How to get a Holiday Let Mortgage

There’s been a significant rise in UK-based holidays over the last couple of years, due mainly to the recent pandemic. As a result, there’s also been a big increase in demand for holiday let mortgages.

By following this guide you’ll have a better understanding of which type of mortgage best suits a holiday let property, how to find the best rates and what else you should know before starting your business.

What type of mortgage do you need for a holiday let?

If you’re planning to buy a second home for the purposes of renting it out to tourists when you’re not using it, you’re going to need a holiday let mortgage.

Some lenders do allow applications for holiday rentals to fall under their standard buy-to-let mortgages umbrella but the eligibility criteria can be quite prohibitive as a result. It’s far better to find a specialist lender who offers tailored home loans for this particular type of venture.

What’s the difference between a holiday let and buy-to-let mortgage?

In terms of the actual mortgages, there’s very little difference. Both are available as either interest-only and repayment (with a preference usually for the former). The key difference relates to how affordability is assessed.

The main concern lenders have with holiday let properties is what happens if there’s prolonged periods when it’s not rented out? This will obviously have a knock-on effect if rental premiums can’t cover the mortgage repayments.

As a result, there’s only a select group of lenders willing to consider applications for holiday let business’.

Those that do tend to be focus their criteria on:

How to get a holiday let mortgage

If you’re looking for a holiday let mortgage there’s a few simple steps you can follow to make the process much more straightforward.

Here’s how we recommend you do it:

1. Get your documents ready: Having your paperwork ready in advance can help you save precious time. As this is a second home for the purpose of a holiday let business, make sure you have a business plan prepared outlining the expected rental income, along with recent mortgage statements on your main residence. Take a look at our guide to mortgage applications to find a full list of exactly what you’ll need.
2. Check your credit reports: Regardless of what type of mortgage you’re looking at, all lenders will want to check your credit history so it’s also a good idea to have a copy of your report beforehand. This will allow you to correct any inaccuracies and remove any details that are out of date or just wrong. You can download your credit reports through our dedicated credit reports hub.
3. Speak to a mortgage broker: Once you’ve got your documents together, the next step is to speak with a broker who has experience dealing with holiday let mortgages. They will be able to guide you through the process and manage your application from start to finish. As these types of mortgages are quite unique, this could save you a lot of time going back and forth trying to find the right lenders who can offer the best rates.

Our free, broker-matching service will quickly assess your needs and circumstances to pair you with a mortgage advisor who’s ideally placed to help you – Make an enquiry to get started.

What is the actual classification of a holiday let property?

Unlike buy-to-let properties that are bought for the sole purpose of renting out full-time, the aim of a holiday home is to only rent them out on a short-term basis. As such, there’s a number of tax advantages available for holiday let business’ as long as you follow certain rules.

If you’re thinking of buying a property to use as a qualifying holiday let business, the guidelines you need to adhere to are:

The tax advantages of owning a holiday let property

As long as you follow the rules outlined above, your holiday let business should qualify for the following tax benefits:

• Unlike private landlords, you can still claim full tax relief on all of your mortgage interest payments
• Both capital gains tax and entrepreneur’s tax relief are available when you eventually sell the property
• Plant and machinery capital allowances are available on all furniture and fixtures within the property

In addition to all of the above, there’s one other obvious benefit of a holiday home often overlooked. Outside of the 210 days it must be available for commercial purposes, you’re allowed to live in it – and enjoy the benefits of having it – yourself.

Holiday let mortgages are considered quite ‘niche’ so finding the right lenders who offer this type of home loan can be tricky. Using the services of an experienced mortgage broker – who’ll know exactly where to look – will definitely be to your advantage here, saving you a lot of time.

Eligibility criteria

The criteria will differ depending on whether you’re applying for a holiday let mortgage or a standard buy-to-let mortgage.

The  key difference between the two is the affordability requirements. As buy-to-let properties tend to have long-term tenants, the rental income you will receive is much more predictable than with holiday lets – which may be left empty for some of the year.

This means you may be expected to have a greater personal income and/or a larger rental income from the property in order to give a lender confidence that your repayments will be covered throughout the term.

For standard buy-to-let mortgages, most lenders expect to see an overall rental yield equivalent to between 125-145% of the mortgage repayment. However, for holiday lets this may need to be higher. In some cases the yield may need to be at least 170%. But, this can also vary from lender to lender.

Other factors that could affect your chances of approval

In addition to the rental income, the general eligibility criteria for holiday let mortgages will vary between lenders but the following will almost certainly play a part in the decision-making process:

Deposit requirements

Like all other types of mortgage, your chances of getting approved for a holiday let mortgage will increase with the size of your deposit. In this case, the deposit required will usually be higher than standard buy-to-let mortgages due to the higher risk involved.

The exact amount required for your mortgage will vary from lender to lender. In general, you’ll need at least a 25%-30% deposit. The higher deposit you can put down, the better chance you have of qualifying for the best rates.

How to get the best rates

Interest rates for holiday let mortgages are usually higher than for standard buy-to-let mortgages. Again, this is generally down to the perceived additional risk involved with this type of venture. But, there are some good opportunities available, if you know where to look.

Typical examples of the rates available on holiday let mortgages at the time of writing (November 2021) are as follows…

• The Cumberland offers a 2 year fixed-rate of 3.44% on a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of up to 60%. If the LTV ratio is between 60 and 75% the 2 year fixed interest rate will increase to 3.84%.
• Leeds Building Society offers two-year fixed rates on holiday-let mortgages starting at 3.44% at 60% LTV, or 3.95% on the higher 75% LTV.
• Leeds BS also offers five-year fixed rates starting at 3.40% interest rate for 60% LTV and 4.19% interest rate for 75% LTV, with no mortgage-arrangement fees.

Other lenders decide their rates on an individual basis, depending on the value of the property you’re buying, the amount of deposit you have, and the potential income the property offers.

However, approaching one lender directly is usually not advised. This is because you’ll limit yourself to just one provider’s rates and deals, when there are so many more out there.

Instead, it is better to speak to a specialist holiday let broker. This should give you access to the best rates. Some may even have access to exclusive deals and will know which lenders to approach for your specific circumstances.

Get matched with a holiday let mortgage broker today

The best way to land a great holiday let mortgage is to use a broker who specialises in that market. They will have the knowledge, experience and lender contacts to make sure that you secure the best rates and on the best terms.

We offer a free, broker-matching service that will quickly assess your needs and circumstances to pair you with the mortgage advisor who’s best placed to help you. They will already know which lenders have the expertise to deal with this type of mortgage and will be able to manage your application through the whole process.

Call 0808 189 0463 or make an enquiry and we’ll set up a free, no-obligation chat between you and your ideal buy-to-let mortgage broker today.