Buy-to-let, with the stress test explained up front.
Personal name or limited company, first investment or a growing portfolio. Honest numbers on rental cover before you get attached to a property.
Stamp duty calculator
2026/27 rates for England and Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Figures are for residential purchases at 2026/27 rates and are an estimate. Your conveyancer will confirm the exact amount due. Rates and reliefs can change.
- Free initial advice
- No credit check to talk
- FCA regulated
- No obligation
The rental stress test decides everything
Buy-to-let lending is not assessed like a residential mortgage. What matters most is whether the rent covers the interest by a comfortable margin, tested at a notional rate well above the one you will actually pay. That single calculation determines how much you can borrow, and it surprises most first-time landlords.
The margin required varies with your tax position and with the product. A basic-rate taxpayer on a five-year fix is usually tested more generously than a higher-rate taxpayer on a two-year fix. This is one reason limited company structures have become so common, though they bring their own costs and complications.
Then there is the tax. Additional-property stamp duty is 5% on top of every band in England and Northern Ireland, 8% of the whole price in Scotland, and a separate higher-rate schedule in Wales. On a modest property that can be a five-figure sum before you have collected a penny of rent.
What matters here
- Borrowing is driven by the rental stress test, not by your personal income
- Lenders test the rent against a notional rate well above the pay rate
- Five-year fixed products are often stress-tested more generously than shorter ones
- Limited company structures can improve borrowing capacity but bring accountancy and tax costs
- Additional-property stamp duty applies from 40,000 pounds and works differently in each UK nation
- Some buy-to-let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
Four steps, no surprises
Most people come to us unsure what they are even allowed to ask for. This is how we take it from there.
We listen
A free call, at a time that suits you. We ask what you are trying to achieve and what is worrying you. No jargon, no pressure, no obligation to go further.
We research
We look across the lenders and providers available to us and work out what is genuinely open to you, then explain the options in plain English, including the ones we would rule out and why.
We recommend
You get a written recommendation setting out what we suggest, what it costs, and the risks. You decide whether to proceed. Nothing happens until you say so.
We see it through
We handle the application, chase the lender and solicitor, and keep you updated until completion. You always know who to ring.
Judge us on what people actually said
We do not advertise on television. Our reputation is the only thing speaking for us.
Incredible professional support right through the process. I wish our solicitor met this exemplary standard. Peter was always available even at weekends, responding almost immediately to our requests. My wife and I have no hesitation in calling on his services again.
Great service from start to finish. Very polite at all times. Kept up to date with the process. Nothing to complain about.
Excellent from start to finish. I thought I was pretty good at looking after my finances, but the great help I had from the people I dealt with showed me otherwise. Their expertise in all matters financial was second to none.
Let us find out what is actually open to you
One free call. No credit check, no obligation, and a straight answer about what is realistic.
What happens when you call
- You speak to a qualified adviser, not a call centre
- We ask what you are trying to achieve, then listen
- You get an honest view of what is realistic
- No pressure and no obligation to go further
Questions we hear a lot
If yours is not here, ring us. We would rather answer it properly than leave you guessing.
How much can I borrow on a buy-to-let?
It is driven primarily by the rent rather than your salary. Lenders apply an interest cover ratio, testing the expected rent against a notional interest rate that is deliberately higher than the rate you will pay. The required ratio varies with your tax band and the product term, which is why the same property can support very different loan sizes with different lenders.
Personal name or limited company?
There is no universal answer and it depends on your tax position, how many properties you hold, and what you plan to do with the income. Limited company borrowing often supports a larger loan and treats mortgage interest differently for tax, but it brings accountancy costs and can be harder to unwind. We will explain the mortgage implications clearly, and we will tell you plainly that the tax question is one for your accountant.
What stamp duty will I pay?
Additional-property rates apply to any residential purchase of 40,000 pounds or more where you will own more than one property afterwards. In England and Northern Ireland that is 5% added to every standard band. In Scotland it is a flat 8% of the entire price on top of standard LBTT. Wales uses an entirely separate higher-rate schedule starting at 5% from the first pound. Our calculator handles all three.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Some buy-to-let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
For equity release and later life lending we research and consider our carefully selected panel of providers and, if required, the whole of the market, to find the best solution for you. For residential mortgages and protection we will confirm the range of lenders and insurers we can select from in writing before you commit to anything.
Tell us what you are trying to do
One short form. A real adviser will call you back, usually the same working day.