LandlordInvest

LandlordInvest is a UK peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform, founded in 2014 and directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 660926). It is registered as an Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA) manager and facilitates retail lending into property-backed loans — principally buy-to-let mortgages and bridging finance for professional UK landlords and property investors.

In October 2024 the FCA instructed LandlordInvest to stop onboarding new business as part of an inquiry that included questions about a director's loan and the former CEO's access to firm and client accounts. The platform was subsequently placed up for sale (Jan 2025). According to a platform statement in February 2026, a private investment group has completed the acquisition, the FCA has granted Change in Control approval, and a new leadership team intends to resume new loan originations. The platform-reported loan book stood at £18.8M as of 7 May 2026.

LandlordInvest operates an electronic marketplace matching retail lenders with professional property borrowers. Loans are typically secured by first or second charges against UK property and may include personal guarantees. Investors earn interest as borrowers make scheduled payments, with capital returned at loan maturity through borrower refinancing or property sale.

Minimums: the platform minimum bid per loan part was raised to £1,000 on 1 July 2021 (from the prior £100). The platform also operates a secondary market, with trades reportedly available from £100, although liquidity is dependent on buyer availability and is not guaranteed.

Client money: uninvested cash held in segregated bank accounts may qualify for FSCS protection up to the £85,000 deposit limit if the bank fails — this does not extend to capital lent into loans.

Products: buy-to-let mortgages, bridging loans, and occasional development loans, all property-backed. Tax wrappers offered include an IFISA and pension wrappers (SIPP/SSAS) per platform materials.

Investor fees: the platform states it charges no fees to investors for lending or for holding uninvested cash. Revenue is generated from borrowers via arrangement fees (up to ~2.5% for mortgages and bridging), an ongoing servicing fee (c.1.0% p.a.), plus valuation, legal and late fees. Secondary-market sellers are charged a 0.50% administration fee on the sale price.

Returns: the platform markets gross target returns of up to 12% p.a. (marketing target, not guaranteed). The 2023 outcomes statement reported an average investor interest rate of 12.41% for that year, with cumulative investor earnings of £2.3M as of May 2026. Default statistics vary materially by credit band — the 2023 snapshot showed 0.00% for A- and D-rated loans but 21.67% for C-rated loans on the platform's published methodology.

LandlordInvest is suited to experienced investors who understand the high-risk, illiquid nature of P2P property lending, can tolerate capital loss, and have the capacity to perform their own due diligence on platform disclosures, security positions and the underwriting team post-acquisition.

The £1,000 minimum per loan part and tax-wrapper availability make it more suitable for investors with moderate capital to deploy. Prospective investors should weigh both the underlying loan-book risk and the platform-transition risk associated with the recent FCA intervention and change of control.

P2P investments are classified by the FCA as high-risk. LandlordInvest's own risk warnings confirm that investors can lose money and may not be able to access funds easily. Loans are not protected by the FSCS — security against property reduces but does not eliminate loss risk, and recoveries can be slow and incomplete.

Red flags and watch points:

• FCA intervention (Oct 2024): the regulator ordered LandlordInvest to halt new business while investigating governance issues including a director's loan and former CEO access to firm/client accounts. The platform appointed an interim CEO and was placed on the market.
• Change of ownership (Feb 2026): a private investment group has completed acquisition with FCA Change in Control approval, but independent confirmation of new leadership, underwriting capacity and audit oversight should be sought directly from FCA filings and company disclosures before committing new capital.
• Operational pause: the multi-quarter origination freeze materially reduced new earning opportunities and disrupted secondary-market liquidity. Resumption pace and quality remain unproven under the new ownership as of mid-2026.
• Data transparency: third-party review agencies reported limited recent data prior to the acquisition. Investors should request up-to-date loan-level data and recent oversight reports.