Remortgaging landlords: Survey reveals renewed confidence in five-year fixes

Remortgaging landlords are voting with their feet, demonstrating a restored confidence in fixed rate mortgages, Landbay’s latest landlord survey shows.

More are opting for five-year fixed mortgages again. 51% of remortgaging landlords have reported that they would take a five-year fixed rate, an 11% rise on April, although the figure was 46% last December.

Five-year fixed rates are regaining the popularity lost after the Liz Truss Budget last autumn. Before the Budget, 68% of remortgaging landlords had opted for this type of mortgage.

But the number of remortgaging landlords opting for two-year fixes has remained the same as in April. Almost a third (32%) said they would opt for a two-year fix, although the figure shows growing demand on last December when only 24% said they would choose this type of mortgage.

The survey also reveals a small rise in those choosing variable tracker rates, with 13% of landlords reporting that they would opt for a variable tracker rate mortgage compared to 4% in April. But the figure has been higher, at 17% last December.

Fewer landlords – only 4% – chose long-term fixed rate mortgages (7/10 year terms) – compared to 7% both in April and last December.

Rob Stanton, business development director at Landbay, said: “Our survey shows a renewed appetite for five-year fixed rates, demonstrating an increased confidence in interest rate stability.

“The increase in landlords opting for variable tracker rate products shows that some may be hedging their bets that base rates will come down sooner rather than later, while others may see these products as a temporary solution.

“At Landbay we always track the market. In the past few weeks alone, we have made four reductions to our fixed-rate products.”