Mortgage Strategy’s Top 10 Stories: 07 Sept to 11 Sept

This week’s top headlines: Mortgage rate rises on horizon as major lenders reprice and more than 8,500 tenanted homes on the market

Explore these and other major industry updates below:

Mortgage rate rises on horizon as major lenders reprice

Major lenders are increasing mortgage rates as higher swap rates feed through into fixed-rate pricing, with Moneyfacts expecting further rises in the coming days.

HSBC and NatWest have already increased rates this month, while a 0.25 percentage point rise on a typical £250,000 two-year fix would add around £38 a month to repayments, putting further pressure on borrowers hoping for rates to fall.

Mortgage Advice Bureau cuts profit outlook as housing market weakens

Mortgage Advice Bureau has cut its full-year adjusted profit before tax forecast by £5.4m to £38m, after the expected recovery in UK house purchase activity failed to materialise and new lead flows at Fluent were delayed.

UK purchase transactions were 3% lower in the first seven months of 2026, while MAB expects the delayed Fluent growth to move into 2027, although it still forecasts around 5% profit growth on 2025.

Nicola Goldie leaves Aldermore Bank

Nicola Goldie has left her role as head of strategic partnerships and growth at Aldermore Bank after three years with the lender.

Goldie thanked colleagues and mentors for their support and said she would take a short break before exploring new opportunities.

Nationwide increases select fixes and tracker rates by up to 0.20%

Nationwide will increase selected fixed and tracker mortgage rates by up to 0.20 percentage points from 10 September, affecting first-time buyer, home mover, remortgage, switching and additional borrowing products.

Its cheapest two-year fix will rise from 4.48% to 4.63%, while the five-year fix will increase from 4.50% to 4.59%, making Nationwide the latest major lender to raise rates as funding costs increase.

TSB and Barclays among latest lenders to increase rates

Barclays, TSB, Skipton Intermediaries, Nottingham Building Society and The Co-operative Bank for Intermediaries are the latest lenders to raise mortgage rates, with TSB increasing fixed purchase and selected remortgage rates by 0.15% and Barclays by around 0.20%.

The moves reflect higher wholesale funding costs, with two- and five-year swaps around 0.20 percentage points higher than a month ago, and further selective increases expected if swap rates remain elevated.

Halifax, BM Solutions, Accord and InterBay push rates up

Halifax Intermediaries, BM Solutions, Accord Mortgages and InterBay are raising mortgage rates from 9 September, with increases of up to 0.12% for selected Halifax purchase products, 0.29% for BM Solutions BTL and 0.25% for Accord BTL.

InterBay will withdraw its existing BTL range and replace it with higher-priced products, while further rate rises remain possible as lenders continue to respond to elevated funding costs.

House prices continued to fall in August: Lloyds HPI

UK house prices fell 0.2% in August to an average £298,468, following a 0.1% decline in July, with annual prices down 0.4% – the first year-on-year fall since November 2023.

Northern Ireland recorded the strongest annual growth at 6.9%, while Scotland rose 3.5%, but prices fell across southern England, led by a 1.6% decline in the South East and 1.5% in Greater London, as affordability pressures and economic uncertainty weigh on market activity.

Govt to roll out PRS database under second phase of RRA

The UK Government will begin rolling out its private rented sector database across England from December, with landlord registration phased regionally through to November 2027 as part of the second phase of the Renters’ Rights Act.

The database aims to give tenants greater transparency and councils better enforcement information, while the Valuation Office will take responsibility for initial challenges to rent increases, although concerns remain over potential duplication with existing local licensing schemes and the limited scope of the new system.

More than 8,500 tenanted homes on the market

More than 8,500 homes with tenants in situ are currently being marketed for sale across England, representing 1.8% of all properties listed, according to The Letting Partnership.

Yorkshire and the Humber has the highest proportion at 5.1%, while the North West has the largest number at 2,227, with landlords reminded to check rent payments, deposit protection and other tenancy liabilities before purchasing a property with an existing tenant.

Mortgage lending rises sharply in second quarter of 2026: FCA

UK gross mortgage advances rose 11.1% quarter-on-quarter to £77.4bn in Q2 2026, up 31.7% on the same period last year, according to FCA figures.

Outstanding residential mortgage balances increased 0.8% to £1.76tn, while new mortgage commitments rose 1.4% to £79.2bn, pointing to continued growth in mortgage lending activity.