Your first buy-to-let, through a limited company
No landlord experience is not the barrier it sounds: 24 of the 28 buy-to-let lenders on our panel require none at all. What first-timers actually need is the right subset of lenders, a sensible property, and rent that covers the mortgage by the lender's margin.
We introduce your company to the lenders who take first-timers, matched on the property and your file. Free, and nothing is submitted until you say so.
The first-timer panel in numbers
24
of 28 buy-to-let lenders require no landlord experience
26
accept HMOs, a subset of them from first-timers
18
accept minor adverse credit older than 24 months
12
will lend to a trading company rather than only an SPV
Counts are distinct lenders on our panel with at least one live product matching the criterion, checked September 2026. Panel composition changes over time, and meeting a criterion is not an offer: every case is subject to the lender's own checks.
What actually narrows the field for a first-timer
Owning your own home
Some lenders require it of first-time landlords, others do not. If you rent, the panel is smaller but far from empty, and it is a criterion we check before anything goes out.
The property type
A standard house or flat opens the widest first-timer panel. Small HMOs are reachable; large HMOs, multi-unit blocks and holiday lets mostly wait for a year or two of letting history.
The rent calculation
Rental cover, not deposit, is what usually caps a first loan. A property yielding well in a cheaper area often borrows more easily than a dearer one with thin rent.
Company setup
A new SPV with property SIC codes is normal and lenders expect it; directors give personal guarantees. Setting one up takes a day, and the mortgage application can run alongside.
A note on who we take on
We currently work with UK limited companies and LLPs only, for business and commercial purposes. We complete non-regulated introductions and are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. We do not arrange regulated mortgage contracts or consumer buy-to-let.
The panel behind this page
First-time landlord cases go to the 24 lenders on our buy-to-let panel of 28 that take them, part of 200+ lenders across all products. That range matters more than any single rate: the lender that suits a five-year-old limited company with clean accounts is rarely the one that suits a seasonal business or a director with a past blip, and a broker with a shallow panel has to force your case into whichever box it holds.
Names you may recognise on the panel
Examples from our panel as at September 2026, not an endorsement of any lender and not the full list. We check criteria first and put your case only to lenders whose requirements you fit. The full panel by product is in our lender directory, and how we choose is set out on our how we work page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a buy-to-let mortgage with no landlord experience?▼
Yes. 24 of the 28 buy-to-let lenders on our panel require no landlord experience at all (checked September 2026; panel composition changes over time). Most of the rest want a year. What first-timers lose is the specialist end: large HMOs and complex blocks usually wait until you have a let or two behind you.
Should my first buy-to-let be in a limited company?▼
Plenty of first-time landlords now start in a company, usually a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up to hold property, and lenders are comfortable with brand-new SPVs because the directors stand behind the deal with personal guarantees. Whether a company suits your tax position is a question for your accountant, not for us or a lender. Once that decision is made, the company route opens the panel we work with.
Do first-time landlords pay higher rates?▼
Not automatically. Lenders price the deal, the property and the loan-to-value more than your landlord CV. Where inexperience shows up is in the criteria gate itself, which lenders will consider you at all, and sometimes in a lower maximum loan-to-value or a requirement that you already own your own home.
What is rental cover and why does it decide my loan size?▼
Lenders stress the mortgage interest at a test rate and require the rent to cover it by a margin, commonly 125% for limited companies. On a lower-yielding property that calculation, not your deposit, is usually what caps the loan. Each lender sets its own stress rate, so the same rent supports different loan sizes at different lenders, which is precisely why the case goes to the right ones first.
Does my own credit history matter for the company's mortgage?▼
Yes: the company borrows, but directors are underwritten and give personal guarantees. A clean file opens everything; 18 of our buy-to-let lenders accept minor adverse credit older than 24 months. Recent or heavier issues push the case to the specialist end of the panel.
Is this FCA regulated?▼
Buy-to-let lending to a limited company for a genuine letting business is generally unregulated. Consumer buy-to-let, letting to family, or a property you have lived in are regulated territory and we do not arrange them. CapExpand introduces limited companies and LLPs on a non-regulated basis and is not an FCA-authorised firm.
Important information
CapExpand Ltd is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and can only complete non-regulated introductions. We work with UK limited companies and LLPs only, for business and commercial purposes. We are not a lender and we do not provide financial, tax or legal advice. We do not arrange regulated residential mortgages, consumer buy-to-let mortgages or any other regulated mortgage contracts. We work with a panel of lenders whose particulars are available on request, and we receive commission from the lender if a deal completes, at no cost to you. All lending is subject to status, valuation where applicable and the lender's own checks.
Registered office: Pure Offices, Lake View Drive, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 0DT. Company No. 14433858.
Tell us about the property you have in mind
Price, expected rent and whether the company exists yet. We come back with the first-timer lenders that fit, usually within a day.