Interest-only Buy-to-Let Mortgages

• Getting an Interest-Only Buy-to-Let mortgage
• Read our Buy-to-Let guide
• Try our Buy-to-Let mortgage calculator
• How much deposit do I need for an Interest-only Buy-to-Let mortgage?
• How much can I borrow with an Interest-only Buy to-Let mortgage?
• What is the eligibility for an Interest Only Buy to Let Mortgage?
• Advantages of Interest Only Buy to Let Mortgages
• Disadvantages of Interest Only Buy to Let Mortgages
• Best Interest-only Buy-to-Let mortgage lenders 
• How do I pay back an Interest Only Buy to Let Mortgage?
• Best Buy-to-Let Interest-only mortgages rates
• Interest-only Buy-to-Let FAQs

You will typically need to provide a deposit of around 25%. However, some lenders may be willing to accept 15%, while others might require a higher figure.

It all depends on the individual lender’s criteria. Some of the things that lenders consider are anticipated rental income, your affordability , and the qualities of the property.

This will help lenders decide how much they are willing to lend against the property’s value. Bear in mind that the larger the deposit, the better the interest rate.

This will depend on many aspects of the application, such as:

• The type of property,
• The anticipated rental income
• Your personal income
• Your credit history
• Your existing portfolio of properties

But as a general guide, a lender will consider the rental revenue to be 125% of your monthly payments. This is based on a 5% rate and you can work back from there if you know the prevailing market rental rate for the type of property in question. The exact calculation for how much you can borrow will vary from lender to lender.

The main advantages of an Interest-only Buy-to-Let mortgage lie in flexibility and tax efficiency.

As you would only be paying off the interest on the mortgage each month, your monthly payments will be a lot less, giving you more money for things like investments and renovations. However, this does mean that the mortgage amount will stay the same for the mortgage lifetime. This means that, at the end of the mortgage term, you will need a plan in place to repay the entire loan amount.

A common way to do this is to sell the property, which should have gained in value over the years. Alternatively, you could settle the loan by selling other assets, therefore retaining the property for ongoing further income.

Tax benefits may depend on your own financial circumstances and tax status. We can offer sound advice regarding your mortgage situation and borrowing needs, but we cannot give you financial advice. It’s best to speak to a qualified accountant or tax advisor.

The main disadvantage of an Interest-only Buy-to-Let mortgage is that the actual loan amount will not reduce over time. This in turn means that you will be paying a greater amount of interest over the duration of the loan.

You’ll need to create a long-term payment strategy to ensure that you can repay the loan amount at the end of the term. Many landlords decide to invest in a specifically designed repayment vehicle scheme. This should grow sufficiently in size to cover the loan amount and allow them to retain the property.

This means that a lot depends on the performance of the investment fund. There is always the risk that it will not have grown enough to cover the mortgage amount. In this case, the landlord will need to seek additional funds from other sources if they intend to retain the property. The alternative is to simply sell the property by the redemption date.

This is the overriding issue with an Interest-only Buy-to-Let mortgage. At the end of the mortgage’s lifetime, the lender anticipates the full repayment of the loan amount. You can deal with this in several ways:

Selling the property at the end of the mortgage term
This is the most common solution. When the mortgage term comes to an end, the landlord will sell the property to pay off the loan. Then the additional value in the property, gained through inflation, will be retained by the landlord as a return on. This will be on top of the profits already made from the surplus in rent over the years.

Investment funds
Landlords will often invest in a repayment vehicle fund, with the idea being that the fund will grow in value during the mortgage period. This will then cover the loan amount on the redemption date, meaning that the landlord will retain unencumbered ownership of the property for further ongoing rental income.

Partial capital repayments
While the mortgage is interest-only, it is entirely possible to make lump-sum capital repayments during the term. This can be either on an ad-hoc basis or, more regularly, to reduce the value of the loan over time. Whether you can access this kind of deal will depend on the lender’s own criteria. You’ll need to be careful to avoid plans with early repayment charges in these cases.

Refinancing
It could be possible to refinance the Interest-only mortgage onto another mortgage with an extended term. Possibly, you could even convert the loan into an Equity Release plan. This all depends on the property value, the remaining mortgage amount, and the age of the owner.

The interest-only Buy-to-Let mortgage rate you’re charged will vary from one lender to the next. It will depend on the ratio of the mortgage in relation to the property value and the duration of any fixed-rate term.

You will also notice that interest rates are constantly shifting due to various situations in the market. The only way to get an accurate insight into the interest rates you could be charged is through a specialist mortgage advisor. They will be able to advise you about the best options.