Written by the Lendus editorial team. Last updated .
The best Roma Finance alternatives include West One Loans for published bridging rates from 0.55% per month, Together for facilities up to £25 million, CrowdProperty for development finance priced at 0.65% to 1.1% per month, Avamore Capital for refurbishment approvals within 24 hours, Magnet Capital for 90% loan-to-cost and first-time developers, Octopus Real Estate for schemes up to £100 million, and LendInvest for the same £75,000 entry point as Roma.
Roma Finance is a Manchester property lender covering the full journey in one place: RomaFLOW bridging, RomaGROW development finance for light, medium and heavy refurbishment as well as residential and commercial ground-up schemes, and RomaPRO buy-to-let and commercial mortgages as an exit. It underwrites manually, describes its approach as intelligent touch, and lends across England, Scotland and Wales. It targets a response within 24 hours, says 80% of RomaFLOW bridging cases complete within 28 days, and cites a record bridging completion of 5.5 hours. It is a member of the NACFB, BDLA, SMP, BBI and FIBA.
The reasons to look elsewhere are all about what is not on the page.
Roma publishes no interest rates. Not a range, not a starting point, not a representative example. Every product page refers to competitive rates available on application, so the only way to price a Roma deal is to enquire and wait. Standard loans are capped at £3 million, with larger amounts considered only by referral and no published maximum for those cases. Development finance is limited to 65% loan-to-gross-development-value against 75% loan-to-value on bridging, so a ground-up scheme needs more of your own money in it. And Roma does not publish an FCA firm reference number or a regulatory statement anywhere on its site, including its legal notice and privacy policy, so its precise regulatory position could not be confirmed from a primary source.
None of that makes Roma a bad lender. It makes it an unquotable one until you have applied. So this guide starts with the lenders that will give you a number.
West One publishes what Roma does not: 0.55% to 1.3% per month on bridging, with an 11.2% representative APR, and buy-to-let mortgages from 5.8% per annum. It lends from £50,000, below Roma’s £75,000 floor, up to £20 million, well beyond Roma’s £3 million standard cap. It gives a credit decision within 24 hours and completes typically in 2 to 3 weeks, against Roma’s 28-day completion figure for 80% of cases.
Rates and amounts: 0.55% to 1.3% per month on bridging, buy-to-let from 5.8% per annum; £50,000 to £20 million. Representative APR 11.2% on bridging.
Eligibility: No trading history required for property-backed bridging and no minimum turnover. Adverse credit considered case by case, with the exit strategy and property quality as the main underwriting factors.
Pros: Published rate range and representative APR; £20 million ceiling; second charge bridging, so it can lend behind an existing mortgage; both regulated and unregulated bridging.
Cons: Development finance is limited compared with dedicated development lenders, so it is a weaker replacement for RomaGROW than for RomaFLOW; intermediary-led, so a broker is effectively required; arrangement and legal fees apply as standard.
Best for: Investors replacing a Roma bridging facility who want to see the pricing before committing.
Regulatory status: West One Secured Loans Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 776026.
Like Roma, Together covers the whole journey rather than one product, spanning bridging, commercial mortgages and development finance. Unlike Roma, it publishes 0.55% to 1.5% per month with an 11.4% representative APR, lends from £50,000 to £25 million, and has been doing it since 1974. That top-end rate is the widest published band here, which is the price of its willingness to look at adverse credit case by case.
Rates and amounts: 0.55% to 1.5% per month; £50,000 to £25 million. Representative APR 11.4%.
Eligibility: No trading history required for property-backed lending and no minimum turnover. Adverse credit and non-standard income considered case by case.
Pros: More than 50 years of lending history; £25 million ceiling, more than eight times Roma’s standard cap; indicative terms within 24 hours; covers the same three-product journey Roma does.
Cons: Higher rates than mainstream commercial mortgages; a clear and viable exit strategy is mandatory; arrangement fees and legal costs add to the total; no unsecured lending.
Best for: Borrowers who liked Roma’s one-lender approach but need a bigger facility or have credit history to explain.
Regulatory status: Together Financial Services Limited is the group holding company and does not itself hold an FCA firm reference number. Its regulated lending entities include Together Personal Finance Limited (firm reference number 305253) and Blemain Finance Limited (firm reference number 719121). Check which entity your facility sits with.
CrowdProperty is the clearest answer to the RomaGROW pricing gap. It publishes development finance at 0.65% to 1.1% per month with a 10.5% representative APR, and states arrangement fees of around 2% of the loan, so the total cost is knowable in advance. It lends £200,000 to £10 million, more than three times Roma’s standard ceiling, and was founded by property development professionals. Its Trustpilot score of 4.9 from more than 320 reviews is the highest of any development finance provider in this comparison.
Rates and amounts: 0.65% to 1.1% per month on development finance, with arrangement fees typically 2% of the loan; £200,000 to £10 million. Representative APR 10.5%.
