How Does a Buy to Let Limited Company Work?

A limited company buy to let is where you buy and manage a buy to let property through a limited company. This means that rather than an individual owning the property, the company does instead. For some higher rate taxpayers holding a buy to let through a limited company can be particularly attractive from a tax efficiency point of view.

Note: the Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate some forms of buy to let mortgages.

A buy to let mortgage for a limited company will let you purchase a property and take on a property loan through a company, rather than in your own name. This means that the company can be the legal owner of the property, which is useful if you want to keep your personal and business portfolios separate. Buying through a limited company can help limit your personal liability in case of financial issues in the future. It can also help you purchase properties as a group with other people who jointly own the company.

Mortgages for limited companies are usually suitable for SPVs, or Special Purpose Vehicles, which are set up specifically to purchase properties. However, some lenders are willing to offer mortgages to more standard limited companies. If you need a mortgage for any type of company, an independent mortgage broker can help you find the right kind of lender for your needs.

A limited company mortgage for buy-to-let property will typically be an interest only mortgage, where you only pay the interest and have to pay the balance or sell the property at the end of the term.

You can get started by comparing limited buy to let mortgage rates currently on the market with our best buys tool.

Not all high street lenders offer limited company mortgages for buy to let properties. This can make it harder to find and find a suitable option. Mortgage brokers can help you secure deals that aren’t on offer from standard lenders, giving you more mortgages to consider. If you want help finding the right type of limited company mortgage for your needs, get in touch to see how we can help. Once you let us know what kind of mortgage you need, we’ll come back to you with a range of options. 

One important factor to consider is the different company buy to let mortgage rates that different lenders can offer. Interest rates can vary a lot between different lenders, especially depending on how closely you fit their preferred borrower profile. You might also want to compare different mortgage term lengths, as well as any other fees that are part of the mortgage, as this can help you find the right mortgage for your company.

Setting up mortgages for limited companies is similar to setting up a buy to let mortgage as a private landlord. You need to meet the lender’s criteria and ensure you have a suitable repayment vehicle in place. 

It’s best to use a mortgage broker for a limited company buy to let mortgage as many of these lenders require that borrowers use an intermediary like John Charcol.

It’s also important that you consult a tax adviser and/or accountant as they can ensure everything is set up correctly, giving you the best chance of a straightforward mortgage process.

The eligibility criteria for a buy to let limited company mortgage is pretty similar to the eligibility criteria for a normal buy to let mortgage. 

For example:

• Deposit - the minimum deposit for a buy to let mortgage is usually between 20% and 25%, but some lenders will require 30% or higher
• Rental income - most lenders will want to see that your predicted rental yield from the property is at least 125% of the monthly payments. This ensures that you will be able to afford the repayments as well as other expenses that crop up
• Personal income - you might also be required to have a suitable personal income to help cover any quiet times in your rental business. Some lenders will accept proof of personal savings instead of a minimum income. For a private landlord this will be the borrower’s personal income. For a buy to let limited company, this will be company director’s personal income
• Good credit history - your credit history and the credit history of the company will be checked when applying for a mortgage. Some lenders will accept minor adverse credit events, but a history of severe negative credit events can make it much harder to get a mortgage
• Age of directors - some lenders might reject mortgage applications if the borrowers or directors of the company are past retirement age, unless they can prove they have another suitable income to cover the mortgage
• Other property ownership - whether you hold 4 or more other properties in your personal name or through an SPV, you might find it harder to get a mortgage through high street lenders. In this case, you would need to find a lender that can consider a portfolio landlord

Some other criteria to bear in mind for buy to let limited company mortgages, include:

• Company purpose - the limited company must have been set up with the purpose of buying/selling/managing property
• How long the company has been incorporated - the company typically doesn’t need to have been incorporated for a minimum amount of time

Buy to let limited company mortgages can be obtained from various lenders, including high street banks, specialist lenders and through mortgage brokers like John Charcol. High street banks may have stricter criteria, while specialist lenders are more flexible and tailored to investment properties.

