Aspen has launched an 85% loan-to-value (LTV) day-one refurbishment bridging product for property developers, with loans available at 0.79% a month and drawdowns of up to 75% of loan-to-gross-development-value (LTGDV). The product covers heavy refurbishment works and is also available through the lender’s No Valuation offering at 0.84% a month.

The lender has also cut its residential bridging rate at 70% LTV by 60 basis points to 0.69% a month. Rates on its five-year bridge-to-let (BTL) product have fallen by 20 basis points to 6.79% a year for UK borrowers and 6.89% for foreign nationals.

Aspen offers loans of between £150,000 and £15m to UK and overseas developers and property professionals.


Lendlord has introduced a property register tool to help landlords in England prepare for the government’s new rental property database and manage ongoing registration requirements.

The tool, part of the property management and finance platform's compliance hub, uses information already held in landlords’ portfolios to prepare registration packs, identify missing details and highlight regional deadlines. Landlords must complete their registrations through the government’s own service, using the information assembled by the platform.

The tool also provides registration notifications, renewal reminders and due-date tracking across portfolios. It flags changes to property or tenancy details that may require landlords to update their registrations, helping them maintain accurate records and meet ongoing compliance obligations.


LHV Bank has appointed former Starling Bank executive Damian Thompson as CEO and executive director.

Thompson will join on 4 January 2027, subject to regulatory approval from the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the UK digital-first lender prepares to expand its lending, particularly to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He brings more than 30 years of experience in banking, structured finance and financial services, including almost two decades in senior roles at NatWest Markets, and also served as CEO of Fleet Mortgages, Starling’s buy-to-let lending business,

Thompson succeeds interim chief Kris Brewster, who took over following the departure of former CEO Erki Kilu earlier this year.

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