We arrange limited company and SPV buy-to-let mortgages for Eastbourne landlords, including single lets, HMOs, converted flats and multi-unit freehold blocks, with advice by phone, video or at our Hastings office.
Eastbourne has a large stock of Victorian and Edwardian buildings close to the town centre and seafront, many of them former hotels, guest houses and big family homes now divided into flats. For investors buying several units at a time, those buildings are a natural fit for a company structure, particularly where the whole building is on one freehold and can be financed as a multi-unit freehold block.
The closure of the University of Brighton's Eastbourne campus in 2024 has also changed things for landlords. Some former student houses are now let as professional HMOs or converted back into family homes, and owners are reviewing whether those properties should sit in a company in future.
Elsewhere, family homes in Hampden Park and Langney and flats around Sovereign Harbour are common single-let purchases. Lenders apply the same property checks to companies as to individuals, so short leases, cladding questions on newer blocks and licensing for shared houses all need checking early.
Buying through a limited company is not automatically better. Company landlords can usually offset mortgage interest in full as a business cost and pay corporation tax on profits, but taking money out of the company as salary or dividends is taxed again. The 5% stamp duty surcharge applies to companies too. For higher-rate taxpayers building a portfolio, a company often makes sense; for a basic-rate taxpayer buying one property, personal ownership may be simpler.
Moving properties you already own into a company is treated as a sale, which can trigger capital gains tax and stamp duty. Your accountant should advise on the structure; we then find the limited company buy-to-let mortgage that fits it.
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Lenders mainly want to see three things: a suitable company, usually an SPV with property SIC codes such as 68100, 68209 or 68320; directors and shareholders with acceptable credit who will sign personal guarantees; and rent that covers the mortgage by the lender's margin, commonly around 125% at its test rate.
Deposits generally start at 25%. A brand-new company with no accounts is not usually a problem, because the lender looks at the people behind it. Specialist properties, such as HMOs and multi-unit blocks, have their own criteria, which we cover in our SPV and HMO lending guide.
This is an illustrative example, not a real case. An experienced landlord's SPV buys a former small hotel near the seafront that already has planning permission and has been converted into six self-contained flats on one freehold title. Rather than six separate mortgages, the company takes one multi-unit block mortgage, with the loan based on the combined rent and the building's value.
Russell Braiden CeMAP and the team arrange company buy-to-let lending across Sussex and Kent. We are directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 925926) and rated 5.0 stars from 109 Google reviews. We are based in Hastings and most Eastbourne clients work with us by phone or video, with documents uploaded securely; you are also welcome at our Hastings office.
Our broker fee is £599. For a purchase it is payable when your mortgage offer is issued; for a remortgage to a new lender it is charged on completion. Where there is adverse credit the fee is £999, or up to 1% of the loan. We do not charge a fee for product transfers with your existing lender, and we confirm any fee in writing before we start. Contact us or call 01424 444597 to talk it through.
Yes. The lender will look at how you plan to let it now, as a single let or an HMO, and value it on that basis. If it needs licensing or alterations, build that into your plans.
HMOs with five or more people from two or more households need a mandatory licence. At the time of writing Eastbourne has no additional licensing scheme, but check with the council before you buy.
You can, but it is normally treated as a sale, so capital gains tax and stamp duty may apply, and it needs a new mortgage in the company's name. Get tax advice first; we can then arrange the company mortgage.
No. Mortgages to limited companies are not regulated by the FCA. We still give you the same written recommendation and explain the costs and risks.
Important: Limited company buy-to-let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Directors are usually asked for personal guarantees, which can put personal assets at risk. The FCA does not regulate tax advice, so please take advice from an accountant before buying through a company.
Transparent Mortgage Services is a trading style of Transparent Financial Associates Limited, which is directly authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 925926). 17 Havelock Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 1BP. Telephone 01424 444597.
