Keystone Property Finance has cut fixed buy-to-let rates by 0.15 percentage points across its range, with standard deals now starting from 3.44 percent at 70 percent loan-to-value.
The move covers two-year and five-year fixes across Keystone’s standard, specialist, expat, holiday let, product transfer and refurb-to-let exit products. It comes after lower swap rates gave lenders a little more room to reprice, but the cut is also a sign that specialist lenders still want business from landlords who can present workable cases.
For landlords, the headline is not just the rate cut itself. It is the breadth of the repricing. When a lender trims across several specialist segments at once, it usually points to a more competitive market for remortgages, transfers and portfolio reshaping rather than a one-off promotional nudge.
Where the new pricing starts
Keystone said standard products now start at 3.44 percent at 70 percent LTV, while specialist deals start at 3.49 percent at the same tier. Expat pricing starts at 4.79 percent at 65 percent LTV and holiday let rates begin at 5.54 percent.
The lender also said product transfer and PT Plus rates begin at 5.09 percent at 65 percent LTV, matching refurb-to-let exit pricing at that tier. That matters for existing borrowers who want to refinance without changing lender, and for landlords trying to move from improvement works to a longer-term hold.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on Paragon cutting further advance rates as EPC funding demand grows, and earlier analysis of swap-rate pressure on landlord borrowing costs. The latest Keystone move suggests lenders are still willing to pass some wholesale relief through, even if pricing remains well above the lows landlords became used to before inflation surged.
Why landlords should read beyond the headline rate
The cheapest rate is only part of the picture. Specialist lenders often compete on stress testing, accepted property types, borrower structure and flexibility around limited companies, expats or holiday lets. A rate cut is helpful, but it only becomes useful if the product fits the property and the exit plan.
Landlords should also keep an eye on tracker versus fixed choices. Keystone recently added two-year tracker products, giving brokers and borrowers another route if they believe Bank Rate will soften further. That can be attractive, but it carries payment risk if markets turn again.
The broader point is that the buy-to-let market is still open for business, but not on autopilot. Landlords who review refinance timing early, check fees rather than rates alone, and understand where lender appetite is moving will be in a stronger position. Keystone’s latest changes are listed on its official website.
What this means for landlords
- If you’re remortgaging soon: compare product fees and criteria as closely as the headline rate.
- Watch for: whether more specialist lenders follow with wider repricing over the next week.
- Bottom line: borrowing costs are still elevated, but competition is improving for landlords with straightforward cases.
Editor’s view
Small rate cuts do not fix the maths on every deal, but they do change the mood of the market. For landlords who stayed patient through weeks of swap-rate noise, this is the kind of movement that can reopen stalled refinance decisions.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 28 May 2026
Sources: Keystone Property Finance
Related reading: Paragon cuts further advance rates as EPC funding demand grows