Mortgage brokers can provide a wide range of options, making it easier to compare rates and terms. Consulting with a mortgage advisor experienced in limited company mortgages can also help identify the best lenders for your specific needs.

Get in touch with our team to learn more on 0330 433 2927.

Holding buy to let property in a limited company may offer some tax benefits to certain people - e.g. some higher rate taxpayers find it to be more tax-efficient than owning property as a private landlord.

Here's why.

You Don't Pay Income Tax on Rental Income with a Buy to Let LTD Company

You pay Income Tax on rental income when you own rental property in your own name as a private landlord. The rental income you receive is added to your personal income and your overall income amount determines your Income Tax band. This means that your rental income can push you over a new threshold, leaving you liable to higher taxes.

You Pay Corporation Tax Instead

Conversely, rental profits on properties held in a limited company are not taxed according to personal Income Tax rates. Instead, they’re charged Corporation Tax, the main rate of which currently stands at 25% (2024/25).

You Can Deduct Certain Expenses When You Own a Buy-to-Let Through a Limited Company

Private landlords can no longer automatically deduct finance costs - like mortgage interest - from rental income.

This is not the case for buy to lets owned in a limited company. You can still deduct these kinds of expenses from the income on buy to let limited companies as they’re considered business expenses.

Again, we recommend you speak to an accountant about the tax benefits of limited company owned buy to lets versus personal ownership.

You can also find out more in our guides: Rental Income and Other Landlord Taxes and Buy-to-Let Tax Changes.

You should always speak to a qualified accountant about any potential tax benefits or liabilities.

Setting Up Is Simple and Quick

Setting up a buy to let company takes just 15 minutes and can be done easily online. Nonetheless, we recommend you seek advice from an accountant or legal advisor before making any big decisions. See Setting Up a Property Company for Buy to Let Purchases below for some extra information.

Future Planning Can Be Easier

It’s simpler to transfer a limited company to another owner than a privately held property. The property does not change owners but remains under the company’s ownership, which could protect the transaction from Stamp Duty, Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax (CGT). This is useful if you plan to pass your business on to family in the future.

You Could Expand Your Portfolio Faster

Retaining profits within the company helps to protect you from tax liabilities because if you sell one of the buy to lets, you’re not making a “capital gain”. Instead, your business is making a profit. This could help you use more of your earnings to expand your property portfolio faster.

You Could Have a Limited Liability Company

If you own a limited liability company then you’re not personally liable for any debts held by the company, including those on buy to lets. However, bear in mind that you’re not absolved of the personal guarantees often required by your buy to let limited company mortgage lender.

No Capital Gains Tax Allowance

When a limited company sells a property, no Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Allowance is given. An individual who sells a buy-to-let receives a certain allowance – i.e. an amount they don’t pay CGT on. If a private landlord sold their property within the 2023/24 tax year, they would receive an allowance of £6,000. A private landlord would pay CGT on anything above the allowance. The CGT allowance was reduced to £3,000 from the beginning of the tax year 2024/25.

You can use our CGT calculator to work out Capital Gains Tax on buy to let properties.

You don’t pay CGT on buy to lets owned by limited companies. Instead, you're subject to Corporation Tax when you take profit out of the business. This means you’re not entitled to the allowance. Whether it works out better for you financially depends on how much profit you gain from the sale of your buy to let. 

The Additional Costs of Running a Limited Company

You’ll have to factor in new costs and tasks when you set up a limited company.

These costs and tasks tend to be:

• The preparation of accounts - this is a legal requirement
• Corporation Tax
• Filing at Companies House
• Legal fees
• Annual auditing - if applicable

Accountants may also charge a higher fee when preparing accounts for Companies House.

Higher Mortgage Rates

Most lenders charge slightly higher interest rates and fees to limited companies compared to individual buy to let mortgages.

A Reduction in the Choice of Lenders and Availability of Mortgages

Not all buy to let lenders offer mortgages to limited companies and those that do tend to offer somewhat smaller product ranges.

