HTG Mortgages
Last Updated: August 2026
The stress test is not about your income. It is about whether the rent covers the mortgage payment by enough of a margin that the lender is comfortable, usually 125% to 145% of the payment, calculated at a stress rate higher than the rate you will actually pay. I ran this test across 16 Hampshire local authorities using my own figures rather than a generic calculator, and the results vary more than most people expect.
The rent usually needs to cover 125% to 145% of the mortgage payment, tested at a stress rate above your actual rate
On my own analysis of 16 Hampshire local authorities at 75% loan to value, only Portsmouth and Southampton pass the 145% test for a personal purchase
Winchester’s own yield of around 3.79% supports roughly 47.5% loan to value at the same test, which is why structure matters as much as the property
“I‘m not about confusing jargon or passing you from person to person. From our first chat to the day you get the keys, you’ll deal directly with me. I‘ll keep you updated, answer any burning questions, and do everything I can to make the whole process as stress-free as possible.”
1
Tell me the area, the purchase price or current value, and the rent you expect or already receive. Most of these calls take fifteen minutes.
2
I run your figures against the lender’s actual stress rate and rent-cover ratio, not a generic online calculator, and check whether personal or limited company ownership gets you further.
3
If the numbers work, I handle the application and stay the point of contact with the lender and any solicitor involved.
4
Your mortgage offer is issued and my flat £350 fee becomes payable. If no offer is issued, you owe me nothing.
A property that fails the test at 75% loan to value in your own name can pass the same day through a limited company, because company lending is normally stress tested at 125% rather than 145%. It can also pass with a smaller loan. Neither of those is obvious from a generic online calculator, which is why I run the actual numbers rather than a rule of thumb.
Whole-of-market comparison across 120+ lenders
A flat £350 fee, payable only once your mortgage offer is issued
If the right answer is to do nothing, I will say so
I do not offer equity release
Not sure whether you even need to do anything? Call me on 01425 203055 or email info@htgmortgages.com. No charge for working out where you stand.
Two guides that pair with this calculator: what counts as a good rental yield and whether you need a minimum income for a buy to let.
I check three things: the rent figure a surveyor is likely to support rather than the one you hope for, the specific stress rate your chosen lender applies, since it varies by lender and by whether the deal is fixed or variable, and whether personal or limited company ownership gets the numbers over the line. Getting this wrong is a common reason a buy to let application falls over late, after a valuation has already been paid for.
Landlords buying or remortgaging in lower-yield areas where the numbers are tight. Portfolio landlords, where every property in the portfolio has to pass, not just the one being bought. First-time landlords who assumed the test was about their personal income rather than the property’s rent.
