Who is this guide for?
Our team of mortgage experts look at the latest rates and news for Santander Buy to Let Mortgages for families with investment properties. Find out what you could get and how much you could save with a buy to let mortgage from Santander.
Santander Buy to Let Mortgage Review 2026
Santander is well-known for their range of buy to let mortgages and regularly makes changes to its investment mortgage range in 2026. Many families have one or more buy to let properties to give them a second income in their household and it’s important to get the most return on your investment.
If you rely on income from your rental properties to support your family, it’s important to consider which lender is offering the mortgage that you need with the lowest monthly repayments. If you’re buying an investment property for the first time, choosing the right lender can help you to save thousands of pounds and make the most of your money.
This guide looks at the latest Santander buy to let mortgage offers and deals for your family to help you to get the best bang for your buck on your investment portfolio. Our mortgage experts provide an in-depth look at the most up to date information and answer all of your most common questions for parents.
60 Second Summary – Santander Buy to Let Mortgage Review 2026
A buy to let mortgage is a mortgage for any property that you intend to rent out and don’t plan to live in yourself. There are several different types of buy to let mortgage, such as single property, multi property, and commercial buy to let mortgages. This can all feel a bit complicated if you have never applied for a buy to let mortgage (or any mortgage) before. Mortgage lenders will all have slightly different rates and rules for buy to let mortgages. Our Money Mum and Dad’s aim is to explain more about how Santander buy to let mortgages work – and help you save money in the process!
- Santander offers a variety of competitive buy to let mortgage options, including fixed and tracker rates, with product fees ranging from £0 to £1,749.
- To apply for a Santander buy to let mortgage, you must be at least 21 years old with a minimum income of £25,000 per year. You will also need a deposit of at least 25% for houses, and 30% for flats.
- You can convert an existing Santander mortgage into a buy to let mortgage, but you will need to speak to Santander directly to arrange this. You can’t rent out a property with a standard Santander mortgage unless you receive written permission from Santander first.
- Existing Santander customers can sometimes access better interest rates, so it’s worth checking this before switching to a new lender for your buy to let deal.
- If you have a low credit score, Santander might not be the right choice for your mortgage. You should check your options with multiple lenders and ask a qualified mortgage broker if you need more advice.
Buy to Let Mortgage Experts
Does Santander do Buy to Let Mortgages?
Santander is a common and popular choice for Buy to Let mortgages for single property investors or portfolio property investors. Parents often use rental properties to generate an income to provide their family with a supplementary income or sometimes as their main source of income.
You can choose between fixed rate or tracker rate buy to let mortgages depending on which one feels like the right fit for you. Fixed rates are a popular choice with investors because they offer extra financial security which can be important when budgeting for your property or portfolio of properties.
Having a Santander tracker mortgage means that your monthly repayments will change over time, based on any changes to the Bank of England Base Rate (BBR).
Santander are a well-known company in the UK, frequently using celebrities like Ant and Dec in their TV adverts. This Santander mortgage advert featured Formula 1 driver Jenson Button talking about the benefits of Santander mortgages.
Santander Mortgage Advert with Jenson Button
Santander Mortgages produced this TV advert several years ago with Santander sponsored Jenson Button, British Formula One legend.
What are Santander’s buy to let mortgage rates in 2026?
The tables below illustrate some of the latest Santander buy to let mortgage rates for you to understand what they are offering to landlords.
