Key UK mortgage rate passes 4% level for first time since 2013

BORROWERS trying to refinance their home loans are finding that mortgage rates are rising even faster than the Bank of England is increasing its base rate.

The average 2-year fixed-rate home loan is now more than 4 per cent in the UK, the first time it’s reached that threshold since February 2013, according to data compiled by Moneyfacts Group. That could affect the more than 3 million homeowners who are due to see their fixed-rate deals expire either this year or next.

Home price growth in the UK will come to a halt if mortgage rates hit 4 per cent and values will probably dip if rates climb above that level, property portal Zoopla warned earlier this month. The average 5-year fixed rate mortgage had already breached 4 per cent in recent weeks.

“We have seen lenders withdraw parts of, or entire product ranges, with a number citing the pause in lending being due to unprecedented demand,” said Eleanor Williams, a spokeswoman for Moneyfacts.

The 2-year fixed rate has risen 1.75 percentage points since December, Moneyfacts said, compared with a 1.65 percentage point increase by the central bank as it attempts to bring inflation under control.

Lenders are offering mortgage products for an average of 17 days, a record low, and there are fewer options available to customers, the data provider said.

“Providers need to manage their service levels following an influx of applications, as borrowers have rushed to secure deals before rates have a chance to climb even further,” Williams said. BLOOMBERG