Commercial bridging loans are short-term loans, usually up to 24 months, secured on shops, offices, industrial units or mixed-use buildings, and repaid by a sale or a refinance. UK lenders publish maximum loan-to-value of around 70% to 75% on commercial property, loan sizes from £20,000 to £25 million, and every one wants a credible exit.
At a glance
- Lenders listed
- 19 publishing commercial or semi-commercial bridging
- Typical published maximum term
- Up to 24 months (Ortus up to 3 years, Somo up to 36 months)
- Published commercial LTV caps
- 70% to 75%, depending on the lender
- Largest published commercial bridge
- Up to £25 million (Ortus Secured Finance)
- Regulated mortgage test
- Loan to an individual or trustees, 40% or more of the land used, or intended to be used, as or in connection with a dwelling, unless an exclusion applies
What are commercial bridging loans used for?
Commercial bridging loans are short-term loans secured on commercial or semi-commercial property, used to buy, refinance or reposition a property before longer-term finance or a sale is in place. Typical uses include:
- Buying a shop, office or industrial unit at auction, where completion is due within weeks.
- Buying a mixed-use building, such as a shop with flats above, that a mainstream lender will not take on yet.
- Refurbishing or re-letting a vacant unit so it qualifies for a commercial mortgage.
- Releasing equity from property you own to fund a business opportunity, pending a sale or refinance.
- Converting commercial space to residential, before selling or refinancing the finished units.
Our guide to bridging loans explains how bridging works in general: interest is often rolled up or retained, so the exit matters as much as the property. This page is about lenders that take commercial security.
How do you choose a commercial bridging loan lender?
- Property type. Some lenders take fully commercial property; others only semi-commercial, where part is residential.
- Loan-to-value on commercial. Most publish a lower cap for commercial than residential property.
- Valuation basis. Open market value, or a lower 180-day value, which some lenders use.
- Loan size. Published minimums run up to £1 million, and some lenders state no minimum.
- Term. Most cap at 24 months; a few go longer.
- Interest. Serviced monthly, retained from the advance, or rolled up.
- Charge. First charge only, or second charges too.
- Exit. What evidence the lender wants that you can repay.
Which UK lenders offer commercial bridging finance?
The tables come from each lender's Capzy profile, which records only what the lender publishes itself. Lenders are listed alphabetically by profile, and we do not rank or rate them. The first table lists lenders with a named commercial or semi-commercial bridging product; the second lists general bridging products whose terms include commercial security.
| Lender | Product | Amount | Term | Repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black & White Bridging | Commercial bridge | £50k minimum to £5m maximum (larger by referral) | 3 to 24 months | Serviced or retained interest; max LTV 70% of 180 day value, or 55% for land with planning |
| Bridge Help | Bridging loans (auction, acquisition, commercial property and buy-to-let finance) | £100,000 to £3 million | Not published (FAQ says bridging terms can usually vary between two weeks and two years, and that Bridge Help provides terms to suit the borrower) | Retained or serviced interest options; repaid by sale, refinance or investment funds within the agreed term; up to 75% of Open Market Value |
| Colenko | Bridging loans (residential, semi-commercial, commercial) | £100,000 to £3 million | Up to 18 months | First charge; LTV up to 75% (70% on commercial); commercial listed with no monthly payments |
| Funding Guru | Commercial bridging loan | £20,000 to £5 million (bridging page also says £25k to £5 million +) | Typically a maximum of 12 months | Usually replaced with long-term funding or settled when the property is sold |
| Glenhawk | Commercial bridging | £250,000 to £3,000,000 | 3 to 24 months | Interest retained or serviced; 1st charge only; LTV up to 70% |
| MS Lending Group | Commercial bridging finance | No minimum loan size; up to £3m | Not published | Not published; often up to 75% LTV; first or second charge; desktop valuation up to £2m |
| MS Lending Group | Semi-commercial, HMO, land, auction and refinance bridging | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Octane Capital | Bridging loans (residential and semi-commercial) | From £175,000 to £15,000,000 (and beyond) | Up to 24 months | Fixed or variable; daily interest |
| Octopus Capital (Octopus Real Estate) | Commercial bridging | Minimum loan £1m | Not published | Acquisitions, refinances, equity release, turnaround and vacant properties |
