If you’re looking to buy a property – or properties – with the purpose of renting it out, you won’t be able to take out a standard mortgage. Instead, you will need to take out a buy to let mortgage (BTL), which are specifically designed for landlords to help purchase an investment rental property.

A BTL mortgage is the same as any mortgage in that you borrow the money you need to purchase the property from a bank or lender and pay this back on a monthly basis with added interest.

With a BTL mortgage, however, there are some key differences, including;

• A higher deposit amount (usually upwards of 25% of the total value of the property)
• More expensive fees to pay
• Typically higher interest rates

These higher costs exist as BTL mortgages are considered more high risk compared to a standard mortgage. This is because unlike other loans, a BTL mortgage relies on the tenant in order to pay it off. There is also the risk that a tenant might stop paying at any point, or you might have difficulty finding anyone to rent the property at all.

Like with all mortgages there are requirements that you need to meet in order to be eligible. Before applying for a buy to let mortgage you should consider the following;

• You can afford it – As deposits for buy to let mortgages are generally higher than ordinary mortgages you may need to save beforehand. Along with this, you should ensure that you can still afford to pay the mortgage if a tenant leaves or misses any rent payments.
• You have a good credit record – With a high-risk mortgage, banks and lenders want to know they can rely on you to make your mortgage repayments each month. They will look at your credit record in order to check this and are unlikely to approve your mortgage application if you have a poor credit history.
• You earn more than £25,000 a year – Typically lenders won’t consider your BTL mortgage application if you earn less than this amount.

It’s likely that you will struggle to get a buy to let mortgage if you don’t already own your own home. If you aren’t in this position it’s recommended that you wait and look for a buy to let property when you are.

When investing in a rental property, you will also need to ensure you can afford the added costs associated with it. This can include; house maintenance, any agency fees to advertise and manage the property and capital gains tax on the rental income where the profit you make is above your annual tax-free allowance. Capital gains tax is also payable if you sell the property for more than you originally paid for it.

You need to ensure the health and safety of your tenants, and legislation supports this. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Ensuring a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector is fitted on each floor of the property
• That all electrical equipment is safe for use
• Having an up-to-date gas safety record carried out by a qualified gas engineer 
• Having an up-to-date EPC for the property 

In England, all private landlords must carry out a Right to Rent check for new tenancy agreements. This will determine whether occupants have the right to live in the UK legally. You also need to protect your tenants’ deposit through the deposit protection scheme if you have a shorthold tenancy in place.