Property finance for surgery, practice, clinic and care premises, whether you are buying the building you work from, refinancing it, or holding it as an investment.
What we arrange
- Owner-occupier mortgages, where you trade from the premises you own
- Purchase of the freehold of premises you currently lease
- Refinance and remortgage, to reduce cost or restructure between owners
- Investment mortgages, where you let premises to a healthcare tenant
- Semi-commercial and mixed-use, such as a practice with flats above let to third parties
- Portfolio lending for owners of several healthcare properties
Why healthcare premises are assessed differently
A commercial mortgage on a medical building is not simply a commercial mortgage. What separates healthcare lending is the treatment of contracted income: lenders with healthcare divisions understand NHS and Health and Social Care income streams, and for practices with contracts that materially changes both how much they will lend and at what price.
For GP practices, notional rent is often the driving force behind the serviceability calculation rather than trading profit. For qualifying NHS-contracted surgeries, high loan-to-value lending is available from some lenders. Neither of those things is true of a general commercial property loan, which is why the choice of lender matters so much here.
Indicative terms
- NHS-contracted practices: the generous end of the market, with high loan-to-value including up to 100% on qualifying cases, driven by notional rent and contract income.
- Trading healthcare businesses: commonly up to 75% of market value, terms to 25 years.
- Investment and semi-commercial: up to 75% of market value from specialist commercial lenders. Note that most define semi-commercial as mixed use with a residential element, so a standalone surgery or practice is fully commercial and priced accordingly.
- Care premises: up to 75% for experienced operators on a going concern basis; materially less where the valuation is bricks and mortar only.
- Bridging: commonly up to 60% loan-to-value on commercial security, facilities from £100,000 into the tens of millions, terms to around three years.
A note on mixed-use premises. If you, or a member of your family, will live in any residential part of the building, the loan may fall within regulated mortgage rules. We cannot arrange regulated mortgages, so tell us at the outset and we will say plainly whether the case is one we can place.
Owner-occupier or investment
The distinction matters more than most borrowers expect. An owner-occupier loan is assessed primarily on your business’s ability to service it, and typically attracts better terms. An investment loan is assessed on the rental income and the covenant strength of the tenant. A practice on a long lease with contract income is a strong covenant, and lenders price accordingly.
Where you occupy part and let part, the case needs presenting on both bases at once. Long-term leases to a pharmacy, dentist or private clinic within a medical centre can meaningfully strengthen a proposal, provided those leases are properly documented.
Property law differs across the UK
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland a lender takes a legal charge, and the transaction runs through exchange and completion. In Scotland the security is a standard security, the contract is concluded through missives, and the timeline behaves differently. Property tax also differs: Stamp Duty Land Tax in England and Northern Ireland, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax in Scotland, and Land Transaction Tax in Wales.
None of this is an obstacle, but a broker who has not accounted for it will give you a timeline that turns out to be wrong.
Common questions
What loan to value can I get?
It varies widely by sector and by lender. NHS-contracted practices sit at the generous end, with high LTV lending available on qualifying cases. Trading businesses without contract income and care homes valued on bricks and mortar sit lower. We will give you the realistic range for your case.
Over what term?
Commercial property lending on practice premises typically runs over a long term, considerably longer than goodwill or equipment funding. Terms can usually be adjusted to suit serviceability.
Is a commercial mortgage regulated?
Commercial mortgages on business premises are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We arrange non-regulated business finance only.
All figures are indicative and subject to lender assessment, your circumstances, valuation and prevailing market conditions. Commercial mortgages and unregulated bridging loans are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Property offered as security may be at risk if you do not keep up repayments.
This page was last reviewed in September 2026 and is next scheduled for review in March 2027. Lending criteria change frequently, so contact us for current terms rather than relying on published figures.