants through supported living schemes, housing associations, registered providers, charities and local authorities. These are usually longer leases where the provider takes the tenancy and pays the rent, sometimes with the repairing obligations passed across as well. Lenders will look at:
- The lessee, including who the provider is, how long it has operated and its financial standing
- The lease, including its length, any break clauses, rent reviews and who is responsible for repairs
- The valuation. Many lenders base the loan on the vacant possession value and market rent rather than the lease rent, so it is worth knowing both figures early
- The property, including fire safety, HMO licensing where it applies and any adaptations the provider has made
Asylum accommodation leases
Landlords can lease property to the providers that run the Home Office asylum accommodation contracts, such as Serco and Mears. The provider takes a lease of the property and pays the rent, and the property is used to house people while their asylum claims are decided. Many lenders will not lend against these leases, but a smaller group of specialist lenders will, and we arrange mortgages with them for single properties and portfolios.
Expect the lender to look closely at the lease, including its length and any break options linked to the provider’s own contract with the Home Office, and to value the property on a normal buy to let basis as well as on the lease. Planning use, HMO licensing and fire safety apply in the same way as for any other let.
SIPP, SSAS and trust borrowers
We arrange property lending to self invested personal pensions (SIPPs), small self administered schemes (SSAS) and trusts. For a pension scheme the rules are set by HMRC, and they decide what the scheme can buy.
- Borrowing limit. A SIPP or SSAS can borrow up to 50% of the net value of the scheme’s assets before the borrowing
- Residential property. A pension scheme cannot normally hold residential property. HMRC treats it as taxable property, and holding it can trigger unauthorised payment charges of up to 55% plus a scheme sanction charge
- What can be held. Commercial property, mixed use property where the flat is let with the shop or business below it, and some student accommodation, care homes and hotels, subject to the scheme’s rules
In practice that makes SIPP and SSAS lending a commercial and semi commercial product rather than standard buy to let. The scheme administrator must agree the purchase and the borrowing, and we work alongside them from the start.
Trustees can borrow on buy to let where the trust deed gives them the power to borrow and charge the property, and the property is let as an investment. Lenders will want to see the trust deed and confirm the trustees’ powers, and will not lend where a beneficiary or their family will live in the property.
How a buy to let mortgage application runs
- Tell us about the property and the borrower, including whether you are buying personally, through a new SPV or through an existing company, and the details of any portfolio you already hold
- We search the market across high street and specialist buy to let lenders and come back with the options that fit, including the rental cover each lender needs
- Decision in principle, usually the same day
- Full application and valuation, with the lender’s surveyor confirming both the value and the achievable rent
- Offer and completion, once the solicitors have finished the legal work, which on a limited company purchase includes reviewing the company and the personal guarantees
Most of the time between application and completion is taken by the valuation and the legal work. Instructing a solicitor who handles limited company buy to let early is the single biggest thing you can do to speed it up.
Buy to let mortgages Manchester and Bolton
We offer a face to face mortgage broker service for any client in Manchester, Bolton and surrounding areas.
Easily drop in to the office to sign forms and complete applications as required. Home visits are also possible by appointment.
Buy to let mortgage broker based in Bolton, Greater Manchester, arranging limited company and portfolio buy to let for landlords across the UK.
Buy to let mortgage FAQ
What is a limited company buy to let mortgage?
A limited company buy to let mortgage is a mortgage taken out by a company, usually a special purpose vehicle set up only to hold property, to buy or refinance a residential property that is let to tenants. The company is the borrower and owns the property. Directors normally give personal guarantees, and the lender assesses the loan mainly on the rent the property produces.
Can I move my existing buy to let properties into a limited company?
Yes, but it is treated as a sale from you to the company rather than a simple transfer. The company needs its own buy to let mortgage to buy the property, and stamp duty and capital gains tax can both apply. Some arrangements may qualify for relief. Take the tax position through with your accountant before instructing solicitors, because it often decides whether the move is worth making.
What counts as a portfolio landlord?
The Prudential Regulation Authority defines a portfolio landlord as a borrower with four or more mortgaged buy to let properties. Once you reach that level, lenders assess your whole portfolio rather than just the property in front of them, and will ask for a schedule of every property, its value, rent and mortgage, plus a business plan or cash flow on larger cases.
Do limited company buy to let lenders need a personal guarantee?
Almost always, yes. A new SPV has no trading history or assets of its own, so lenders ask each director and significant shareholder to guarantee the mortgage personally. The lender will credit check the guarantors and look at their experience and assets. On larger portfolios held in established companies the guarantee can sometimes be limited, but that is the exception rather than the rule.
What SIC code does a buy to let SPV need?
Most lenders want the company’s registered nature of business to be property letting. The usual SIC codes are 68100, 68209, 68201 and 68320. A company carrying out other activities can still borrow on buy to let, but the choice of lender is narrower and it is treated as a trading company rather than a special purpose vehicle.
Can you arrange a buy to let mortgage in my own name?
Yes, where the mortgage is for business purposes, meaning you are buying or refinancing a property as an investment to let to tenants. We do not arrange consumer buy to let, such as letting a home you have inherited or previously lived in, or any mortgage on a property you or a family member will live in. Those agreements fall under FCA rules and we are not authorised to arrange them.
Apply for a buy to let mortgage today
Speak to one of our independent buy to let mortgage experts today
Arrange a no obligation quote and find out the rates and loan to value available to you, whether you are buying personally, through an SPV or refinancing a portfolio. Decision in principle usually the same day.
About the author
Marcus Wright is the owner and founder of Bolton Business Finance Ltd. He has worked in financial services since 2008, beginning his career at Santander, and has been a commercial finance broker since March 2019.
He founded Bolton Business Finance in 2020 to give businesses access to the whole lending market rather than one bank’s own product range. The firm is a member of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers and works with a panel of 135+ lenders.
Marcus arranges commercial mortgages, bridging, development finance, business loans, asset finance, invoice finance and merchant cash advances. Call 0161 546 9128.
Bolton Business Finance Ltd is an independent commercial finance brokerage, not a lender. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and can only complete non-regulated introductions. All lending is for business purposes only. We do not arrange residential mortgages or consumer buy to let. Nothing on this page is a quotation or an offer of finance, and all facilities are subject to status, lender criteria and valuation. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage secured on it. Registered address: Westgate House, 1 Westgate Avenue, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL1 4RF. Company number 12495909.