Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has increased its maximum lending per customer from £25m to £35m across its Specialist Mortgages and Development Finance divisions, as the bank responds to growing demand from professional landlords and property developers.
The decision reflects structural changes in the UK property market. Landlord portfolios are becoming larger and more complex as the private rental sector continues to professionalise, while developers are under pressure to scale up delivery to help address the national housing shortage.
The revised lending cap allows HTB to offer more substantial support to landlords with sophisticated financing needs, and to developers delivering multi-unit residential schemes at scale.
Alex Upton, managing director – specialist mortgages and bridging, said: “This is a natural step for us. Brokers are already bringing us substantial portfolio cases. These are no longer one-offs – they’re a core part of the business. The uplift gives us more capacity to support those transactions with the same agility, care, and clarity that brokers expect from HTB. We know that what matters most is working with people who understand the deal and help get it over the line. That’s where we thrive.”
Neil Leitch, managing director – development finance, added: “The housing challenge isn’t going away – and neither is our commitment to backing the developers who are tackling it. We’re seeing increased demand from experienced developers who are ready to deliver more homes but need a funding partner who can keep pace. By increasing our maximum lending appetite, we’re giving them the confidence that we’ll be there to support them.”