Santander 2 year fixed rate buy to let mortgage rates
| Maximum Loan to Value | Requirements | Initial interest rate |
|---|---|---|
| 60% (deposit of 40% of the property value) | For mortgages between £25,000 – £750,000 (product fee of £1,749) | 4.25% |
| 60% (deposit of 40% of the property value) | For mortgages between £25,000 – £750,000 (no product fees) | 4.79% |
| 75% (deposit of 25% of the property value) | For mortgages between £25,000 – £750,000 (product fee of £1,749) | 4.38% |
| 75% (deposit of 25% of the property value) | For mortgages between £25,000 – £750,000 (no product fees) | 4.92% |
Santander 5 year fixed rate buy to let mortgage rates
| Maximum Loan to Value | Requirements | Initial interest rate |
|---|---|---|
| 60% (deposit of 40% of the property value) | For mortgages between £25,000 – £750,000 (product fee of £1,749) | 4.20% |
| 60% (deposit of 40% of the property value) | For mortgages between £25,000 – £750,000 (no product fees) | 4.47% |
| 75% (deposit of 25% of the property value) | For mortgages between £25,000 – £750,000 (product fee of £1,749) | 4.32% |
| 75% (deposit of 25% of the property value) | For mortgages between £25,000 – £750,000 (no product fees) | 4.59% |
Santander lifetime tracker rate buy to let mortgage rates
| Maximum Loan to Value | Requirements | Initial interest rate |
|---|---|---|
| 75% (deposit of 25% of the property value) | For mortgages between £25,000 – £750,000 (product fee of £1,749) No early repayment charges | 5.99% initial rate (changes to Bank of England base rate + 1.49%) |
Updated: September 2026 (source – Santander latest mortgage rates bulletin).
Are Santander buy to let mortgages any good?
Santander is well rated within the mortgage industry, having won multiple awards including Best Online Mortgage Lender at the 2023 Your Mortgage Awards.
When our MPO experts compared Santander’s buy to let mortgage range with other top mortgage lenders, we found that Santander offers similar interest rates and products. While Santander doesn’t stand out from the crowd, they don’t offer extremely high rates either.
Santander’s maximum product fees were the lowest of all the lenders that we looked at, which is helpful if you need to cut costs where possible.
Buy to let mortgage comparison – September 2026
| Buy to let mortgage lender | Interest rates (range) | Additional fees |
|---|---|---|
 | 4.6% – 5.8% initial rate 7.8% – 9.3% APRC | £0 – £2495 product fees |
 | 4.96% – 5.5% initial rate 8.2% – 9.3% APRC | £0 product fees |
 | 4.29% – 6.34% initial rate 6.6% – 7.7% APRC | £0 – £3,999 product fees |
 | 4.55% – 5.96% 6.1% APRC | £0 – £1,749 product fees |
Note: This table compares each lender’s range of buy to let deals, including fixed rate and tracker rate deals. There are also other things to consider such as early repayment charges, so you should look into each lender properly before making any decisions.
Are Santander strict lenders?
Santander does have some strict rules around buy to let properties, and you are not allowed to rent out your home if you have a standard Santander mortgage. You will need to get written permission from Santander to rent your home or you will need to convert your mortgage to a buy to let mortgage.
For more information about converting a residential mortgage to a buy to let mortgage with Santander, you can read their full mortgage guide – CLICK HERE
Note: This includes renting out any part of the property (e.g. taking in a lodger who only rents a single room).
How do Santander buy to let mortgages work?
Santander buy to let mortgages work similarly to most mortgage types, and you will need to provide a deposit and prove your income during the application process. This can be in the form of payslips (employed) or self-assessment tax returns (self-employed).
Once your mortgage has been approved, you will repay the amount that you have borrowed each month until your mortgage has been fully repaid. Most buy to let mortgages will be interest-only, which means that you only need to repay the interest each month. You will need to prove to Santander that you have solid plan in place to repay the full loan amount at the end of your mortgage term.
Here’s some of the main points about Santander buy to let mortgages:
- Portfolio landlords can’t have more than 4 properties with a Santander mortgage. If you wanted to buy more properties, you would need to use a different lender. You can still switch to a new mortgage product with Santander after a fixed or tracker rate deal ends.
- If you have had a Santander mortgage for 6 months or longer, you can contact Santander to switch to a buy to let mortgage. Your other option is to get written permission to let your property, but this will come with a fee of £295.
- If your Santander buy to let mortgage deal is coming to an end, you will need to call Santander to lock in a new tracker or fixed rate deal. If you leave it, you risk being moved to Santander’s Standard Variable Rate which could cost you far more each month.
- If you are on a tracker rate, you can make a switch to a new deal at any time without paying any early repayment charges. If you are on a fixed rate deal, you might be better off waiting until you are within the last 6 months of your deal or you will need to pay fees.