| Ortus Secured Finance | Commercial bridging | Up to £25 million | Up to 3 years (FAQ) | Not published |
| Rocket Bridging | Commercial bridging | Minimum £25,000, no maximum (up to 70% LTV) | Generally short-term; most clients do not need funding beyond 12 months | Not published |
| Roma Finance | RomaFLOW bridging (FLOW Bridge, FLOW Refurb, auction, below market value, commercial, semi-commercial, developer exit) | £75,000 to £3 million (larger by referral) | Up to 24 months | Not published; up to 75% LTV |
| Lender | Product | Amount | Term | Repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lendhub | Bridging | £100k to £10m | Up to 24 months | Serviced, retained, part-retained or rolled interest; max LTV 75% (feature list states up to 80% LTV and up to 90% LTP) |
| MT Finance | Property purchase bridging | Not published | 1 month minimum; up to 12 months regulated, up to 24 months unregulated | Not published; up to 70% LTV on first and second charges (another page states up to 75% LTV for properties under 60% commercial space) |
| Reward Funding | Property finance (incl. bridging) | Up to £5 million | Up to 24 months, with option to renew; bridging loans 3 to 12 months | Not published |
| Sancus UK | Bridging loans | £500k to £5 million (borrower page says solutions up to £15 million) | Up to 24 months | Interest can be serviced (evidence of affordability needed); 1st charge security required |
| Somo | Classic bridging loan | £27,500 to £3,000,000; up to 75% LTV | 1 to 36 months | Borrower selects the term and interest payment schedule (monthly or end of term) |
| TAB | TAB Bridge | £100,000 to £5,000,000 | Maximum 24 months | Interest-only repayments; first charge only (second charge considered per criteria page); max LTV 75% residential and 70% commercial |
| TFG Capital | Property finance (secured bridging) | £50,000 to £5,000,000 | Up to 12 months | Interest-only monthly servicing requirement; secured on residential, commercial, agricultural or land property |
| Westwood Capital Finance | Bridging loans (purchase, refurbishment, auction, below market purchase, stock purchase, secured business loan) | £100,000 to £2,000,000 | 3 to 24 months | Interest serviced monthly or retained; repay at any time with no penalties; 1st or 2nd legal charge |
Other bridging lenders are listed in our lender directory. A lender's published range is not an offer, and every loan is subject to status and lender criteria.
What does each lender publish about commercial property?
- Black & White Bridging: commercial bridges on fully non-residential property such as offices, warehouses or retail units, and semi-commercial property such as a shop with flats above, up to 70% of 180-day value, or 55% for land with planning.
- Bridge Help: £100,000 to £3m, up to 75% of open market value, repaid by sale, refinance or investment funds; lends to commercial and semi-commercial investors.
- Colenko: £100,000 to £3m on residential, semi-commercial and commercial property in England and Wales, up to 70% LTV on commercial.
- Funding Guru: commercial bridging from £20,000, typically up to 12 months, usually repaid by long-term funding or a sale of the property, for any commercial purpose with a clear exit. It does not state LTV limits on the page read.
- Glenhawk: commercial bridging of £250,000 to £3m for 3 to 24 months, first charge only, up to 70% LTV.
- Lendhub: £100,000 to £10m on residential, commercial or mixed-use property in England and Wales, with a valid and reasonable exit strategy required.
- MS Lending Group: commercial bridging up to £3m, often up to 75% LTV, first or second charge, with an exit typically by refinance to a commercial mortgage or sale.
- MT Finance: purchase bridging on residential, commercial and semi-commercial property up to 70% LTV, with up to 75% where commercial space is under 60%.
- Octane Capital: residential and semi-commercial bridging from £175,000, up to 24 months, lending against open market value.
- Octopus Capital: commercial bridging from £1m for acquisitions, refinances, equity release, turnaround and vacant properties.
- Ortus Secured Finance: commercial bridging up to £25m on offices, warehouses, mixed-use, retail, hospitality and care property.
- Reward Funding: property finance up to £5m against residential or commercial property, on a first or second charge.
- Rocket Bridging: commercial bridging on industrial, retail and other commercial property up to 70% LTV, on the lower of a 180-day valuation or the purchase price.
- Roma Finance: RomaFLOW bridging of £75,000 to £3m, including commercial and semi-commercial, up to 75% LTV, in England, Scotland and Wales.
- Sancus UK: £500,000 to £5m on residential, commercial, mixed-use and semi-commercial property, on a first charge in all cases.
