If you’re looking for a way to boost your income, purchasing a property with the intention of letting it out could be for you. Provided the house you buy and the surrounding location are acceptable to renters, you could make an additional income from your investment property. You will still need to pay income tax, stamp duty, and other types of expenses, but assuming there is no shortfall in your income, you should still make a profit.
Unless you have the funds to buy a property outright, you will, of course, need a mortgage. In the case of a rented property, you will need to consider buy-to-let mortgages rather than residential mortgages, and while there are similarities between them, there are differences too.
Buy to Let Mortgage vs Normal Mortgage
In this guide, we will explain the differences between a buy-to-let mortgage and a normal mortgage known as a residential mortgage alongside other advice that may be useful to you.
What is a Buy-to-Let Mortgage?
Buy-to-let mortgages, also referred to as BTL mortgages are specifically for landlords who want to let out a property. They are a lot like normal mortgages although fees are typically higher and so are the rates of interest. As such, you can expect to pay more on your monthly mortgage payments. An investment property does work differently from an ordinary mortgage as you will receive a rental income and therefore it will not rely solely on your earned income.
Lenders treat buy to let mortgages differently too. Many lenders have a separate part of the bank or building society that specialises in buy to let mortgages. An example of this is the Nationwides buy to let company is called The Mortgage Works and the Lloyds Banking group have a company called Birmingham Midshires that looks after their buy-to-let mortgages
The maximum amount you can borrow from a lender will be linked to your expected rental income from your buy to let properties. To find out what your income might be, check rental listing sites or speak to a letting agent to discover how much similar properties are being rented for. Your lender will do the same as they will want to see how much rental income you’ll likely be getting when deciding on your monthly mortgage payment.
Lenders don’t only base their decision to lend to you on how much rent you are likely to earn. You will need to be earning around £25,000 a year for your application to be considered, and as with a residential mortgage, you will be subject to the lender’s credit checks. The lender will also have lower and upper age limits in place, so if you’re under 21 or over 75, you may not be eligible for a buy to let mortgage.
What is a Residential Mortgage?
A residential mortgage is a mortgage loan taken out on a property that you will be living in. This applies if you are a first-time buyer or somebody looking to move house.
There are different types of residential mortgages. Fixed-rate mortgages are generally the preferred choice as your interest rates won’t change over the duration of your mortgage. However, you also have the option of tracker mortgages or lender’s standard variable rate. These might be cheaper than a fixed-rate mortgage initially but as mortgage rates can fluctuate, your monthly interest payments may increase over time.
You won’t be able to rent out your residential property unless you have prior consent from your lender. In such a case, you will need to have something called ‘consent to let,’ a written agreement between you and your lender that gives you permission to rent your property for a temporary period.
Without getting consent to let, you could be in breach of your residential mortgage contract and you could face financial penalties. Therefore if you want your property to become a buy to let property you will need a buy to let mortgage and won’t be looking at ordinary mortgages.
Check out our first-time buyer and moving home pages to learn more about residential mortgages.
Main Differences Between Buy-to-Let and Residential Mortgages
An observation from our mortgage advisors is that there are a number of key differences which you need to be aware of when comparing buy-to-let and normal mortgages.
1. The mortgage deposit is usually higher
Mortgage providers consider buy to let mortgages riskier than normal mortgages. This is because landlords can make a loss if their tenants don’t pay on time or if they don’t pay at all. There is also the possibility that a property that is rented can be left empty for a long time.
Because of the higher risk to the mortgage lender, you will usually need to pay a larger deposit for a buy to let mortgage. The minimum deposit for a buy-to-let that you will be expected to pay is usually 25% of the total value of the property. To qualify for the best mortgage deals, however, you should try to pay a bigger deposit, perhaps with a payment of 40% of the property’s value.
On a residential mortgage, the minimum you will be expected to pay is usually 10% of the property’s value. But it’s worth paying more if you can, as a higher deposit means less mortgage interest on your total monthly payment.
If you want to know how much deposit you should put down, use a mortgage calculator to work out what you can and can’t afford, or book an appointment with our team for the advice you need.
If you can’t afford to pay for the deposit with your own money, you might want to ask for a financial gift from a family member or friend. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get a loan from the Help To Buy scheme for a property that is rented but you may be eligible if you’re looking for a residential mortgage.
2. Most landlords opt for interest-only mortgages
As with standard mortgages, you have a choice between interest-only or repayment deals when comparing mortgages for a buy to let property.
If you choose a repayment mortgage, you will pay off the loan and the interest each month, and when you come to the end of the mortgage term, you will have cleared your debt. This is usually the preferred choice for residential property owners but most landlords opt for a mortgage where you only pay the interest on the loan.
