"Government policy towards the Private Rented Sector will increase costs for landlords and it is clear that this will need to be reflected in lender affordability assessments."
Paragon is adopting a graduated interest coverage ratio, tailored to the tax status of the individual landlord.
As a result, the ICR will not change for landlords who are unaffected by the tax changes. Landlords paying basic rate income tax and corporate landlords will continue to be assessed at an ICR of 125%. Where it is identified that a landlord will be paying a higher rate of tax, a higher ICR of 140% will be used when assessing affordability.
The revised approach to affordability also includes changes to the reference interest rate used in the affordability calculation. For all products other than longer term fixed rates, the reference or stressed rate will be set at 2% above product rate or 5.5%, whichever is higher. For longer term fixed rates the current stressed rate is 4% or the product rate if higher.
John Heron, Director of Mortgages, said: “Government policy towards the Private Rented Sector will increase costs for landlords and it is clear that this will need to be reflected in lender affordability assessments.
“The PRA’s supervisory statement released in September this year is helpful in ensuring that lenders approach this in a consistent fashion.
“The changes that we’re announcing today are designed to tailor affordability to each landlord’s individual circumstances, whilst keeping the application process straightforward for brokers and their customers.”
