Are rising holiday-let enquiries turning into completed mortgages?

The Cumberland’s Holiday Let Index found that 22 of 25 specialist mortgage brokers had seen holiday-let enquiries increase during the previous 12 months. However, Twenty7tec searches peaked at 3,471 in March 2026 before falling to 2,879 in May.

Bridging Loan Directory is examining what happens between initial interest and completion.

We would like to hear from mortgage and specialist finance brokers, lenders and holiday-let investors with recent first-hand experience.

• Have enquiries increased, and are applications and completions rising with them?
• Who is enquiring: existing buy-to-let landlords, established holiday-let operators or first-time investors?
• What most often prevents cases progressing—affordability, deposit, valuation, projected income, tax, regulation or operating costs?
• Are bridging loans being used to acquire or refurbish properties before refinancing onto holiday-let mortgages?

Please provide figures where possible and a recent anonymised case, including the property, finance required, what affected the application and the eventual outcome. Responses of 100–200 words would be ideal.

Index: https://www.cumberland.co.uk/news/holiday-let-index-summer-2026