THE PROPERTY FILTER TAKE
Kensington has cut selected buy-to-let rates by up to 15 basis points at 75% LTV, with Prime two-year fixes from 3.69% on a 5% fee (Mortgage Strategy, 6 November).
The lowest rate is not always the lowest cost: in my illustration on a £200,000 interest-only loan, the 4.39% eKo two-year fix comes out £1,200 cheaper than the 3.69% Prime fix once fees are counted.
If your property is rated EPC A to C, consider asking your broker to compare the eKo and Prime products on total cost, fee included, before you choose.
Kensington buy-to-let rates are down by up to 15 basis points (0.15 percentage points) on selected Prime, Prime eKo and Core products. Mortgage Strategy reported the cuts on 6 November 2026. The cuts apply at 75% LTV (loan to value, the loan as a share of the property's value). Prime two-year fixes on these BTL (buy-to-let) products now start from 3.69% with a 5% fee. The report landed the day after the Bank of England announced a rise in Bank Rate to 4% on 5 November.
What are Kensington's new buy-to-let rates?
According to Mortgage Strategy, Prime five-year fixes start from 4.99%, also with a 5% fee. Prime eKo is for properties with an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate, the A to G energy rating) of A to C. It starts from 4.39% for two years and 5.07% for five years, both with a 3% fee. Core two-year fixes start from 3.99% with a 5% fee, and Core five-year fixes from 5.42% with a 3% fee.
The report does not give the previous rates or how far each product moved. Kensington still offers free valuations on all buy-to-let applications, including HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) and multi-unit blocks. If you are pricing an HMO, our free HMO valuation calculator gives a starting figure. Commercial director Andy Bickers said the cuts "further strengthen the competitiveness" of its buy-to-let offering.
Where is the margin on this?
Here's the angle: the eKo rate is higher than Prime, but its fee is lower. Take an illustrative £200,000 interest-only loan over the two-year fix, at each headline rate, excluding all other costs. I assume the fee is a percentage of the loan, paid upfront; the report does not say whether it can be added to the loan.
At 3.69%, Prime costs £7,380 a year in interest, or £14,760 over two years. With the £10,000 fee, the total is £24,760. At 4.39%, eKo costs £8,780 a year, or £17,560 over two years. With the £6,000 fee, it is £23,560, which is £1,200 less.
The monthly payment still favours Prime, at £615 against about £732. You can test how each pay rate affects your rental cover with our free BTL stress test calculator. On five-year fixes, the gap between the eKo and Prime rates is only 0.08 points, against a two-point fee difference.
Mortgage Strategy reported the cuts the day after Bank Rate rose, which we covered in our report on Bank Rate rising to 4%.
Key takeaways
Kensington has cut selected buy-to-let rates by up to 15 basis points at 75% LTV across its Prime, Prime eKo and Core ranges, Mortgage Strategy reported on 6 November 2026.
Prime two-year fixes start from 3.69% with a 5% fee; Prime eKo two-year fixes start from 4.39% with a 3% fee, for properties rated EPC A to C.
In an illustrative £200,000 interest-only example over two years, the eKo fix totals £23,560 with its fee against £24,760 for Prime, a £1,200 difference.
Kensington offers free valuations on all buy-to-let applications, including HMOs and multi-unit blocks.
The report does not give the previous rates or how far each product moved.
Frequently asked questions
What are Kensington's new Prime buy-to-let rates?
What is Kensington's Prime eKo range?
Is the lowest rate always the cheapest mortgage?
