Melton Building Society will enter the limited company buy-to-let market on 11 May with six products aimed at incorporated landlords, widening the options available to investors who now hold property through company structures for tax and long-term planning reasons.
The new range includes two-year and five-year fixed rates at up to 75 percent loan to value, with a £250 application fee and a 1 percent completion fee. Melton said the products will cover standard buy-to-let properties as well as holiday lets, while its complex property range will also extend to non-standard residential cases, blocks of flats and multi-unit properties.
Melton targets incorporated landlords and holiday lets
For landlords, the launch matters less because it adds another lender name to the market and more because it shows where broker and lender demand is moving. Limited company borrowing has become a core part of the buy-to-let mortgage market as investors try to manage higher tax bills and keep more flexibility over future portfolio decisions.
Melton said it will accept portfolio landlords with up to five properties held with the society, up to a maximum value of £5m, provided their properties are in England and Wales and the average loan to value across the portfolio is 75 percent. It will also accept portfolio landlord clients with no maximum on the total number of properties or total portfolio value held elsewhere.
That gives the launch a practical angle for smaller incorporated landlords who want another lender in the mix, but also for brokers placing more complex cases involving holiday lets or block and multi-unit security.
Product choice keeps improving – but landlord limits still matter
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s April report on buy-to-let lenders cutting rates as product choice widened, which pointed to a more competitive mortgage market even while landlord costs stayed high. Melton’s move adds to that pattern, but it does not change the basic picture: lenders are broadening ranges selectively, and landlords still need cases that fit tighter underwriting, fee structures and portfolio rules.
Landlords weighing incorporation will also note that broader product choice does not always mean cheaper borrowing. Fee levels, acceptable property types, rental stress tests and how each lender treats existing portfolio exposure can all make as much difference as the headline rate. Last month, Landlord Knowledge reported that limited company landlords were still backing higher yields despite rising costs, underlining the need to judge finance deals against net returns rather than headline expansion alone.
The other point for landlords is timing. A new lender entry is helpful, but it arrives in a market where many investors are already reviewing structure, borrowing costs and compliance demands at the same time. That means this is useful competition, not a reset for the sector.
What this means for landlords
- If you’re buying through a company: another lender entering the sector could give brokers more room to place cases that do not fit a mainstream buy-to-let mould.
- Watch for: fee levels, holiday let rules, portfolio caps with the lender and how stress testing affects the real cost of the deal.
- Bottom line: product choice is improving, but incorporated landlords still need to compare structure, fees and criteria – not just the headline rate.
Editor’s view
Another lender joining limited company buy-to-let is a useful sign that competition has not dried up. But landlords should treat it as incremental progress, not proof that finance has suddenly become easy again.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 8 May 2026
Sources: Melton Building Society, The Melton Brokers buy-to-let criteria page
Related reading: Buy-to-let lenders cut rates as product choice widens