- If you choose Santander for your buy to let mortgage, you will benefit from a free property valuation (for properties worth up to £2.5million), as well as either your standard legal fees paid or £250 cashback.
Note: Santander has a full PDF guide which explains all the rules and conditions for letting a property and this can be found here: Santander Consent to Let Conditions.
Note: Santander has a full PDF guide which explains all the rules and conditions for letting a property and this can be found here: Santander Consent to Let Conditions – CLICK HERE
Can anyone get a Santander buy to let mortgage?
You don’t need to be a current Santander customer to apply for a Santander buy to let mortgage. However, if you are new to Santander, you will need to apply for your mortgage through a mortgage broker. This is because Santander only accepts direct applications for buy to let mortgages from current Santander mortgage customers.
Santander buy to let mortgage lending criteria:
- You must be between the ages of 21 – 85 years old when you apply.
- You must already own either a residential or buy to let property.
- You need to have a minimum income of at least £25,000 (only one applicant needs this if a joint application).
- You must be borrowing between a minimum of £75,000 and a maximum of £750,000.
- You will need to have a minimum deposit of 25% (house) or 30% (flat) of the property’s value.
How much can I borrow from Santander?
The amount that you will be able to borrow from Santander will depend on various things such as your usual income, credit score, and the amount you have saved as your deposit.
For most Santander buy to let mortgages, you need to be borrowing between £25,000 – £750,000 which is fairly flexible as most investment properties will fall within this price range. If you’re not sure of how much you might be able to borrow, you can use the Santander buy to let mortgage calculator which is found HERE on their website.
Should I get a Santander buy to let mortgage?
Below are the main pros and cons for Santander mortgages, which you can use to help you decide if Santander is the right choice for you. You should always consider all your mortgage options carefully, and compare multiple rates to ensure that you choose a deal that is affordable for you.
| Pro | Con |
| Trusted household name and one of the UK’s biggest mortgage lenders | Not the best option for applicants with a low credit score or self-employed applicants. |
| A range of mortgages/interest rates to choose from and existing Santander customers might be able to access better rates. | A range of other lenders to choose from, so you might be able to get a better interest rate with another lender. |
| Can convert an existing Santander mortgage into a buy to let mortgage if needed. | Your monthly repayments can change over time if you are on a tracker rate deal, so they could increase. |
Is there better Santander buy to let mortgage rates for existing customers?
Mortgage lenders can often offer better rates to their existing customers, so you should think about this if you were considering switching from Santander to a new lender.
You may even be able to get a better mortgage rate if you are a Santander banking customer, so it’s certainly worth asking about this if you’re not sure. The easiest way to find out whether Santander can offer you a better rate is to contact them directly or speak to a mortgage broker who can compare multiple deals for you.
What support is available for landlords?
If you’re thinking about becoming a landlord for the first time, there are a few important things to be aware of and a few easy ways to get some extra financial support.
- The Gov.uk website has a full section of guides which explain things such as how to check a tenant’s right to rent and how to use a deposit protection scheme. There is also a guide about evicting tenants, if you unfortunately needed to do this for any reason.
- Your tenants will want to know things like what your property’s energy performance is like and you can request a new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) HERE.
- Having Landlord’s Insurance can protect you against damage to your property. Santander partners with AXA and may offer to set this up for you during the application process. It is often better and cheaper to shop around for a few quotes, rather than going with your bank’s recommended insurer.
- You may be able to access a grant which can be used to make improvements to your rental property. An example of this is the ‘Energy Efficiency Grant’ which helps with the cost of new insulation, solar panels etc. Housingrights.co.uk has published a full list of all the available grants HERE.
How do I apply for a Santander buy to let mortgage?
If you are new to Santander, you won’t be able to apply for your buy to let mortgage with them directly.
Using a mortgage broker can be a good idea anyway, as this offers you additional help and support with your application. This can be especially useful if this is your first time applying for a buy to let mortgage and you are not familiar with the requirements of this mortgage type.
For free mortgage advice, you can speak to a qualified mortgage expert by calling 0800 009 6559 or by CLICKING HERE.
