StrideUp has doubled the size of HMO and multi-unit block cases it will back, opening its Sharia-compliant buy-to-let product to larger professional landlords for the first time. The lender now accepts HMOs with up to 12 rooms and multi-unit freehold blocks with up to 10 units, while also lifting its maximum finance per property to £2.5 million.
The change matters because specialist Islamic finance options have been thin at the larger end of the landlord market. Until now, StrideUp’s public criteria pointed to a much smaller limit of six HMO rooms and five units in a block. The revised criteria show how lenders are adjusting as more portfolio landlords look for broader funding routes.
For landlords, the immediate significance is access. Bigger shared houses and larger blocks are where management intensity, compliance costs and yield targets often collide. A lender prepared to fund those cases on a Sharia-compliant basis gives brokers and investors another route where choices have been limited.
StrideUp expands HMO and MUFB limits
StrideUp’s published buy-to-let eligibility criteria now say the provider will consider residential buy-to-let homes, HMOs with up to 12 rooms, and MUFBs with up to 10 units on one title. The same criteria page says finance is available up to 75 percent FTV for HMOs and MUFBs, with a maximum of £2.5 million per property and up to £3 million across a portfolio.
That is a notable expansion on the parameters previously associated with the product. It also sharpens StrideUp’s appeal to landlords using limited companies or structured portfolios, especially where a standard single-let product no longer fits the scale of the deal.
The lender still limits the product to properties in England and requires experience for more complex assets. First-time landlords are accepted on standard buy-to-let cases, but HMO and multi-unit block purchases require either two years of buy-to-let experience or one year managing HMOs or MUBs.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on LendInvest’s £917 million year of buy-to-let lending, which found professional landlords were driving a larger share of specialist borrowing. StrideUp’s move points in the same direction: lenders are putting more effort into experienced operators with more complex stock, rather than building around the casual one-property investor.
Why the criteria shift matters for landlords
The clearest gain is at the edges of the market. Landlords seeking Sharia-compliant funding for bigger HMOs or blocks have had fewer lenders to compare, which can weaken negotiating power and slow deals. Broader criteria will not solve pricing on their own, but they do widen the field for brokers trying to place harder cases.
There is also a practical warning in the detail. Larger HMOs and MUFBs can offer stronger gross yields, but they also come with heavier licensing, management and maintenance demands. Landlords expanding into these asset types still need to stress-test voids, works and compliance costs, especially if they are stretching towards the top end of a lender’s size limits.
Other lenders have also been refining specialist criteria this month. Earlier in July, Fleet widened joint borrower and company-group rules, another sign that lenders are competing for more structured landlord business rather than relying only on vanilla buy-to-let cases.
What this means for landlords
- If you’re buying larger shared property: You now have another funding option for HMOs up to 12 rooms and MUFBs up to 10 units.
- Watch for: Whether other specialist lenders respond with wider criteria or sharper pricing for complex landlord cases.
- Bottom line: The specialist finance market is leaning further towards experienced portfolio landlords, but bigger assets still need tighter risk control.
Editor’s view
StrideUp is not moving the whole market on its own, but this is a real signal. The more landlord lending fragments into specialist niches, the more advantage goes to investors who understand structure, compliance and deal packaging rather than simply chasing the highest headline yield.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 30 July 2026
Sources: StrideUp buy-to-let eligibility criteria
Related reading: LendInvest says professional landlords drove £917m of BTL lending in FY26
