Mortgage guide

Commercial Investment valuation (MV1)

For rooms of 7 and above, planning will be required regardless of whether the property sits inside or outside article 4.

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Commercial Investment valuation (MV1)

Planning and licencing

For rooms of 7 and above, planning will be required regardless of whether the property sits inside or outside article 4.

For HMOs with 6 rooms or less may not require planning permission to be eligible for this valuation method if they are either outside of article 4 or if the property was made a HMO before the article 4 legislation came in.

Borrowers that are exempt should have a certificate of lawful use, which can be provided by your local council that would need to evidence that the property has indeed been a HMO since before the legislation came into force. Borrowers that are eligible but don’t hold a certificate of lawful use will need to apply on the planning portal and provide evidence to support the property being used as a HMO for the required period and may use the following documents to support their application:

  • Tenancy agreements
  • Afa David agreements from vendor, operators and tenants

Panel valuers

Valuers that are usually on these panels are usually local valuation firms that are on the VAS panel or the Appraisers panel.

Experience required

For most commercial lenders, experience is required on a HMO Mortgage and should be 12 months landlord experience. However, there are some lenders that will make an exception to this where the borrower has strong personal income which should be at least £35,000

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Indicative estimate only, subject to lender criteria and valuation. This is not a mortgage offer. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments.

HMO mortgage criteria

These wider product criteria provide context for this guide. The lender will assess your individual case.

HMO mortgage criteria
CriteriaDetail
BorrowersPersonal, Ltd co, LLP, Offshore Trusts
Repayment typeInterest only, repayment
TermUp to 40 years
ExperienceNot required
Max applicants6
Valuations availableMarket value 1 (MV1) Commercial valuation (yield based), Hybrid, or bricks and mortar.
Max roomsNone
Tenant typesStudents, professionals, social housing, DSS
LocationsEngland, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland
Criteria vary by lender, property and borrower. This table is not an offer of finance.

Published indicative terms for the wider product category are shown for context. They are not a quote for the specific circumstances discussed in this guide.

HMO mortgage rates in 2026 November 2026

FeatureDetail
LTV75%
Fixed Term5 Years
Rate5.69%
Product FeeNil
ValuationBricks and Mortar
Rates, fees and eligibility can change. Ask an adviser to confirm the current terms for your property and borrowing requirement.

About the author

Joseph Lane CeMAP is an expert HMO mortgage broker

Founder, CEO

Calls and emails here go to Joseph personally, not to a general inbox.

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+44 7487 829005joe@mortgagelane.comMore about Joseph

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Frequently asked questions

Can I get a commercial valuation on a 4-bed HMO?

Yes, but the figure will not necessarily exceed a residential valuation, and commercial products are typically more expensive than standard buy-to-let lending. A commercial valuation is usually not the best route for a small HMO.

What are the benefits of a semi-commercial property investment?

Semi-commercial property offers flexibility, higher rental yields than single-use residential, and diversification of income across residential and commercial tenants.

Do you need a commercial mortgage for a HMO?

Not usually. Most HMOs are funded using specialist buy-to-let mortgages. Commercial mortgages are typically required only for very large HMOs or mixed-use buildings.

What is a commercial mortgage?

A commercial mortgage is an asset-backed loan secured against commercial, semi-commercial or large-scale investment property. Lenders assess it on income sustainability and asset risk rather than personal income multiples, and pricing is set case by case, usually as a margin over Bank Rate.

What is commercial lending?

Commercial lending refers to loans secured against property used for business purposes, such as offices, retail units, or industrial premises. Terms, rates, and deposits are individually assessed and typically differ from residential mortgages.

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