Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Solutions. Read the original article for full details.

Darlington BS cuts BTL rates while Principality, Santander and NatWest raise pricing

Several UK lenders have announced contrasting pricing changes ahead of the weekend. Darlington Building Society has reduced selected rates across its residential and buy-to-let (BTL) ranges, while Principality Building Society, Santander and NatWest have all announced increases to parts of their ranges.

Darlington Building Society cuts rates

Darlington Building Society has reduced selected rates across its standard residential, specialist residential and specialist BTL ranges by up to 40 basis points (bps), with the cuts applying immediately across a range of two- and five-year fixed rate purchase and remortgage products.

Among the changes, the mutual reduced its two-year fixed standard residential mortgage at 80% loan to value (LTV) from 5.39% to 5.29%, a reduction of 10bps. Its two-year fixed standard residential mortgage at 90% LTV fell from 6.19% to 5.89%, while the 95% LTV equivalent decreased from 6.29% to 5.99%, both cuts of 30bps.

Within the specialist residential range, the two-year fixed rate mortgage at 80% LTV was reduced from 5.69% to 5.49%, while the specialist visa mortgage at 90% LTV fell from 6.19% to 6.09%.

The lender also cut its BTL rates. The two-year specialist BTL mortgage was reduced from 5.99% to 5.69%, while the five-year specialist BTL product fell from 6.09% to 5.69%, the largest reduction in the repricing at 40bps. Its five-year fixed limited company BTL mortgage was reduced from 6.19% to 5.99%.

Principality raises product transfer rates

Principality Building Society will introduce a new product transfer range from 14 September, with a number of residential, BTL and holiday let products seeing rate increases.

Within the residential range, two-, three- and five-year fixed rate products at 65% and 90% LTV will increase by 10bps. Two-year fixed rate products at 75% LTV will rise by 15bps, while selected three-year fixed products at the same LTV will rise by 10bps.

For landlords, two- and five-year fixed BTL products at 60% LTV will rise by 15bps, while equivalent products at 75% LTV will increase by 30bps. Selected two- and five-year fixed holiday let products will increase by 5bps.

Santander increases most rates

Santander has announced increases across most residential fixed rates and all BTL fixed rates within its new business range from 14 September.

Its homemover five-year fixed rate mortgage at 75% LTV, which carries a £999 fee and £250 cashback incentive, has increased by 10bps from 4.73% to 4.83%. The first-time buyer five-year fixed rate mortgage at 75% LTV has risen by 9bps from 4.86% to 4.95%. In the remortgage market, the two-year fixed rate mortgage at 85% LTV with a £1,499 fee increased by 15bps from 4.88% to 5.03%.

On BTL pricing, the 60% LTV purchase product carrying a £1,749 fee has risen by 10bps from 4.44% to 4.54%.

NatWest announces increases

NatWest is making rate increases across its new business and additional borrowing mortgage ranges from 12 September. Its updated line-up includes a two-year fixed rate purchase mortgage at 85% LTV priced at 5.16% with a £995 fee.

For first-time buyers, NatWest is offering a two-year fixed rate mortgage at 85% LTV at 5.17% with no fee, alongside an alternative fee-paying option at 5.06% with a £995 fee. The lender is also offering a two-year tracker mortgage for purchase borrowers at 85% LTV at 4.51%, priced at 0.76 percentage points above the base rate.

What this means for agents and landlords

For letting agents and inventory clerks working with landlords, Darlington's reductions to specialist and limited company BTL rates may ease refinancing costs for some portfolio owners, while the increases from Principality, Santander and NatWest, including BTL product transfer rises, could affect landlords weighing up existing lender deals against remortgaging elsewhere.