Roma Finance: products, terms and eligibility

Roma Finance is a UK provider of bridging loans. The legal entity named on its site is Romaco Limited (trading as Roma Finance), company number 07232590. It is based in Manchester. Companies House shows the company was incorporated 2010.

Roma Finance is a family business founded by Scott Marshall, whose first Roma loan was funded by taking equity out of his own family home. The company is named after his grandparents, Rose and Max. It trades as Romaco Limited (company number 07232590) from 15 Carnarvon Street, Manchester, and lends in England, Scotland and Wales. Its range is split into RomaFLOW (bridging and revolving credit), RomaGROW (development finance) and RomaPRO (commercial, semi-commercial and buy-to-let mortgages). Says it underwrites the borrower before the property and draws on ten different funding lines.

Everything on this page comes from what Roma Finance publishes itself. We show the date we last checked it, and we do not rate or rank lenders.

Roma Finance publishes 4 products for UK businesses. The table above gives the amounts and terms as it states them.

• RomaFLOW bridging (FLOW Bridge, FLOW Refurb, auction, below market value, commercial, semi-commercial, developer exit): Not published; up to 75% LTV.
• RomaPRO semi-commercial mortgages: Not published; up to 70% LTV.

RomaFLOW bridging (FLOW Bridge, FLOW Refurb, auction, below market value, commercial, semi-commercial, developer exit)

Short-term bridging loans of £75,000 to £3 million for up to 24 months, at up to 75% loan-to-value, against property in England, Scotland and Wales. The range covers purchases, light refurbishment, auction and below-market-value purchases, commercial and semi-commercial property and developer exit loans. Roma says it underwrites each case on its own merits with a focus on the borrower’s strength and exit. An exit strategy is usually required, most commonly sale of the property or refinance. Larger loans can be considered by referral.

RomaPRO semi-commercial mortgages

Longer-term mortgages on semi-commercial property for up to 25 years, with loans up to £2 million at up to 70% loan-to-value according to the first-pass record. Part of the RomaPRO commercial mortgage range.

RomaGROW development finance

Roma’s development finance line, listed alongside RomaFLOW and RomaPRO. The pages read give no further product limits.

Roma Finance says its finance is used for:

• Auction purchases
• Chain-breaking
• Probate release and cash extraction
• Refurbishment
• Buying below market value
• Planning gain or change of use

Sectors and business types it says it funds:

• Property investors and developers (residential, commercial and semi-commercial property)

Roma Finance publishes these criteria. Meeting them does not mean an application will be accepted: every lender makes its own decision.

• Property in England, Scotland and Wales.
• An exit strategy is required in most circumstances (usually sale or refinance).
• Underwritten manually with a focus on the borrower and their exit strategy.
• Services available only in the UK to UK residents.

Roma Finance describes its process like this:

1. Submit the case as an introducer through Roma Finance.
2. Roma underwrites the borrower and their exit strategy case by case.
3. A valuation route is agreed (dual representation, AVM, desktop or full valuation).
4. Loan completes on the secured property.

Every application is subject to status and the lender’s own criteria at the time.

A bridging loan is short-term borrowing secured on property, used to bridge a gap until a sale or longer-term finance completes. Interest is often rolled up or retained and repaid with the loan at the end, so the plan for repaying it, known as the exit, matters as much as the property.

Lenders lend up to a share of the property’s value and will want to see that exit. Bridging costs more than long-term borrowing, so it is worth understanding how lenders differ before you compare offers.

Points Roma Finance publishes that are worth knowing:

• Site states it is for introducer use only.
• Secured against property; exit through sale or refinance.
• Dual representation, AVMs, desktop and full valuations available.
• Larger bridging loans can be considered by referral.

Security and guarantees

Loans are secured on property, and the exit is usually sale of the property or refinance. Roma says the site is for introducer use only.

Roma Finance’s site states: “This site is for introducer use only. Romaco Limited trading as Roma Finance, 15 Carnarvon Street, Manchester M3 1HJ. Registered in England 07232590”

Protections differ by borrower type and loan size. Most lending to limited companies is not regulated consumer credit, so read the agreement and ask the lender what applies to you.

Other providers of bridging loans with profiles here include Sancus UK, Somo and TAB. Each profile uses that lender’s own published terms.

The full list, grouped by product type, is in our directory of UK business lenders.

Capzy is a credit broker, not a lender, and gets paid by the lender. One application lets your business compare options across lenders, so you can weigh this kind of facility against the alternatives. You can check your funding options with a soft search that does not affect your credit score. A full application to a lender may involve a hard search, and any offer is subject to status and lender criteria.