NatWest has announced it is cutting its buy-to-let stress rates.

The bank has reduced its two-year fixed rates from 8.6% to 8.15% and its five–year fixed rates from 7% to 6.78%.

Meanwhile, rates across its range of like for like remortgages have been cut from 8.21% to 7.55%

Any decision in principle (Dip) or full mortgage application submitted before today (August 29) will have the previous values applied, as they were at the original submission.

Independent brokerage John Charol says the changes will ‘certainly help to ease the pressure on landlords’.