New mortgages launched for Airbnb hosts

Tipton & Coseley Building Society has launched two new holiday lets mortgages for borrowers who let their home out using Airbnb.

This goes against the grain of most mortgages, where letting your entire property out would be considered a breach of your mortgage terms.

We explain how the mortgages work and whether they're worth considering.

What do Tipton & Coseley's mortgages offer?

Tipton & Coseley is offering two-year and five-year discount mortgagesto people who want to let their homes out using Airbnb.

Applicants who successfully qualify could borrow between £50,000 and £750,000 for a repayment term of five to 35 years.

Properties must have a minimum value of £75,000, which increases to £250,000 for properties located within the M25 corridor.

Homebuyers can use the mortgages if they want to borrow up to 75% of the property price.

Two-year discount rate

The two-year discount interest rate starts at 2.49% and rises to the lender's standard variable rate (SVR) after the two-year period ends.

Tipton's SVR is currently 4.99%, which makes the interest discount 2.5%.

This mortgage carries an arrangement fee of £999. There is no booking fee.

Its APRC (the average rate you would pay if you stuck with this deal for the entire term of the mortgage) is 4.4%.

Five-year discount rate

The initial interest rate for this mortgage is 2.99%, which rises to the BTLVR after the five-year period is up.

Currently the interest rate discount stands at 2%.

This mortgage doesn't carry an arrangement or booking fee and its APRC is 4.3%.

• Find out how much you might be able to borrow with Which? Mortgage Advisers' buy-to-let mortgage calculator.

Renting out your entire home

Most hosts on Airbnb or similar house-sharing platforms offer to let out their entire property rather than just a room or part of the home.

This is often considered a breach of mortgage terms if you have a residential mortgage as it means that you're making money from your property rather than using it as your residence.

Breaching your mortgage contract could result in you facing a range of penalties, such as having to pay increased interest rates or even having your loan called in.

If you buy a property with the intention of letting it out you'll need to get a buy-to-let mortgage, which tends to have different lending criteria from a residential mortgage - including whether you can use your rental income to pay off your mortgage.

Consent to let

Some lenders offer a 'consent to let', which means that they will give you permission to let out your property even if you initially started with a residential mortgage.

However, this is only likely to be granted if you can prove that you had no plans to let out your home when you bought it.

Often you'll have to pay an additional percentage on top of your existing mortgage interest rate and there may be an arrangement fee.

It's really important that you get the right type of mortgage when you buy your home and notify your lender of any changes in your circumstances to avoid being penalised.

• Find out more: becoming a landlord

Renting out a room in your home

The majority of mortgage lenders will allow you to rent out a room in your home while you're still living there.

The rent-a-room schememeans you could make tax-free money by doing this.

• Find out more: getting a mortgage

UPDATED (23/08/2018):This article was updated to reflect a change to Tipton & Coseley's Standard Variable Rate from 5.49% to 4.99%.

_{Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.}