Eligibility: No trading history required. Developer experience is the primary criterion, with a preference for developers who have completed projects. Moderate adverse credit may be considered where the track record is strong. All lending secured against the property.
Speed: Indicative terms within 48 hours, full credit decision within 2 weeks, drawdown from 4 weeks.
Pros: Published development rates and fee structure; £10 million ceiling; underwriters who are developers themselves; transparent project updates and drawdown management through its platform.
Cons: The £200,000 minimum is nearly three times Roma’s £75,000 floor and excludes small conversions; the crowdfunding model means timelines depend on investor appetite; less suitable for first-time developers; it focuses on residential and mixed-use, so commercial development schemes are not its territory.
Best for: Experienced residential and mixed-use developers on schemes between £200,000 and £10 million who want the cost known before they commit.
Regulatory status: CrowdProperty Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 723959.
Avamore is the fastest lender here on the numbers it publishes: refurbishment finance often approved within 24 hours, and bridging typically obtained within 3 to 4 days depending on documentation and solicitors. It also states that its development finance is available to less experienced developers, and that it is flexible on personal guarantees, foreign and overseas resident borrowers, and complicated equity structures. Bridging is quoted from 0.56% per month plus the Bank of England Base Rate, fixed for the life of the loan, and development finance from 6.75% per annum plus base rate.
Rates and amounts: Bridging from 0.56% per month plus Bank of England Base Rate; development finance from 6.75% per annum plus base rate. £250,000 to £25 million, with ground-up development from £500,000. No maximum rate is published.
Eligibility: No minimum trading history, turnover or credit score published. Lending is assessed on the property, loan-to-value or loan-to-gross-development-value, and the exit strategy.
Pros: Refurbishment approvals often within 24 hours; bridging completions in 3 to 4 days; £25 million ceiling; considers less experienced developers, overseas residents and complex equity structures; decisions made in-house as a principal lender.
Cons: Not FCA-authorised, so no FCA-regulated consumer protections apply; the £250,000 minimum, rising to £500,000 for ground-up development, rules out smaller schemes Roma would take from £75,000; rates track the Bank of England Base Rate, so the true cost depends on the prevailing rate at drawdown; development lending is restricted to mainland England and Wales, so a Scottish scheme that Roma could fund is out of scope.
Best for: Refurbishment projects with a tight deadline, and developers whose ownership structure or track record makes a conventional lender hesitate.
Regulatory status: Avamore Capital is not FCA-authorised. It states on its own website that it provides unregulated loans to corporate entities and private individuals, and that loans to private individuals comply with the exemptions set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001. This is common for UK business and investment bridging and development finance, and it means the loan does not carry FCA-regulated consumer protections.
Magnet matches Roma’s 65% loan-to-gross-development-value exactly, but publishes the figure Roma does not: up to 90% loan-to-cost. It also states that first-time developers can secure funding where the project is well structured, and that a decision in principle is often available within minutes of receiving key project information, with stage payments released within 48 hours of a site inspection. Interest is typically rolled up, with an option to service monthly.
Rates and amounts: No standard rate range is published. Pricing is assessed per project and confirmed on application. £500,000 to £4 million.
Eligibility: No minimum trading history or turnover. Applications are assessed on the strength and structure of the development project rather than a fixed credit-scoring model.
Speed: Decision in principle often within minutes, stage payments within 48 hours of site inspection, typically 6 to 10 weeks from sign-up to completion.
Pros: Up to 90% loan-to-cost alongside 65% loan-to-gross-development-value; first-time developers considered; decision in principle in minutes; stage payments within 48 hours of inspection; member of the Bridging and Development Lenders Association.
Cons: Like Roma, it publishes no rates, so it does not solve the pricing problem; the £500,000 minimum is well above Roma’s £75,000 floor; development finance only, with no bridging, commercial mortgage or working capital products; unregulated business-purpose lending only.
Best for: Developers on schemes of £500,000 to £4 million who need maximum gearing, particularly those doing their first project.
Regulatory status: Magnet Capital Limited states on its own website that it is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 827220, while describing its ground-up development and refurbishment finance as unregulated development finance for business-purpose projects, which is standard for commercial development lending in the UK.
If your scheme has outgrown Roma’s £3 million standard cap, Octopus operates at a completely different scale, funding development loans from £5 million up to £100 million. It publishes residential bridging from 0.55% per month and commercial bridging from 0.85% per month, and offers a rate discount of up to 0.15% per month on bridging and development loans that improve a property’s EPC rating, which is the only green pricing incentive among these lenders.
Rates and amounts: Residential bridging from 0.55% per month, commercial bridging from 0.85% per month, with no published ceiling rate. Development and refurbishment loan rates are not published. £50,000 to £100 million.
Eligibility: No minimum trading history or turnover published. Assessed against the security property, the scheme and the exit strategy, with newly formed special purpose vehicles commonly used.
