A high loan-to-value buy-to-let mortgage lets you borrow above the 75% of the property's value that most lenders treat as standard — in practice, the 80% and 85% products. Few lenders operate in this space, the products are broker-only, and the affordability maths is less forgiving — these cases are placed, not simply applied for.
Key facts
- What it is: a buy-to-let mortgage above 75% loan to value — 80% and 85% products fall into this category.
- Lender pool: a small group of specialist lenders. The number offering 85% products changes with market conditions — we check current availability across our panel.
- Distribution: broker-only. The lenders active at high loan to value do not generally offer these products direct to the consumer.
- Pricing: rates and set-up costs step up markedly once you pass 75%. Rates move with the market — we quote against your actual case.
- Affordability: assessed on rental cover, so the property needs a strong yield to support the larger loan.
- Regulation: the Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate most buy-to-let mortgages.
What counts as a high loan to value?
On the unregulated side — buy-to-let property — 75% is the market's standard ceiling. Anything above that is a high loan-to-value product, and the 80% and 85% tiers are where the genuine specialists sit. The process is the same as a normal buy-to-let application; what changes is the products, the lenders and the scrutiny.
The lender pool thins out quickly above 75% because the risk no longer works for most of the market. A handful of providers specialise here, and the number of lenders offering 85% products changes with market conditions — we check current availability across our panel rather than relying on last quarter's picture.
Why these products are broker-led
The lenders operating at high loan to value distribute through brokers, not direct to the consumer — deliberately. With the risk attached to an 80% or 85% loan, advice is structural: the lender wants a broker to have tested the long-term risk, the prospects for capital growth, and whether the rental yield genuinely supports the borrowing.
It matters at underwriting too: the underwriter will want answers about how you intend to make the property a successful business. A broker who places these cases regularly knows what each lender needs to see and presents it the first time.
Who it's for
In principle, anyone who qualifies for a normal buy-to-let mortgage — affordability is the gating factor, not borrower type. In practice, it suits investors with a clear reason to preserve cash: spreading deposits across more purchases, keeping working capital for refurbishment, or growing a portfolio faster than a 25% deposit per property allows.
The rate and fee step-up
The first question we ask anyone seeking a high loan-to-value product is whether they can increase their deposit, because pricing changes dramatically when you jump above 75%. The mortgage rate itself can rise substantially against the equivalent 75% product, and set-up costs follow the same pattern: arrangement fees are quite high across the buy-to-let market regardless of loan to value, but high loan-to-value products have historically always carried higher set-up costs on top. Rates and fees move with the market, so we quote against your actual case rather than a headline figure.
Increasing your deposit, even slightly, brings both the rate and the set-up costs down. Part of our job is to show you the comparison at each tier, so the premium you pay for leverage is a deliberate choice rather than a default.
The rental-cover maths
Buy-to-let affordability is calculated on the rent, and this is where high loan-to-value cases are won or lost. A larger loan means a larger interest bill, and the lender stresses the rental income against that cost — the rent must cover the interest by a set margin that varies with your tax position and how you hold the property. The payment term shapes the calculation too: five-year products are generally the most favourable, especially through a limited company.
At 80% or 85%, the property needs a genuinely strong yield to pass — a case that stresses comfortably at 75% may not work at 85%. Before any application, we run the rental cover both ways: at the loan size you want, and at the loan size the rent supports.
The risks to weigh
Borrowing at 80% or 85% leaves a thin equity margin, and that margin is the risk. If values in the local area soften, you can find yourself stuck at a high loan to value — or worse, in negative equity — with limited options to refinance. We always consider the market in the first instance to assess that likelihood before recommending the product.
The exit deserves equal attention. Most borrowers plan to remortgage when the initial product ends, and that plan rests on assumptions: some capital appreciation if you are purchasing, or paying the balance down on a repayment mortgage. If neither has happened by then, you may be remortgaging at the same high loan to value into whatever the market offers.
The process
- Enquiry. You tell us the property, the rent and the deposit you have available.
- Deposit sense-check. We test whether a larger deposit would materially improve the deal.
- Rental cover. We run the affordability maths against current criteria to confirm the loan size the rent supports.
- Lender match. We check current 80% and 85% availability across our panel and approach the best fit.
- Application and underwriting. We present the full case and manage it to completion.
FAQ
What counts as a high loan-to-value buy-to-let mortgage?
Anything above 75% of the property's value. On the unregulated buy-to-let side, 75% is considered the standard maximum, so the 80% and 85% products are the high loan-to-value category.
How many lenders offer 80% or 85% buy-to-let mortgages?
A small group of specialists, and the number — particularly at 85% — changes with market conditions. We check current availability across our panel rather than working from a fixed list.
How much more expensive is a high-LTV mortgage than a 75% one?
The step-up is significant on both the rate and the set-up costs, but the exact gap moves with the market — we quote against your actual case. Increasing your deposit, even modestly, brings both down.
What happens if the property falls in value?
With a thin equity margin, a fall in local values can leave you stuck at a high loan to value or in negative equity, which narrows your remortgage options when the product ends. That is why we assess the local market and your exit plan before recommending the product.
Talk to an adviser
Tell us about the property, the rent and the deposit you are working with, and we will set out what is achievable above 75% — and whether it is the right route at all. Call 020 7126 8574 or request a call back.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up with your mortgage repayments.
The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate most Buy to Let Mortgages.
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