Landbay Partners

Landbay Partners Limited is a UK-based specialist buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage lender and financial-technology firm, co-founded in 2013 by John Goodall and Gray Stern and originating its first loan in 2014. The firm is directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority for Consumer buy-to-let activities (FRN 1007789) and is not listed on the FCA Register as an appointed representative. Its registered office is 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0SR.

Landbay reported facilitating approximately £4 billion of cumulative lending as of September 2023, with origination expanded from England and Wales into Scotland in March 2026.

Why this matters: direct FCA authorisation (rather than acting via a principal) confirms the firm is regulated for the activities it carries out. Prospective counterparties should still verify the scope of permissions on the FCA Register.

Since December 2019, Landbay has transitioned away from retail peer-to-peer (P2P) lending and now operates a Mortgage-as-a-Service (MaaS) model for institutional partners — banks, asset managers, insurance companies and other institutional capital providers. Landbay originates, underwrites and services BTL mortgages and enters into forward-flow or whole-loan agreements with funding partners, while also providing technology and servicing infrastructure to those partners.

Why this matters: institutional funding changes the counterparty and liquidity profile. Retail investors are no longer onboarded; exposure now arises through institutional vehicles (securitisations, funds, whole-loan sales) rather than directly from a P2P platform.

Products and eligibility. Landbay specialises in residential BTL mortgages for professional landlords, portfolio landlords and properties held in Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). Both fixed-rate and tracker-rate products are marketed to intermediaries and borrowers, typically with terms in the 2–5 year range. Loan sizes typically start around £50,000 and can extend to approximately £1 million depending on product and criteria.

Fees. Product fees are advertised from 1.75% (fixed and tracker), with a non-refundable administration fee of £199 per case and variable valuation fees. The borrower/intermediary fee schedule is publicly listed.

Historical retail offering. Prior to December 2019, Landbay operated a retail P2P offering and an Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA) product. The firm ceased onboarding new retail P2P investors in December 2019 and shifted to institutional funding; the often-repeated claim that the FCA revoked Landbay's IFISA permissions is not supported by the FCA Register — the change was a business-model decision rather than a registered revocation.

Institutional partners: Landbay's current client base is institutional — banks, asset managers, insurance companies and other capital providers seeking exposure to UK BTL mortgage assets without operating their own origination and servicing infrastructure.

Borrowers and intermediaries: products target experienced landlords (including SPV structures) and the intermediary channel. Underwriting includes rental coverage tests and minimum income/credit-footprint criteria as set out in intermediary documentation. Product groups include 'Premier', 'Core' and 'Specialist' for differing landlord/property profiles.

Why this matters: the counterparty (institutional vs retail) determines how investors access credit performance and which protections apply.

• FCA/FSCS status. Landbay is directly authorised (FRN 1007789) for Consumer BTL activities; the FCA Register does not show IFISA permissions being revoked — the 2019 exit from retail P2P was a strategic change rather than a regulatory sanction.
• Complaints/FOS. The Financial Ombudsman Service has recorded complaints involving Landbay Partners Limited; outcomes vary and some historic complaints were not upheld. These do not, on their own, indicate regulatory action but are relevant for customer due diligence.
• Fraud markers. Landbay is a member of CIFAS and can record fraud markers — a standard fraud-prevention practice, but one that can materially affect individuals flagged.
• Operational note: mortgage offers typically have a 90-day validity per Landbay's product paperwork, and tracker affordability calculations can be re-run if the Bank Base Rate changes.