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HTG Mortgages
Commercial Buy to Let Mortgages | Why It Takes Longer Than Residential BTL
Last Updated: August 2026
Featured in The Telegraph • Daily Mail • The Times • Sky News
A commercial buy to let mortgage finances a wholly commercial property, a shop, an office, a warehouse, or a semi-commercial one with a flat above a business, bought to let to a tenant rather than to live in. Lenders assess it differently from a standard buy to let mortgage, and the process usually takes weeks rather than days.
Lenders typically want a 25% deposit or more, against a standard LTV range of 60% to 75%
Full completion usually takes four to eight weeks, against 24 to 48 hours for an agreement in principle
Rent or trading income normally needs to cover 120% to 150% of the mortgage payment, not your personal income
As featured in…
Meet your Advisor
Harry Goodliffe
- FCA Authorised
- Director & Mortgage Advisor
“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.”
Let’s Talk About Your Mortgage
How I check a commercial buy to let case before it goes to a lender
1
Step 1
First Chat
Tell me the property type, whether it is wholly commercial or semi-commercial, who the tenant is or will be, and the rent the property achieves or is expected to achieve.
2
Step 2
Research
I check which lenders are comfortable with the tenant’s trade and the lease terms, run the rent through the lender’s cover test, and gather the rent schedule and tenancy agreement a commercial valuer will want to see.
3
Step 3
Application
If the numbers work, I handle the application and stay the point of contact with the lender and any solicitor involved.
4
Step 4
Completion
Your mortgage offer is issued and my flat £350 fee becomes payable. If no offer is issued, you owe me nothing.
About
Our approach to commercial buy to let
Most delays on a commercial case come from paperwork, not the property
Lenders on a commercial case typically want two to three years of trading accounts, two months of bank statements, a rent schedule, and the tenancy agreement or lease terms, before they will issue formal terms. If the property is vacant or only partly let, most will also want a letting agent’s opinion on achievable rent. None of this is optional paperwork. Missing any one piece is usually what turns a four-week case into an eight-week one. Not every specialist buy to let case is about a commercial tenant, some are about unit count instead, like a multi-unit freehold block.
Whole-of-Market Access
Whole-of-market comparison across 120+ lenders
One Flat Fee
A flat £350 fee, payable only once your mortgage offer is issued
Honest Advice
If the right answer is to do nothing, I will say so
Outside My Scope
I do not offer equity release
How I help
I check three things: whether the tenant’s trade and lease length fit your target lender’s appetite, whether the rent or trading income clears the cover test the lender applies, typically 120% to 150% of the payment, and whether the documents a valuer will ask for are ready before the case is submitted, not chased afterwards.
Who this is for
Landlords and investors buying or refinancing a wholly commercial property, or a semi-commercial one such as a shop with a flat above, whether let to an existing tenant or bought with a tenant lined up. I cover this across Winchester and the rest of Hampshire, whether that is a purchase or a remortgage.
Related: Remortgage.
Why use HTG’s mortgage services?
Available 24/7, so we are always there to help when you need us
We are an independently owned, whole-of-market mortgage broker offering first-charge mortgages
We provide unrivalled customer service, ensuring that you get the care you deserve
Let’s get your mortgage sorted
Written by Harry Goodliffe
Director & Mortgage Adviser, HTG Mortgages · FCA Authorised (1017945)
CeMAP Qualified · Featured in National Press · South England Prestige Awards 2026/27 winner