Pros: Development loans up to £100 million; EPC-linked rate discount of up to 0.15% per month; both regulated and unregulated bridging from one lender; institutional funding through Octopus Group with a dedicated case team on large loans.
Cons: The £1 million minimum on commercial bridging rules out small transactions Roma would consider from £75,000; no published rate ceiling, representative APR or Trustpilot score; development rates are not published either; approval timescales are not published; the recent reorganisation under the Octopus Capital brand can confuse borrowers who knew it as Octopus Property.
Best for: Larger development schemes from £5 million upwards, especially those improving the EPC rating of the asset.
Regulatory status: Octopus Investments Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 194779. Residential bridging on a property the borrower lives in or intends to live in is offered on a regulated basis; commercial bridging, development finance and buy-to-let for investment purposes are unregulated, as is standard for UK business and investment property lending.
LendInvest matches Roma’s £75,000 entry point exactly, which most of the alternatives here do not, and covers the same product spread of bridging, development finance and commercial mortgages. The difference is that it publishes 0.54% to 1.2% per month on bridging, the lowest entry rate in this comparison, with development finance from 7% per annum, and it lends to £15 million rather than stopping at £3 million.
Rates and amounts: 0.54% to 1.2% per month on bridging, development finance from 7% per annum; £75,000 to £15 million. Representative APR 11.1% on bridging.
Eligibility: No trading history required for property-backed lending and no minimum turnover. Moderate adverse credit considered, with experienced borrowers preferred for development finance.
Speed: Credit decision within 24 to 48 hours, legal completion 2 to 4 weeks.
Pros: Same £75,000 minimum as Roma with a £15 million ceiling; lowest published bridging entry rate here; decisions in 24 to 48 hours; AIM-listed and publicly accountable; covers bridging, development and commercial mortgages like Roma does.
Cons: Development finance requires demonstrable developer experience, so first-time developers are steered elsewhere; less flexible on complex adverse credit than a dedicated specialist; arrangement and exit fees can add meaningfully to the total cost.
Regulatory note: Lendus has not verified LendInvest’s regulatory status against a primary source, so no FCA claim is made here. Check the FCA Register at register.fca.org.uk before you commit.
Best for: Borrowers who want a direct swap for Roma’s product range and loan size, with the pricing visible up front.
| Lender | Rate published | Bridging rate from | Loan size | Development gearing | First-time developers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West One Loans | Yes | 0.55% per month | £50,000 to £20m | Limited development offering | Not stated |
| Together | Yes | 0.55% per month | £50,000 to £25m | Not published | Not stated |
| CrowdProperty | Yes | 0.65% per month on development | £200,000 to £10m | Not published | Less suitable |
| Avamore Capital | Yes, plus base rate | 0.56% per month plus BBR | £250,000 to £25m | Not published | Considered |
| Magnet Capital | No | Development only | £500,000 to £4m | 65% LTGDV, 90% LTC | Considered |
| Octopus Real Estate | Partly | 0.55% per month residential | £50,000 to £100m | Not published | Not stated |
| LendInvest | Yes | 0.54% per month | £75,000 to £15m | Not published | Experience required |
| Roma Finance | No | Not published | £75,000 to £3m | 65% LTGDV, 75% LTV bridging | Assessed case by case |
Avamore quotes a monthly bridging rate plus the Bank of England Base Rate, fixed for the life of the loan, so its true cost depends on the base rate at drawdown. Monthly bridging rates and annual development rates are different measures and should not be compared directly.
Choose West One Loans if you are replacing a RomaFLOW bridging facility and want a published rate range with a 24-hour credit decision.
Choose Together if you valued Roma’s one-lender coverage of bridging, commercial and development, and need up to £25 million.
Choose CrowdProperty if your scheme is residential or mixed-use, you have completed projects before, and you want the development rate and the 2% arrangement fee stated before you commit.
Choose Avamore Capital if the project is a refurbishment on a deadline, or your ownership structure is complicated, and you accept that the loan is unregulated.
Choose Magnet Capital if gearing is the constraint and 90% loan-to-cost changes whether the scheme works, particularly on a first development.
Choose Octopus Real Estate if the scheme is £5 million or more, or if EPC improvements could earn the 0.15% per month discount.
Choose LendInvest if you want the closest match to Roma’s product range and £75,000 entry point, with the pricing visible before you apply.
Two closing notes for anyone leaving Roma. First, Roma’s £75,000 minimum is genuinely low for this market, so if your project is small, check the floor before you fall in love with a headline rate: only LendInvest matches it, while West One, Together and Octopus start at £50,000 and CrowdProperty, Avamore and Magnet start well above it. Second, Roma does not publish an FCA firm reference number or a regulatory statement on its website, and Lendus could not confirm its status from a primary source. Much business and investment property lending in the UK is unregulated even where the lender itself is authorised, so ask any lender directly whether your specific facility is regulated, and check the firm on the FCA Register at register.fca.org.uk before you sign.
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