Buy-to-let mortgage costs are shrinking as lenders compete to offer the cheapest deals, according to new research, helping landlords redress their squeezed profit margins.
The latest data from mortgage technology provider Mortgage Brain shows a significant 1.9% drop in the cost of a two-year fixed buy-to-let purchase product at 60% loan to value (LTV) over the past three months, giving landlords an annual saving of £144 on a £150,000 mortgage, and a saving of £90 on the cost of a three-year fixed at 70% LTV which is down 1.1%.
Longer-term deals are also cheaper with five years fixed at 80% LTV 3.5% down compared to this time last year, an annual saving of £324 on a £150,000 loan.
Perhaps the biggest factor behind falling rates is the number of buy-to-let products available which have increased by 11% in the past year. The Mortgage Brain analysis reports that there are now a massive 3,859 buy-to-let products on the market from mainstream lenders.
Historic lows for buy-to-let mortgages
Mark Lofthouse, chief executive of Mortgage Brain, said: “Overall, the message for the buy-to-let market is positive; especially for investors looking to fix for a longer-term.
“The cost of buy-to-let mortgages continues to reach historic lows, with the market remaining competitive given the number of BTL mortgages currently on the market.”
The Mortgage Brain data also shows that buy-to-let mortgages remain higher when compared to mainstream residential mortgages. The cost of an 80% LTV five-year fixed rate is 16% higher than the equivalent residential mortgage, but the difference is less marked with tracker mortgages where the cost of a two-year 70% LTV product is only 4.75% higher than its residential equivalent.
As lenders continue to fight it out for borrowers in a shrinking market, landlords looking to remortgage or expand their portfolio will continue to benefit from historically low costs for mortgages.
