LHV Bank has announced that its UK lending portfolio now totals £140m, having more than doubled since the end of 2023. The bank secured its banking licence from the Prudential Regulation Authority in May 2023 and reported a profit after tax of £6.4m in its first year of operation. It provides personal savings accounts and lending to SMEs, specialising in buy-to-let (BTL), commercial real estate and owner-occupier commercial mortgages, providing loans from £500,000 to £10m+.

Zephyr Homeloans has made reductions to most of its products by between five to 10 bps. For properties with an A-C rated energy performance certificate (EPC), rates on a two-year fixed standard mortgage start at 3.59%, while a five-year fix starts at 4.69%, both with a 7% fee. On two- and five-year mortgages for HMOs and MUFBS, rates start from 3.79% and 4.89% respectively. For properties with a D or E rated EPC, rates on two- and five-year mortgages start at 3.69% and 4.74% respectively, with HMO/MUFB mortgages start at 3.89% for a two-year fix and 4.94% for a five-year deal. All products are available at up to 65% LTV and come with a 7% fee.

The BTL and residential brands of Foundation Home Loans have launched new two- and five-year fixed EPC saver products in partnership with Vibrant Energy Matters to support borrowers who wish to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. The product is designed for both landlord and owner-occupier borrowers who are purchasing or remortgaging who require support to get their property to EPC level of C and above. The BTL product comes with two- and five-year options, with a 1.25% fee, with rates starting at 5.94%. The residential product also offers two- and five-year options, with a fixed £595 fee and with rates starting at 6.24%. All products are available at up to 75% LTV.

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