Fleet Mortgages, the buy to let specialist lender, has announced a series of changes to its BTL range.

It says this aims to improve landlord borrower affordability, and “reflect real-world circumstances and broadened property appetite.”

Among the headline changes is the removal of Fleet’s minimum income requirement for applicants. Landlords will no longer need to meet a set earned income threshold, although income will still need to be evidenced.

In addition, Fleet has simplified income verification requirements reducing the number of documents required to submit a case. 

It now allows employed applicants to provide their most recent payslip, retired applicants their latest pension statement, and self-employed applicants their latest tax computation, calculation or tax return.

For self-employed applicants and contractors, the required trading history has also been reduced from two years to one full tax year. Fleet said this change reflected the growing number of landlords operating through limited companies or with more recently-established income streams.

Fleet has also increased its maximum mortgage term from 30 to 35 years, a move designed to support affordability and improve cashflow flexibility.

On the property side, Fleet has removed the height restriction on blocks of flats, opening up lending opportunities on a wider range of high-rise developments.

The lender has also increased the maximum LTV on new-build flats from 70% to 75%, providing landlords with greater flexibility when purchasing or refinancing newer properties.

Further updates include changes to acceptable construction types and property features on blocks of flats, including the removal of the age restriction for flat roofs and steel or concrete frame blocks, and acceptance of blocks of flats with swimming pools.