- Somo: £27,500 to £3m, up to 75% LTV, on residential, semi-commercial, buy-to-let and HMO property in England, Scotland and Wales.
- TAB: £100,000 to £5m, up to 70% LTV on commercial property, with warehouses, industrial units, retail and hospitality among the property types it lists.
- TFG Capital: £50,000 to £5m for up to 12 months on residential, commercial, agricultural or land security, lending on the value of the security, with monthly interest servicing.
- Westwood Capital Finance: £100,000 to £2m, up to 70% LTV on commercial property, first or second charge, with no early repayment penalties.
What exit evidence do commercial bridging lenders want?
Every lender above asks how you will repay. On commercial property the exit is usually one of three, and each needs its own evidence:
| Exit | Evidence a lender is likely to ask for |
|---|---|
| Refinance to a commercial mortgage | A decision in principle or terms from a term lender, plus rent, lease and tenant details that meet its criteria |
| Sale of the property | An agent's valuation or marketing advice, comparable sales, and a realistic timeline within the term |
| Sale of another asset or business cash flow | Evidence of the asset's value or of the cash flow that will clear the loan |
A vacant or part-let building is harder to refinance, because a term lender will look at the rent it produces. If your plan is to let the space first, show the lender how and when. Our guides to commercial mortgages and semi-commercial mortgages explain what a term lender needs.
If the loan is not repaid by the end of the term, extra interest and fees can follow, and the lender can enforce its charge. Leave room in the term for a slow sale or refinance.
How do commercial bridging loan rates and costs work?
Bridging interest is usually quoted as a monthly rate, and none of the lenders here publish a commercial rate card, so the rate is set case by case. The way interest is paid changes what reaches your account:
| How interest is paid | Monthly payment | Interest over the term | Cash released at the start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serviced (paid monthly) | £5,000 | £60,000 | £500,000, less fees |
| Retained (deducted upfront) | None | £60,000 | £440,000, less fees |
1% a month is a round figure chosen to show the calculation, not a market rate or any lender's price. Add arrangement, valuation, legal and any exit fees to compare offers in pounds.
On regulation: under article 61(3)(a) of the Regulated Activities Order, a loan to an individual or trustees secured on land where at least 40% is used, or intended to be used, as or in connection with a dwelling can be a regulated mortgage contract. A bridge to a company on a commercial building is generally unregulated. This is a general description, not legal advice.
Where does Capzy fit in?
Capzy is a credit broker, paid by the lender. We introduce businesses and property investors to bridging lenders whose criteria fit the property and the exit. You can check your eligibility with a soft search that does not affect your credit score. A full application may involve a hard search and a valuation, and any offer is subject to status and lender criteria. Capzy does not give legal or financial advice. For buying at auction, see our guide to auction finance.
Sources
- Regulated Activities Order 2001, article 61: regulated mortgage contracts, legislation.gov.uk
- Regulated Activities Order 2001, article 61A: exclusions, legislation.gov.uk
- Black & White Bridging: commercial bridging loans, Black & White Bridging
- Rocket Bridging: products, Rocket Bridging
- Black & White Bridging: Home page and footer, Black & White Bridging
- Bridge Help: Products, Bridge Help
- Colenko: Home, Colenko
- Funding Guru: Bridging loan, Funding Guru
- Glenhawk: Home, Glenhawk
- MS Lending Group: Home page and footer, MS Lending Group
- Octane Capital: Bridging loans, Octane Capital
- Octopus Capital (Octopus Real Estate): Residential bridging loans, Octopus Capital (Octopus Real Estate)
- Ortus Secured Finance: Home, Ortus Secured Finance
- Rocket Bridging: Home, Rocket Bridging
- Roma Finance: RomaFLOW Bridging, Roma Finance
- Lendhub: Home page and footer, Lendhub
- MT Finance: Bridging Loans, MT Finance
- Reward Funding: Home, Reward Funding
- Sancus UK: Bridging, Sancus UK
- Somo: Products and criteria, Somo
- TAB: TAB Bridge, TAB
- TFG Capital: Home, TFG Capital
- Westwood Capital Finance: Home, Westwood Capital Finance
Capzy is a credit broker, not a lender. We get paid by the lender. This page is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Finance is subject to status, lender criteria and affordability; rates and terms depend on your circumstances.