The results from the latest Mortgages for Business limited company buy-to-let index contradict both the borrowing choices of individual landlords and the wider residential mortgage market where refinancing property has long been the preferred reason for borrowing.

The findings have also revealed that the proportion of buy-to-let mortgages available to limited companies increased from 21% to almost a quarter of all products in Q4 2017.

The majority of BTL purchase transactions made through limited companies were related to additional property acquisitions.

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Although the figures also include landlords selling property they already own personally into a corporate structure.

Over the course of last year, the predilection of landlords to opt for corporate structures continued to grow rapidly.

Steve Olejnik, COO at Mortgages for Business, said: “To help landlords determine whether using limited companies is the right strategy for them, we’ve been encouraging our clients to take professional advice.

“We will also continue to produce guides and webinars which explain how the tax and regulatory changes might impact their investments.

“The landscape of buy-to-let is changing and it’s important that landlords are equipped to traverse the terrain.”