A consumer buy-to-let mortgage is a buy-to-let mortgage that is regulated by the FCA because the borrower did not buy the property with the clear intention, from the outset, of letting it out as a business venture — for example, someone who inherited a property or moved in with a partner and is now letting their former home.
Because consumer buy-to-let mortgages fall under FCA regulation, in the same way residential mortgages do, they come with additional consumer protections that standard (unregulated) buy-to-let mortgages don’t automatically carry. Not every lender offers consumer buy-to-let products, and the criteria can differ from both standard buy-to-let and residential mortgages, so it’s worth checking with an independent adviser whether your circumstances fall into this category before applying.