The Prudential Regulation Authority's (PRA) consultation on Buy-to-let underwriting standards closed on 29 June 2016. The consultation's main focus was on introducing minimum standards for affordability on buy-to-let underwriting and in particular that buy-to-let borrowers with 4+ properties should be classified as Portfolio Landlords and that lenders should employ a specialised underwriting process for these borrowers.

The BSA argued in its response that:

• Evidence needs to be provided as to why the 4+ property threshold has been chosen for the classification of Portfolio Landlords, and that;
• Measures need to be taken to ensure that the market is not exposed to regulatory arbitrage by the fact that those buy-to-let lenders only regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will not be bound by the PRA's buy-to-let underwriting standards.

BSA response to the PRA's buy-to-let underwriting standards consultation