We caught up with Joe Aston from Aria Finance to find out how landlords are using bridging finance and what they need to look out for.

Last month, the lender announced the successful completion of its first seven-figure transaction using its recently launched RomaPRO buy-to-let product.

Bridging rates have dropped from 5.53 times the cost of buy-to-let loans in Q4 2021 to just 2.44 times in Q4 2024.

The rate reductions follow recent updates to the lender's heavy refurbishment proposition.

The lender is now offering loans up to 70% LTV and stepped rates for greater flexibility

Exit will be achieved through the sale of all six units

The loan, at 70% LTV over six months, enables the consolidation of three investment properties into a single corporate structure.

The deal follows a recent record month of lending for HREF, with over £200m of its own funds loaned to bridging borrowers in 2024, and almost £44m in February 2025 alone.

The borrowing entity was an offshore company, which introduced additional complexity to the transaction.

The loan was structured at 60% LTV over a 12-month term