Commercial mortgage
application checklist

Buying your business premises or a property to let?

A preparation guide for the first broker conversation.

Matt Lenzie
Commercial Mortgages Broker
15 October 2026

Who will occupy the property?

Use	Income to explain
Your business trades there	Business cash available for repayments
You let it to commercial tenants	Rent and the terms governing receipt

Tell your broker if your own company will rent from a separate property company, or if the building has residential space.

CMB’s guide to commercial mortgage types explains the routes. Lenders assess the full structure.

The shared starting file

Prepare	Include
Borrower	Proposed owner and borrowing entity
Property	Address, current use, tenure and particulars
Funding	Price, loan request, deposit amount and source
Timing	Target completion and known dependencies

Keep purchase costs and cash reserves separate from the deposit. CMB’s commercial mortgage service covers finance for business premises and commercial investments.

When your business occupies it

Evidence to organise	Question it helps answer
Financial accounts	How has the business performed?
Recent management figures	What has changed since year end?
Cash-flow forecast	Can cash cover repayments after the move?

Explain moving costs and any period when both old and new premises need funding.

Preparation prompts, not a universal lender checklist. Allica’s mortgage guide discusses accounts, current performance and forecasts.

When tenants occupy it

Evidence to organise	What to highlight
Leases and rent schedule	Tenant, annual rent, expiry and breaks
Payment record	Rent received and any arrears
Incentives and empty space	Rent-free periods and letting assumptions

Separate contracted rent from expected receipts. Ask how the lender will assess lease terms and affordability.

These are preparation prompts. Your broker should confirm the documents and periods the chosen lender needs.

£60,000 rent can mean £45,000 in year one

Illustrative lease	Cash received
Annual rent, paid monthly	£60,000 ÷ 12 = £5,000
First three months rent-free	3 × £5,000 = £15,000 forgone
Remaining nine months paid in full	9 × £5,000 = £45,000

The first-year forecast needs to explain the £15,000 difference before costs and mortgage payments.

Hypothetical, not a client case or lender affordability formula. Assumes the lease starts at the beginning of year one. Excludes VAT, arrears, costs and later rent changes.

A useful first enquiry

“We plan to buy [property and use] for [price], borrowing [amount]. Our deposit is [amount and source]. Repayments would come from [business cash flow or rent].”

“We aim to complete by [date]. We have [documents ready]. The outstanding issue is [missing evidence or uncertainty].”

Use this outline to discuss your case with Commercial Mortgages Broker.

Ask for the lender-specific document list and a secure route for financial records. Completing this checklist does not establish eligibility or guarantee an offer.

Sources and scope

Allica Bank: commercial mortgages guide
Occupancy routes and financial evidence.

Aldermore: commercial mortgage application
Borrower, property, loan and deposit fields. This form covers its stated £500,000 to £3 million range, not the whole market.

Sources checked 15 October 2026. No lender rates or eligibility thresholds are recommended. The cash illustration is CMB’s own arithmetic.

Matt Lenzie, Commercial Mortgages Broker. CMB is a commercial mortgage broker with a commercial interest in enquiries. OpenAI Codex assisted with research, drafting and layout. Educational preparation guide, not a lending decision.

Commercial mortgage application checklist: business premises or investment

By constructioncapital

Commercial mortgage application checklist: business premises or investment

Commercial mortgage application checklist for buying business premises or a property to let. Eight slides cover the evidence to organise, a rent-free cash example and a reusable first enquiry. The text version below is easier to read on a phone. Matt Lenzie, Commercial Mortgages Broker. 15 October 2026. WHICH ROUTE FITS THE PROPERTY? If your business will trade there, explain the cash available for repayments. If you will let it to commercial tenants, explain the rent and the terms governing receipt. Flag a related-company tenancy or any residential space. CMB’s guide to commercial mortgage types explains the routes: https://commercialmortgagesbroker.co.uk/knowledge-hub/types-of-commercial-mortgages THE SHARED STARTING FILE Prepare the proposed owner and borrowing entity, property address and current use, tenure and particulars, price and loan request, deposit amount and source, target completion date and known dependencies. Keep purchase costs and cash reserves separate from the deposit. For help arranging this finance, see CMB’s commercial mortgage service: https://commercialmortgagesbroker.co.uk/services/commercial-mortgages WHEN YOUR BUSINESS OCCUPIES IT Organise financial accounts, recent management figures and a cash-flow forecast. Explain changes since year end, moving costs and any period when both premises need funding. These are preparation prompts. Ask your broker for the chosen lender’s exact document requirements. WHEN TENANTS OCCUPY IT Organise leases, a rent schedule and payment records. Highlight tenant names, annual rent, lease expiry and breaks, arrears, rent-free periods and empty space. Separate contracted rent from expected receipts. Ask how the lender will assess the lease terms and affordability. THE RENT-FREE EXAMPLE Hypothetical annual rent of £60,000, paid monthly, equals £5,000 per month. If the first three months are rent-free and the remaining nine are paid in full, first-year receipts are £45,000. The forecast needs to explain the £15,000 difference before costs and mortgage payments. Assumes the lease starts at the beginning of year one. Excludes VAT, arrears, costs and later rent changes. This is an illustration, not a client case or lender affordability formula. YOUR FIRST ENQUIRY “We plan to buy [property and use] for [price], borrowing [amount]. Our deposit is [amount and source]. Repayments would come from [business cash flow or rent]. We aim to complete by [date]. We have [documents ready]. The outstanding issue is [missing evidence or uncertainty].” Use this outline to discuss your case with Commercial Mortgages Broker: https://commercialmortgagesbroker.co.uk/contact Ask for a secure route for financial records. Completing the checklist does not establish eligibility or guarantee an offer. SOURCES AND DISCLOSURE Allica Bank’s commercial mortgages guide covers occupancy routes and financial evidence: https://www.allica.bank/commercial-mortgages/guide Aldermore’s application illustrates borrower, property, loan and deposit fields in its stated £500,000 to £3 million range: https://www.aldermore.co.uk/media/nwwamyvx/commercial-mortgage-application-form-500k-3m.pdf Sources checked 15 October 2026. No lender rates or eligibility thresholds are recommended. The cash illustration is CMB’s own arithmetic. CMB is a mortgage broker with a commercial interest in enquiries. OpenAI Codex assisted with research, drafting and layout.