Build-to-rent development finance
Funding for purpose-built rental (BTR) schemes across the UK.
Funding build-to-rent development
Build-to-rent, or BTR, is purpose-built residential designed to be held and let at scale rather than sold unit by unit. It has grown into a major asset class as institutional investors seek long-term rental income, and it sits at the commercial end of residential development because the exit is an investment sale or a long-term hold rather than individual sales. Schemes are underwritten on rental demand, the management or operator model and the institutional exit.
We arrange finance for ground-up BTR schemes and the BTR element of larger mixed-use developments, structured around the development cost and the projected stabilised rental income. A forward-funding or forward-purchase agreement with an institution transforms the funding picture, and even without one, a well-located scheme in a strong rental market attracts competitive terms.
Scheme types we fund
- Ground-up build-to-rent blocks
- Single-family BTR schemes
- BTR within mixed-use developments
- Forward-funded and forward-purchased schemes
Indicative terms
- Loan to costUp to 65 to 70% senior
- Loan to GDVUp to 60 to 65%
- Key testsRental demand, operator, exit
- BoostForward-funding or forward-purchase
Indicative only. Terms vary by lender, scheme and borrower and are not an offer of finance.
How we fund a BTR scheme
BTR is funded on senior development finance against cost and the projected stabilised investment value, with leverage shaped by the rental demand and the exit. A forward-funding or forward-purchase agreement with an institution provides a secured exit and supports the highest leverage and keenest pricing. Without one, lenders size the facility on the stabilised rental income and the strength of the local rental market.
Lender appetite for build-to-rent
Appetite is strong among banks, debt funds and institutional forward-funders, reflecting deep investor demand for long-term rental income. Lenders favour well-located schemes in strong rental markets with a credible management model, and a forward-funding or forward-purchase agreement opens the keenest terms. Schemes without an institutional exit are funded on the stabilised rental case at more measured leverage.
The exit
The exit is an institutional investment sale or a long-term hold once the scheme stabilises, often through a forward-funding or forward-purchase agreement struck before or during construction. Where the block lets up after completion, a stabilisation loan bridges the period from practical completion to stabilised rental income, before the investment sale or term refinance.
Finance structures that suit this sector
- Senior development financeCore facility against cost and stabilised value.
- Stretch senior financeHigher leverage where a forward deal de-risks the exit.
- Mezzanine financeReduces equity on larger BTR schemes.
- JV equityFunds the equity layer on institutional schemes.
- Stabilisation financeBridges the block through lease-up to stabilised rental income.
Fund a build-to-rent scheme
A view on fundability within one working day.
How a build-to-rent scheme is modelled
Build-to-rent value is built from the stabilised rent roll and the yield an institution pays for long-term rental income, rather than unit-by-unit sales. Lenders model GDV from achievable rents and the management model, weigh local rental demand, and treat a forward-funding or forward-purchase agreement as the strongest input to the appraisal.
Indicative build-to-rent finance rates and leverage
We arrange senior development finance for BTR to 65 to 70 percent of cost and 60 to 65 percent of the stabilised investment value, with a forward deal unlocking the keenest terms. A stabilisation facility bridges lease-up to stabilised rental income before the investment sale or term refinance.
Frequently asked questions
How is BTR different from build-to-sell?
BTR is built to be held and let at scale, so the exit is an investment sale or a long-term hold rather than individual unit sales. That changes the underwriting towards stabilised rental income and the operator model.
Does a forward-funding deal help with finance?
Significantly. A forward-funding or forward-purchase agreement with an institution provides a secured exit and de-risks the scheme, which materially improves the leverage and terms a lender will offer.
Can BTR sit within a mixed-use scheme?
Yes, and it often does. The BTR element is underwritten on its stabilised rental income and the scheme funded across the blended exit, with the rental block frequently forward-sold to an institution.
What does a lender assess on a BTR scheme?
Local rental demand and achievable rents, the management or operator model, the build cost, and the strength of the institutional exit. A forward deal with a funder is the single biggest positive factor.
Funding a build-to-rent scheme?
Tell us about your development and we will come back with a view on fundability and likely terms.