Many people think that limited companies are complicated and difficult to maintain. Whilst there are a few additional responsibilities, they can be easily incorporated into your buy to let business plan and require little effort relative to the potential benefits. Sites like GetGround assist in the management of your buy to let property purchases made through a limited company. Below we’ve outlined some of the key activities involved in running a limited company.

Directors’ Responsibilities

Directors are personally responsible for some of the company’s basic functions - such as registering the business with Companies House, maintaining accounting records and making sure tax is paid on time. You can outsource these functions to other people, you just need to make sure you have adequate oversight. 

Records and Accounting

It’s essential that you maintain accurate company and accounting records. You must submit a “Confirmation Statement”, previously called an “Annual Return”, each year within 14 days of the company’s anniversary of incorporation. Annual accounts and tax returns must also be submitted.

Active private limited companies need to keep records for 3 years. If you make changes to the company’s name, address, directors’ or shareholders’ structure, you will need to notify Companies House and/or HMRC.

Drawing Funds from the Company

There are several options for drawing funds from the company, including:

• Salary
• Expenses
• Benefits
• Dividends
• Directors’ loans

The treatment of each for tax purposes is different. We always recommend you consult a qualified tax adviser as they’ll be able to guide you on the most suitable options for your circumstances.

Effective management of your limited company or SPV involves several key practices:

If you’re a higher rate taxpayer, transferring a buy to let property in your personal name to a limited company can offer greater tax efficiency. To transfer a buy to let to a limited company, you’ll first need to establish a limited company which will “hold” the property. You’ll then need to purchase the buy to let through the limited company, via a limited company buy to let mortgage.

A LTD BTLmortgage broker like John Charcol can help you with this. Call us on 0330 433 2927 to get started.

There are instances in which a BTL LTD company mortgage can’t be secured on a property or it just isn’t suitable for your needs. Maybe there’s work required on it or you want to make the most of the low rate you secured previously. In these situations, you may want to consider looking at specialist finance options.

Bridging Loans

A bridging loan can act as a stopgap until a mortgage can be secured. A bridging loan is appropriate for landlords if a property is not yet habitable - e.g. it doesn’t have a working kitchen or bathroom - or it’s being bought at auction and finance needs to be arranged quickly. Please note, bridging should be viewed as a short-term solution. The bridging lender will want you to prove you have a credible plan to repay the loan before or at the end of the term.

Development Finance

If you’re planning to expand your portfolio by building a completely new property, renovating a dilapidated building or converting an existing one, development finance may be more suitable for you than a mortgage. We have a panel of handpicked development finance lenders, all of whom have something slightly different to offer a budding property developer. Through our network, we can construct finance packages for residential and commercial projects. We can source finance up to £25 million so no matter how large your development project is, we can find a provider willing to consider you.

Second Charge Mortgages for Portfolio Landlords

A second charge mortgage allows you to release equity in your portfolio without remortgaging, which you may want to avoid if you’ve secured a low, base rate tracking mortgage. It can be a good option if you need to do some work on an existing property or raise finance for a new one.

There are specific tax considerations for buy to let limited companies. Rental income generated from the buy-to-lets held in a limited company is subject to Corporation Tax, rather than Income Tax..

Limited companies must ensure they register for Corporation Tax as soon as they start trading. Buy to let limited companies must also pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on properties bought in England and Northern Ireland. Limited companies pay a 3% surcharge on top of the standard Stamp Duty rate. Learn more about Stamp Duty second property rates in our guide.

Everyone’s circumstances are different when it comes to buying property.

The combination of our expert staff and whole of market approach allows us to offer impartial advice and support for landlords. We’ll guide you through the finance options available step-by-step.

We also have access to a range of other trusted partnerships with professionals, such as insurers and solicitors. With the hard work of these partners and our staff, you'll receive a service that goes beyond the process from application to ownership. One that works around your needs and helps you protect your investments - so you can keep growing your portfolio.

Call us on 0330 433 2927 to learn about your buy to let limited company mortgage options.