With an interest-only mortgage, you only pay off the interest each month, so your monthly payments will be smaller. This can be helpful, especially when there is a gap in your rental income, as you will experience less financial stress each month. However, you will need to repay the remainder of the loan at the end of the mortgage.
Some landlords will pay off their buy to let mortgages by selling the properties and assuming the value of the property has gone up, they can then pocket the profit (after paying the capital gains tax). This is something you might consider doing.
However, you could struggle to pay off buy to let mortgages if house prices fall so it’s still wise to put money into a savings account as you might need that extra money to make your final payment.
3. Buy-to-let mortgages are more expensive with bigger mortgage payments
Buy-to-let mortgages are usually more expensive than normal mortgages. The monthly interest rate is typically higher and product fees tend to be more costly too.
So, as well as paying a larger deposit on your buy to let property, you will need to budget for the higher monthly mortgage interest payments, the mortgage arrangement fees (which are sometimes 3.5% of the buy to let property value), and any other fees required of you by the mortgage.
As a landlord, you will face other costs too.
You will need to cover the stamp duty, which will typically be higher than that on your main home. You will have to pay income tax on your rental income usually via your self assessment tax return. As well as stamp duty there will be letting agent fees to consider, as well as council tax, maintenance costs, and other expenses.
So, not only will your buy to let mortgage be more expensive than a residential mortgage, you will have further costs to consider. Of course, you should be able to cover all of these costs if you have a steady stream of income coming in from your tenants.
Which type of mortgage should I pick?
Do you need a buy to let mortgage or a residential mortgage? Our opinion is that choosing the right type of mortgage shouldn’t be difficult but let’s look at the steps you need to take.
Your Requirements
If you aren’t planning to rent out a property, you won’t need a buy to let mortgage. You will need a residential mortgage and provided you have a steady stream of income coming in and a good credit record, you should have little trouble finding a mortgage lender willing to lend to you.
Not all residential mortgages are equal, however, so to make sure you gain access to the best mortgage deal, get in touch with our friendly team.
If you are planning to rent out a property, you will need a buy-to-let mortgage. This will be on top of the residential mortgage that you are already liable for if you currently own your own home.
Talk to us about the best Buy to Let mortgage deals available, including those that can be accessed via specialist lenders, as we are here to help you save money on your mortgage.
Your Situation
While choosing the right mortgage can seem straightforward, there are times when you might be confused.
Situation 1: An example our mortgage advisors give is if you might want to let out your residential property for a short time, perhaps because you’re going away on an extended vacation or moving in with a family member who needs care.
Our advice: Not usually, no, although as we said earlier, you will need to ask your mortgage provider for consent to let, as you may face financial penalties otherwise.
Situation 2: You might also want to rent out your property if you decide not to put it on the market after moving out of it permanently.
Our advice: If you don’t own the house outright, then yes! If you are moving out of your house permanently, you will need to switch your residential mortgage to a buy to let mortgage. You will be in breach of your contract otherwise.
Situation 3: It might also be that you inherit a house and rent it out so you have the extra cash to pay off the mortgage. Many people become accidental landlords this way.
Our advice: If you don’t intend to move into the house, then yes, you will need to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage.
For these or any other situations you may be unsure about, speak to your lender or contact a mortgage broker such as ourselves for advice on which type of mortgage you should be considering. You should also contact the HMRC to learn more about your tax implications when renting out a property.
Is it illegal to rent a house without a buy to let mortgage?
If you have bought a house with the express purpose of renting it out, then yes, it is illegal.
Some landlords get a residential mortgage for a rental property as it is usually cheaper than buy to let mortgages. While it makes financial sense, they are actually breaking the law and committing mortgage fraud.
If you were to rent out a house without a buy-to-let mortgage, the lender might…
- Ask you to pay off your loan early
- Raise your mortgage interest rates in line with their buy-to-let products
- Subject you to financial penalties
The exception is if you decide to rent out the home you were already living in. You are still breaking the law if you decide to rent the property after moving out permanently. But if you are renting it for the short term, you won’t get into any trouble, provided you have informed the mortgage provider first.
How a Mortgage Broker Can Help
- Do you have a mortgaged property that you are thinking about renting?
- Do you want to know which type of Buy to Let mortgages are right for you?
- Are you currently searching for the market for buy to let properties?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, get in touch with us today. We have worked with many prospective landlords over the years so are here to help you get the best deal on a mortgage if you are thinking about renting. After getting to know you, we will search the market for the best buy to let deal with your circumstances and will support you with every aspect of the mortgage application.
We are also here for you if you still have outstanding mortgage payments to make on your residential mortgage. If you’re looking to make a switch to a better deal, perhaps because you’re stuck on your lender’s SVR (standard variable rate), we can reduce your monthly costs by helping you get a great new mortgage.
with our mortgage experts who will be happy to help and benefit from the services, we can offer you.
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