Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has launched an innovative financing solution aimed squarely at landlords grappling with today’s tighter affordability criteria. Dubbed Portfolio Edge, the new offering was unveiled in May 2025 and is designed to support brokers handling complex portfolio refinance cases—particularly where a standard remortgage no longer stacks up. It offers structured flexibility through a hybrid lending solution, combining a two-year fixed-rate term mortgage with a bridging loan.
Developed in response to a shifting regulatory and interest rate environment, the move reflects HTB’s sharp awareness of what professional landlords and their brokers are up against. Speaking at launch, Alex Upton, Managing Director of Specialist Mortgages & Bridging Finance at HTB, explained: “Portfolio Edge is built for exactly what brokers are dealing with—affordability blocks, structural complexity and clients who need more than a standard refinance.”
Flexible structure gives landlords time to breathe and reduce leverage
The product is intentionally designed for scenarios where a full refinance can’t be executed immediately but may become viable after selected properties are sold. It allows landlords to reduce their overall debt burden without being penalised for early repayment—a refreshing change for those used to punitive ERCs. Upton added: “It gives them flexibility and clarity in one solution… Most importantly, it gives landlords breathing room to sell properties, reduce leverage, and refinance smoothly later, without early repayment charges biting when it matters.”
The two components of Portfolio Edge—the term loan and the bridge—must be used together and complete simultaneously. The term loan is offered at 4.99% with a 5% arrangement fee, and a minimum loan of £3 million. Meanwhile, the bridging facility comes in at 0.7% per month, with a 2% fee and a minimum £1 million draw. Both loans are cross-collateralised, creating a single, unified funding structure. Up to 20% of a portfolio can be commercial or mixed-use, offering useful flexibility to landlords with diverse holdings.
Brokers can tap into the bridge to cover properties earmarked for sale, with proceeds used to reduce the term debt. The bridge element is capped at 50% of the total loan size, ensuring that the overall balance sheet remains sustainable.
Brokers welcome lifeline for stalled refinance deals
For landlords whose current portfolios no longer meet traditional affordability metrics—thanks in large part to rising interest rates and stress testing requirements—Portfolio Edge could be a lifeline. With major lenders tightening criteria, many landlords have faced refinance gridlock, especially those with larger or mixed-use portfolios. That’s precisely the issue HTB set out to address.
Andrea Glasgow, Sales Director for Specialist Mortgages & Bridging Finance at HTB, confirmed the product’s broker-driven roots: “We’ve been listening closely to what brokers are telling us—and this is exactly the kind of solution they’ve been asking for.” She continued: “It’s clear, it’s flexible, and it helps them get deals moving again where affordability has become a sticking point. The structure makes sense, and it gives brokers more options when traditional routes aren’t available.”
One broker, who requested to remain anonymous, described a recent case where a high-yielding HMO portfolio in the Midlands couldn’t pass stress tests with high-street lenders, despite strong rental performance. “HTB’s solution allowed us to unlock capital from two sales, refinance the rest, and avoid a messy bridge-to-let shuffle. It’s exactly what we needed,” they said.
What this means for landlords facing tighter lending rules
This isn’t just a technical tweak for brokers—it’s a much-needed rethink of how lending should work for professional landlords operating in a tighter market. With the Bank of England keeping base rates higher than many had hoped for this far into 2025, many investors have found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place: too much equity trapped in underperforming assets, but not enough affordability to refinance under conventional terms.
HTB’s Portfolio Edge attempts to solve this by acknowledging the messy reality of property finance in 2025. It’s a welcome reminder that when lenders work with—not against—landlords, deals get done, properties stay tenanted, and the rental sector keeps functioning. As regulatory scrutiny increases and affordability pressures persist, more lenders may need to follow suit with innovative, cross-structured products that reflect the way portfolios really operate.
