Whether your bridge is FCA-regulated turns on one question: will anyone in your family live in the security property? That answer changes the criteria, the protections and the timetable.
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In short
What is the difference between regulated and unregulated bridging in the UK?
A UK bridging loan is FCA-regulated when it is secured on a property that is or will be the borrower's or a close family member's main residence. Investment, buy-to-let, commercial, semi-commercial and land security is unregulated, which means more flexible criteria and a faster process but no consumer protections. For both regimes, indicative pricing around 0.55%–0.80% per month is a lender-neutral guide, not a live lender rate or a quote; actual pricing depends on the security, LTV, exit and underwriting.
Regulated: main residence security, FCA conduct rules, Ombudsman and FSCS rights.
Unregulated: investment or business purpose, broader criteria, faster execution.
Occupation of 40% or more by you or family generally triggers regulation.
Cross-secured cases involving a home are usually treated as regulated throughout.
At a glance
Key facts
Figures reviewed:
Rates
0.55%–0.80% per monthIndicative lender-neutral range for guidance only, not a live lender rate or a quote; pricing depends on the security, LTV, exit and underwriting.
Loan-to-value
Up to 80% (lender dependent)
Loan size
£100k – £25m+
Term
3 – 24 months
Regulated speed
3 – 6 weeks
Unregulated speed
1 – 3 weeks
Typical set-up costs
1.5% – 2.5% of loan (arrangement, valuation, legals)Excludes stamp duty; non-resident surcharges may apply.
Adviser response time
Within one working day
Indicative figures for guidance only, correct as at October 2026. Rates, costs and timelines vary by lender, borrower profile, asset and jurisdiction, and are not an offer of finance. How we derive these figures.
Methodology and assumptions
Figures are compiled by Clifton International specialists from live lender term sheets, indicative quotes and completed transactions arranged over the preceding 12 months.
Rates and costs are stated as ranges rather than a single number because pricing is set case-by-case on borrower profile, residency, asset type, location and loan-to-value.
Timelines assume a complete document file from the outset; valuation, legal capacity and (in Spain) NIE and notary availability drive the critical path.
Costs exclude any lender, broker or third-party fees not stated on the page, and exclude currency movement between agreement and drawdown.
Figures are reviewed monthly and re-checked against lender pricing whenever a material market change occurs.
Last reviewed . Read the full Key facts methodology, or speak to our team for a quote based on your circumstances.
At a glance
Regulated vs unregulated bridging — which applies?
The same lenders often write both, but the regime changes what you can borrow and how quickly. The pricing range below is lender-neutral and indicative, not a live lender rate or a quote; actual terms are subject to underwriting.
Regulated bridging
Unregulated bridging
Security property
Current or intended main residence
Investment, BTL, commercial, semi-commercial, land
Purpose
Consumer — chain break, downsize, purchase of a home
Business or investment — acquisition, refurbishment, liquidity
Typical LTV
Up to 80% (lender dependent)
Up to 80% (lender dependent)
Indicative monthly pricing
0.55%–0.80% per month
0.55%–0.80% per month
Typical speed
3 – 6 weeks
1 – 3 weeks
Consumer protections
FCA rules, Financial Ombudsman, FSCS where eligible
None — outside the consumer mortgage regime
Exit evidence
Assessed under FCA standards for plausibility
Commercially assessed by the lender
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.
Indicative figures only. Actual terms depend on borrower profile, asset and lender criteria.
Placing a regulated case with an unregulated lender wastes weeks; we identify the regime at the outset.
Both panels
Access to FCA-regulated bridging lenders and the specialist unregulated market.
Mixed-security cases
Facilities cross-secured over a home and investment assets, placed with lenders that hold both permissions.
Realistic timetables
Regulated processes need extra steps — we set the timetable against the contract date, not a best case.
Cost transparency
Full cost stack — interest, arrangement, valuation, legals and exit fees — before you commit.
Credit-broker duty
Fair Investment Company Limited is FCA-authorised as a credit broker for UK property transactions.
Borrower eligibility
Who we can help
Homeowners bridging on a main residence (regulated)
Investors and landlords on BTL and investment stock (unregulated)
Developers and commercial borrowers (unregulated)
Borrowers with mixed residential and investment security
Typical lending criteria
Indicative parameters
Rates
0.55%–0.80% per monthIndicative lender-neutral range for guidance only, not a live lender rate or a quote; pricing depends on the security, LTV, exit and underwriting.
Loan-to-value
Up to 80% (lender dependent)
Loan size
£100k – £25m+
Term
3 – 24 months
Regulated speed
3 – 6 weeks
Unregulated speed
1 – 3 weeks
Indicative only. Actual terms depend on borrower profile, asset and lender criteria.
Rates this month
UK bridging loan rates
Last updated:
Regulated from
0.53%
per month
Unregulated from
0.55%
per month
Typical arrangement fee
2%
of the loan
Maximum LTV
80%
lender dependent
Lowest published monthly rates across 20 lenders' product guides, checked monthly and approved before publishing. Indicative only — not a quote or recommendation. Clifton International is an introducer, not a lender or adviser, and does not handle client funds. See every lender's rates or compare for your loan.
Recent transactions
Case studies from our files
Published transactions from our own case study library — select any to read the full brief.
A bridging loan is FCA-regulated when it is secured against a property that is, or will become, the borrower's or a close family member's main residence. Everything else — investment property, buy-to-let, commercial, semi-commercial and land — is unregulated.
Unregulated is generally faster. Regulated bridging carries FCA conduct requirements including suitability and disclosure steps, which typically adds a few days to a fortnight compared with an equivalent unregulated case.
Not necessarily. For guidance, the lender-neutral indicative range used here for both regimes is 0.55%–0.80% per month, not a live lender rate or a quote. Pricing is driven mainly by LTV, asset quality and exit strength, and remains subject to underwriting. Regulated facilities are often secured on prime owner-occupied homes at modest LTV, which can price competitively.
Generally no. A property let to a third party on an AST is an investment asset, so the bridge is unregulated — even though a term BTL mortgage on the same property may be consumer buy-to-let.
It depends on occupation. If you or an immediate family member will occupy at least 40% of the property, it falls into the regulated regime; a purely income-generating holiday let usually does not.
FCA rules on affordability and exit assessment, clear cost disclosure, complaint rights through the Financial Ombudsman Service and, for eligible claims, FSCS cover — none of which apply to unregulated lending.
Where a facility is cross-secured over a main residence and an investment property, the regulated treatment usually governs the whole loan. Lenders that write both are essential in these cases.
No. Unregulated simply means outside the FCA's consumer mortgage regime because the borrowing is for business or investment purposes. The lenders are frequently the same institutions; the consumer protections and process differ.
UK bridging finance by scenario
Bridging loans for every UK scenario.
Each page covers the structure, criteria, costs and typical timescales for one bridging use case — with real completed transactions.
UK bridging market, Q2 2026
Last updated · next update due November 2026
Average monthly interest rate
0.81%
Q1 2026: 0.82%
Average loan-to-value
55%
Q1 2026: 52%
Average completion time
46 days
Q1 2026: 53 days
Average term
12 months
Q1 2026: 12 months
Market averages across completed deals, summarised from Bridging Trends (compiled by MT Finance). Refreshed quarterly; not our panel pricing. Full market data.
