It's widely expected that interest rates will rise at some point this year; Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England stated that interest rates would not rise until UK unemployment fell to 7% which was actually achieved in 2014 but the Bank has as yet, held interest rates at their historic low.  Many landlords use mortgages to finance their portfolio, and for those who are on variable rate products, now could be the time to fix these rates to protect against exposure when rates to begin to rise.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has recently published two case studies to illustrate the possible effects of interest rate rises on buy-to-let investors:

Landlord with Variable Rate mortgage

A landlord client has purchased a property for £160,000 with a buy-to-let mortgage at 70% loan-to-value and expects to receive £650 per month in rent.  The client has chosen a 2-year tracker product at BBR+2.89% with a £995 arrangement fee added to the loan.  The current monthly mortgage payment is £319 per month.  If we assume that Bank of England Base Rate rises gradually to 2.5% over the next two years, the landlord would end up paying a rate of 5.39% resulting in a monthly payment of £508.  That's almost £200 more each month for just one property.  If you then factor in any void periods, management fees and maintenance costs this scenario could result in them running at a loss.

Landlord with a Fixed Rate mortgage

A landlord client has purchased a property for £160,000 with a buy-to-let mortgage at 70% loan-to-value and expects to receive £650 a month in rent.  The client has chosen a 4.39% 5-year fixed rate with a £1,995 arrangement fee added to the loan.  The current monthly mortgage payment is £417 per month.  If we assume that Bank of England Base Rate rises gradually to 2.5% over the next two years, the landlord in this example will continue to pay £417 per month for the mortgage.

It stands to reason that although a fixed rate mortgage may have a higher monthly repayment, the potential savings in the longer term could be significant if interest rates rise.  For some landlords, a rise in interest rates could cause the portfolio to be unprofitable, and we would urge that all mortgages be reviewed to ensure investments remain profitable.

AMRP has teamed up with a trusted mortgage broker to offer landlords the ability to review their mortgage products and aim to protect against interest rate rises.  To find out more, or to receive a call back from our partner, please contact us on 0191 640 4604, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or complete the form below.

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Renovation of our new head office in Ferryhill, County Durham from its' former dilapidated state with retail and office space.

In April 2014 via a London based charity, AMRP connected with a gentleman in his mid-sixties who had sustained a long-term tenancy in London.  Expecting to reside there for the foreseeable future, he found himself in a spiralling situation after being evicted due to his pet dog.

 

After eviction, the tenant was unable to secure an affordable tenancy and, unwilling to part with his pet, was left seeking temporary accommodation via various support agencies and when no such beds were available, resorting to sleeping on the street until a bed became available.

 

Now settled in Chilton, County Durham in a two bedroom terraced property at £75 per week, covered fully by his housing benefit entitlement, he says:

"They told me no dogs, nor would I let the dog go.  I took it for granted that I would be in my house forever, no problems."

 

When asked if he intends to remain in County Durham, he answers:

"Definitely, just to carry on as I am.  I have worked hard on my house to make it a home with help from the local furniture scheme (County Durham Furniture Help Scheme)."

 

Even joking about adjusting to the North East weather and having put on weight since arriving in the region!

 

AMRP are proud to have offered this and other tenants a new start in the North East; we'e pet friendly and all tenancies with no top up / bedroom tax to pay.  Tenants are required to be referenced by Durham County Council for homes in this area; the reference is completed free of charge. For any tenant accepted by Durham County Council through this referencing process, we guarantee to offer a home.

All homes carry an admin fee, payable by the tenant of £100 including VAT, payable on signing the tenancy and only if a tenancy is entered into.  We will ensure the tenancy is affordable by setting the rent at the same level of the claimants' LHA entitlement (minimum acceptable is the One Bed Rate of £75 per week).  In order to progress an application, in the first instance please request, complete and return a reference form.  If deemed agreeable by Durham County Council, we'll then arrange viewings of suitable accommodation.

 

For further details please contact Alicia Walton on 0191 640 4604 or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Complete property revamp to bring a dilapidated empty property back into use, and to an exception rental standard.

Before:

 

 

After