Holiday Let Portfolio Mortgages Cambridge
Specialist commercial mortgages for FHL (furnished holiday let) portfolios across the Cambridge, East Cambridgeshire and East of England Dales fringe. Aggregated facility across 3+ properties on occupancy-and-ADR underwriting. LTVs to 70%, mid-2026 rates 7.0–9.0% pa. Mainstream commercial desks largely do not engage, wrong desk first time loses six weeks.
LTV
Up to 70%
Cover test
DSCR 130–145%
Rate range
7.0–9.0% pa
Facility
£300K–£3M
Underwriting an FHL portfolio commercial mortgage
FHL (furnished holiday let) properties qualify for distinct treatment, they are commercially-let assets generating short-stay holiday income rather than long-term residential rent. Lender underwriting tests four variables. Average occupancy across the calendar year (sustained 50–60%+ is the threshold). Average daily rate (ADR) by season. Seasonality, strong-season weeks at high ADR matter as much as headline annual figure. Platform mix, Airbnb, Booking.com, direct, plus owner-managed versus agent-managed.
Most FHL portfolio lenders need 3+ properties to consider portfolio-refinance pricing. Single-asset FHL routes through specialist BTL with FHL product (different pool, different logic). Portfolio underwriting tests aggregated DSCR at 130–145% across all properties, the diversification of income across multiple FHLs gives lenders comfort that one bad season at a single property does not break the portfolio.
Active FHL territory around Cambridge: Ely, Saffron Walden, East Cambridgeshire fringe and the East of England Dales boundary. The recent Bridge Farm Granta Park Road transaction (CB22 5BL, £712,000) is in the heartland of the Cambridge-fringe FHL market. Ely and Histon carry distinct B&B and boutique-hotel stock that overlaps with FHL economics. Outside the metropolitan core, Saffron Walden, Saffron Walden and the East Cambridgeshire villages (Cherry Hinton east-in-East Cambridgeshire, Linton, Wicken Fen area) hold premium FHL conversion stock, typically 2–5 bedroom converted barns, cottages and former farmhouses commanding £150–£400 per night peak.
Worked example: a 4-property FHL portfolio in the East Cambridgeshire fringe, three converted cottages and one barn conversion, £1.65M aggregate valuation, £148K aggregate annual gross income, 62% blended occupancy, mixed Airbnb-and-Booking.com let. LendInvest placed at 65% LTV, 8.85% pa on a 5-year fix, 25-year term, aggregated DSCR 138%. Worked example two: a 3-property FHL portfolio plus an owner-occupied B&B in Ely, mixed structure, placed via Together at 60% LTV, 9.25% pa, treating the B&B as trading-business with operator residence.
Holiday-let portfolio assets we fund
Single-asset FHL
Single property let on FHL basis, typically rural or market-town location. Routes through specialist BTL with FHL product rather than portfolio facility.
FHL portfolio (3+ properties)
Aggregated portfolio facility for 3+ FHLs in same broad geography. DSCR-led, blanket-charge or property-by-property structure.
B&B and boutique guesthouse
Operator-owned overnight-stay business; trading-business overlap with leisure category. Operator-occupied B&B routes through trading-business mortgage.
Equestrian-to-commercial conversion
Stable conversion to FHL, niche but active in Ely and outer Cambridge. Bridge-to-let plus term-out onto FHL portfolio mortgage.
Lakeside and Dales cottage FHL
East of England Dales fringe stock; specialist rural lender appetite. East Cambridgeshire, Wicken Fen area, Cherry Hinton east-in-East Cambridgeshire.
Aparthotel and serviced apartment portfolio
Multiple serviced apartments under single management; overlap with leisure category.
Finance structures for FHL portfolios
FHL commercial mortgage on a portfolio basis is the primary route for 3+ properties. Single-asset FHLs route through specialist BTL or commercial investment. Operator-occupied B&Bs route through trading-business mortgage with operator-residence allowance.
FHL portfolio mortgage
3+ FHL properties aggregated under a single facility. DSCR-led at 130–145% on blended income.
Trading-business mortgage
Operator-occupied B&B or guesthouse, EBITDA, occupancy and ADR underwritten.
Commercial bridge-to-let
Acquisition plus refurbishment of property for new FHL use; term-out onto FHL portfolio once stabilised.
Commercial remortgage
End-of-fix or capital raise across an established FHL portfolio.
The Cambridge-fringe FHL market
FHL stock concentrates outside the Cambridge metropolitan core, in the Ely (CB22), Saffron Walden (CB11) and East Cambridgeshire fringe. Recent transaction at Bridge Farm Granta Park Road (CB22 5BL, £712,000) typifies the rural-conversion candidate, the kind of stable-and-paddock smallholding that converts cleanly to a 2–4 unit FHL portfolio. Demand drivers: weekend leisure tourism from Cambridge and Cambridgeshire metropolitan markets, the East of England Dales as destination, the Anglesey Abbey and Wicken Fen catchment. Stock typically 2–5 bedroom converted barns, cottages and former farmhouses commanding £150–£400 per night at peak. Outside Cambridge proper, Saffron Walden, Saffron Walden, Linton and Cherry Hinton east-in-East Cambridgeshire hold the premium fringe stock; Ely and Burwell the more market-town-focused FHL base.
Lender appetite for FHL portfolios
<strong>LendInvest</strong>, Together and Hampshire Trust Bank are the most active specialist FHL portfolio lenders. Cumberland Building Society engages on rural and Dales stock with strong sector knowledge. <strong>Cambridge & Counties</strong> covers larger portfolios (5+ properties, £2M+ aggregate facility). Select private credit on bespoke structures. Mid-2026 pricing 7.0–9.0% pa at 60–70% LTV. Mainstream commercial desks (NatWest, Lloyds, Barclays, Santander) largely decline FHL outright, they treat short-stay income as too volatile. Specialist BTL desks (Paragon, Aldermore, Foundation Home Loans) cover single-asset FHL but not portfolio-aggregated structures. Get the right specialist first time, wrong desk loses six weeks.
Holiday-Let Portfolio FAQs
Developing a holiday-let portfolio scheme in Cambridge?
Free-of-charge scheme assessment. Indicative terms within 48 hours.