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NatWest Increase Rates 0.28% as latest round of Hikes starts

ended 30. March 2026

NatWest have started the week as the first major lender to announce a product-wide increase of 0.28% for all mortgage types.

Details of the new rates are accessible here :

https://www.intermediary.natwest.com/31st-March-product-change.html

As one starts, the others will eventually follow..

As the conflict shows no real sign of slowing down, are we looking at rates pushing 6% by the end of April? 

Comments welcome

4 responses from the Newspage community

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Justin MoyVerified
Managing Director at EHF Mortgages
A disappointing but not unexpected start to the week, as Swap markets and lenders react to the ongoing conflict, which shows no immediate resolution. As oil and inflationary pressures mount, this 0.28% increase across the board is likely to be replicated by most major lenders this week. There is a real chance that rates will push closer to 6% by the end of April if we see no improvement in the Middle East over the coming weeks.
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Adam StilesVerified
Managing Director at Helix Financial Partners
Natwest increasing by a large margin is concerning as we aren't seeing any slowing down in rate increases from lenders - they're coming in thick and fast. Whilst we originally thought the large increases were to weather the volatility, the volatility is so large that these sizeable rate increases are becoming more and more regular. We need stability and we need it now.
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Samuel Mather-HolgateVerified
Managing Director & IFA at Mather and Murray Financial
AS more uncertainty drips through from the middle east as Trump suggests boots on the ground are the next step in the conflict, rates continue to tick up in the mortgage market. The expectation of higher oil prices and rising inflation means lenders are hiking rates in anticipation of the Bank of England doing so to try and curb inflation, as they did after Russian invaded Ukraine. It looks like it is going to be a tough summer for the housing market.
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Michelle LawsonVerified
Director at Lawson Financial
A new week and the mortgage mayhem and onslaught of rate rises continues to add to the misery here in the UK. The knock on of the Middle East crisis continues and shows little signs of easing. Buckle in for a bumpy ride for the foreseeable future.