Fixed rate ending - what now?
If your buy-to-let fixed rate is coming to an end, your monthly payment may be about to go up a lot. Here's how to check your real numbers, and the options landlords have, in plain English.
Last checked: 21 October 2026 · By the EvoStar Property team
First, know your real numbers
Start with three figures: your new monthly mortgage payment (from your lender or broker), your rent, and your running costs - our fee or your own time, insurance, repairs, safety certificates and any empty periods between tenants.
Then think about tax. If you own the property personally, mortgage interest isn't deducted from your rental income. Instead you get a tax reduction worth 20% (the basic rate) of your finance costs, which has been fully in place since 6 April 2020.
From 6 April 2027, property income gets its own tax rates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 22% basic, 42% higher and 47% additional. From then, the finance-cost tax reduction is given at the property basic rate of 22%.
If you own through a limited company, the rules are different, so check with your accountant.
Option 1 - Remortgage
Speak to an independent, FCA-authorised mortgage broker well before your fix ends - many lenders let you secure a new deal ahead of time. If you do nothing, you'll usually move onto your lender's standard variable rate.
We're a letting agent, not mortgage advisers, so we can't recommend lenders or products. What we can do is give you a realistic rent figure to take to your broker.
Option 2 - Check your rent is right
If the tenancy is running, you can only raise the rent once a year, using Form 4A with at least 2 months' notice, and the tenant can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal. So any increase needs to be backed by evidence that it's in line with the market.
If you're re-letting, the rent you advertise is the most you can accept. How to price your let under the new rules →
Option 3 - Cut the costs that leak money
Empty periods, missed rent and repairs that drag on all eat into your margin. Proper referencing, quick re-letting and regular inspections help keep them down.
Plan for what's coming too: landlord registration (Rotherham Council lists a fee of £65 per property per year) and the energy efficiency standard (EPC C by 1 October 2030, still subject to Parliamentary approval). See what's coming next →
Option 4 - Change how it's let
Compare Fully Managed, Tenant Find and doing it yourself using our published fees.
A short let (Airbnb) can earn more in the right place, but the costs and the work are higher, and income goes up and down. Could your house earn more as an Airbnb? →
Guaranteed rent for 4-6 bed serviced accommodation, plus select large HMOs (7-9+ beds). Ask us on a call whether your property qualifies.
Option 5 - Selling
If there's a tenant in place, you can't use the selling ground in the first 12 months of the tenancy, and the notice period is often 4 months, so start planning early. Talk to your accountant about tax on a sale.
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We'll give you a realistic rent for your property and show you what management would cost using the fees we publish, so you can see where you stand before you decide anything.
Guidance only - not legal or tax advice. We'll always talk you through how the current rules apply to your property.
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Thinking a short let might pay better? Read our Airbnb guide.
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