Discover how much you can borrow.
Use our simple buy to let mortgage calculators to determine how much you could borrow for a property.
Find out how much you can borrow
Whether you’re buying your own home or a buy to let investment property, use our quick and simple calculator to get an estimate of how much you’d be able to borrow for a mortgage.
For a more accurate quote, speak to one of our expert brokers.
How Is Buy to Let Borrowing Calculated?
When working out how much you can borrow with a buy to let mortgage, lenders focus primarily on the property's rental income rather than your salary. The amount available to borrow will typically depend on the expected rental income, the mortgage interest rate, your deposit size and the lender's affordability requirements. Other factors which can impact the calculation are whether the property will be owned personally or in a Limited Company, and, if the former, the borrowers tax codes.
Most lenders also consider the Loan to Value (LTV) ratio, which compares the amount being borrowed against the property's value. Generally, a larger deposit can improve affordability and increase the range of mortgage products available to you.
While each lender has its own criteria, our buy to let mortgage calculator provides a helpful indication of your borrowing potential based on typical lending requirements.
Buy to Let Affordability and Rental Stress Tests
When calculating how much you can borrow with a buy to let mortgage, lenders will assess the property's expected rental income against their own affordability requirements. This process is often referred to as a rental stress test or rental calculation.
This calculation is to ascertain whether the anticipated rental income is sufficient to comfortably cover the mortgage payments whilst also leaving a margin for void periods, property repairs, running costs, tax and interest rate fluctuations. The exact calculation varies between lenders, but many require the monthly rental income to exceed the mortgage payment by a specified percentage — commonly in the region of 125-145%, depending on the lender, your tax status and whether the property is held personally or through a company.
- Factors that can influence affordability include:
- Expected monthly rental income
- Property value and type
- Deposit size
- Mortgage interest rate
- Individual or limited company ownership
- Existing property portfolio
Passing a lender's rental stress test can improve the amount you're able to borrow and increase access to a wider range of mortgage products.
Our buy to let affordability calculator provides an estimate of your borrowing potential based on these key factors, helping you assess prospective investments before making a full application.
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How Much Rental Income Do I Need for a Buy to Let Mortgage?
Rental income is one of the most important factors when applying for a buy to let mortgage. In many cases, lenders will require the property's expected monthly rent to exceed the anticipated mortgage payment by a specific margin.
For this reason, properties with stronger rental yields may support larger borrowing amounts than properties generating lower rental income.
When assessing an application, lenders may review:
- Expected monthly rental income
- Local market rental demand
- Property type
- Mortgage term
- Applicant status (individual or limited company)
Using a buy to let mortgage calculator can provide an estimate of how rental income may affect your borrowing capacity before approaching lenders.
Limited Company Buy to Let Borrowing
Many landlords now purchase investment properties through a limited company, often set up as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) created specifically to hold buy to let property.
The affordability calculation follows the same broad principles as personal borrowing — expected rental income, property value, deposit amount and the lender's stress test — but lenders will also review the company structure and, in many cases, the financial background of the directors.
Limited company borrowers often have access to a wide range of specialist buy to let products, and our calculator can help give an indication of borrowing potential for both individual and limited company landlords.
What size mortgage can I get?
How much you can borrow entirely depend on your individual circumstances. Lenders will want to review your income (or combined income if you’re purchasing with a partner or friend) to ensure that the mortgage is affordable for you. If you are a key worker you might even be able to access more competitive mortgage products from some specialist lenders.
As a general rule, lenders will offer around 4.5x the total applicant income, but our expert brokers may be able to help you access more. Our ‘how much can I borrow’ calculator above can give you an estimate of how much of a mortgage you can get.
How much will my mortgage cost?
This will depend on a number of factors, such as:
- How much of a mortgage you borrow
- The total term of the mortgage
- The interest rate charged
- Whether you add any fees to the loan
- The repayment method (Interest-Only or Repayment)
Our brokers will compare the costs of different mortgage interest rates to make sure you’re choosing the most competitive deal. It’s important to remember that the best deal for you doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest. You can calculate how much your monthly repayments will be with your new rate using our Mortgage Repayment Calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
How much can I borrow with a buy to let mortgage?
How do lenders calculate buy to let affordability?
How much rental income do I need for a buy to let mortgage?
Can I get a buy to let mortgage through a limited company?
Does my salary affect how much I can borrow?
What deposit do I need for a buy to let mortgage?
What deposit do I need for an interest only mortgage?
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