Getting started
What is Bricklane?
Bricklane enables people to grow their savings with the housing market through the first online Property ISA. Investors own a share in funds which hold residential property, and can start investing with as little as £100. Investors are able to choose where they invest — currently in London and/or Regional Capitals (Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham). Those not wanting to make a choice can opt to split their investment equally. Investments earn rental income, as well as price changes on the properties that the funds own. They can manage and withdraw their money, with no notice period, from an easy-to-use dashboard on bricklane.com.
How does it work?
You might find our How it works page useful.
Register through our secure website. This takes about 10 minutes. You will be asked how much you want to invest and how you wish to fund your account (one or more of: ISA Transfer, single payment, or monthly recurring payment). We then perform identity and anti-money laundering checks and action your payment. Once this is complete, you can choose which funds you want to invest in, or opt to split your investment equally. After this your money is invested in each fund at the next investment cycle (within 2 weeks of when we receive your payment, which can take up to 7 days to reach us). With Bricklane, you invest in funds that own flats. The properties are let to tenants and professionally managed on your behalf.
Over time, the value of Bricklane customers’ investments in each fund tracks movements in the properties owned, plus rental income is earned on top.
Once invested, customers can view the performance of their investments from their dashboard when logged into Bricklane. From there, customers can add more money, change their monthly contribution, and see more information about the properties they own a share of. They can also request to exit their investments, with no minimum holding period or exit fees.
Are Bricklane investments protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)?
Bricklane shares are held by a custodian bank, and are protected up to the first £85,000 by the FSCS in the event of their insolvency.
However, it’s important to understand that the FSCS doesn't cover you in the event that your investments do not perform as expected and you get back less than you originally invested. More information can be found at fscs.org.uk.
Does Bricklane offer financial or tax advice?
What is the maximum I can invest?
What are Bricklane’s fees?
Invest now and pay 0% investment fee
Zero investment fee
We’ve removed investment fees for all investors, and all account types (terms apply).
With investing your capital is at risk
There are two Bricklane charges that support our service to customers.
An upfront investment fee of 2% is charged for investments up to £25,000. When you’ve invested over £25,000 this investment fee halves to 1%*. We also charge a 0.85% Annual Management Fee on your total holdings, which is charged monthly. There are no fees to withdraw your money. Read more on our fees.
* The £25,000 threshold for the reduced investment fee is calculated as total payments made into your account, excluding fees and less total withdrawals. Learn how this is calculated.
How do I make money?
Your savings are invested in funds of properties, owned by you and other Bricklane customers and let and managed on your behalf. You can choose which funds to invest in (currently London or Regional Capitals) after signup. In the long term, the value of your shares in each fund reflects the value of the properties owned; when the properties change in value, so does your investment. Alongside, the properties generate rental income. This rental income can be reinvested in Bricklane, generating further rental income, or distributed to your bank account. You can choose either way during sign up. Please note that your capital is at risk.
What makes Bricklane tax-efficient?
A Bricklane ISA or pension is a very tax-efficient way to invest in residential property. There are three types of tax paid on property investments - tax inside the company or fund, personal tax, and stamp duty. The table below shows how Bricklane’s tax structure compared to other ways of investing in residential property.
|
Bricklane ISA (investing through a REIT in an ISA) |
Bricklane standard investment (investing through a REIT in a standard account) |
Property held in a company |
Direct investment in property (e.g.owning a buy-to-let) |
|
Corporation Tax in the company or fund |
Capital gains |
No |
No |
Yes |
n/a |
Rental income |
No |
No |
Yes |
n/a |
|
Personal tax |
Capital gains |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Income |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
Stamp duty |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Holding Bricklane investments in ISAs or SIPPs means you are personally exempt from tax on the gains in the value of your investments, and on income received.
Through combining the ISA/SIPP and REIT structures, Bricklane allows investors to receive similar tax treatment to owning their own home directly.
As with any investment in residential property, the REITs pay the Stamp Duty Land Tax on all purchases at the higher rate established during the 2016 Budget.
How do I get access to my money?
Customers can request to exit their investments in a few clicks at any time from within their Dashboard. During normal market conditions, you can exit within 2 weeks by selling to another customer.
If there is ever a shortage of buyers for your shares, you will have the option of waiting for a buyer to sell at market value, or offering them at a discount to incoming investors to sell them faster. You will be given this choice in your dashboard, with the opportunity to set the maximum discount at which to sell your shares to an incoming investor.
If you choose to wait for a buyer, and we take the view that there is likely to be a sustained imbalance of supply and demand in a given fund, the fund may choose to downsize and buy your shares back from you. If there is no money available for this purpose, the fund in question would sell property in order to generate it, which is the reason we make reference to 'the time it takes to sell a property, or longer' in relation to how long it can take to get your money back.
ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts)
A Stocks and Shares ISA may not be right for everyone and tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure if an ISA is the right choice for you, please seek independent financial advice.
What is an ISA?
An ISA (Individual Savings Account) is a tax efficient way to save. UK residents can invest up to £20,000 (in the 2020/21 tax year) tax-free. It means that you won’t pay tax on any increase in the value of your investments or income received. The tax year ends on the 6th of April each year.
To make your Bricklane investments through an ISA, you must select this option during sign up. Please note that the tax advantages of ISAs depend on your individual circumstances and may change in the future.
How do I open an ISA with Bricklane?
Simply register with Bricklane, then tick “Open a 2020/21 ISA” in the ‘Fund your account’ screen during the signup process.
If you have opted to set up a monthly contribution to your account, and have opened an ISA with Bricklane, investments after the end of the current tax year will automatically be included in your ISA for the following year, unless you let us know otherwise.
Do I have to use an ISA with Bricklane?
What is a Property ISA?
I already have a Help-to-Buy ISA, can I invest in a Bricklane Property ISA?
I already have a Cash ISA, can I open a Bricklane Property ISA?
I already have a Stocks and Shares ISA, can I save in a Bricklane Property ISA?
Can I invest more than my ISA limit (£20,000) with Bricklane?
Yes you can. If you want to use your ISA allowance, and invest more on top, you can do so by following the normal signup process. Tick the “Open a 2020/21 ISA” box in the “Fund your account” screen, and let us know your initial payment and/or monthly contributions. If these add up to more than your ISA allowance for the year, the surplus will be included in a Standard account.
Can I transfer my ISA to Bricklane?
Yes. If you are a new customer, you will be given the option to transfer in an existing ISA during the signup process. All you need to do is print, sign and return a form letting us know the details of the ISA you want to transfer, and we handle all communication with your existing ISA manager on your behalf.
If you are already an existing Bricklane customer and wish to transfer in an ISA, please login and generate your ISA Transfer form from your Dashboard.
About the funds
Why do people choose different funds?
Each investor must make the choice that’s right for them. There are a number of reasons to be attracted to either or both of our funds, and investors make their choices for a number of reasons.
It could be that you’re a first home saver looking to keep up with the market near where you live. It could also be that you want to diversify your investments by investing away from where you live. Some are particularly attracted by the stream of rental income from investments in property, in which case they may be attracted to the Regional Capitals fund. Others may be attracted by potential price growth in London over the long-term.
Find out more about our London or Regional Capitals funds. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.
What if I don’t want to choose a fund?
Can I move between the funds?
Yes, you can sell your all or part of your investment in one fund and invest the proceeds in the other. To do so, you should contact support@bricklane.com or use online chat. Since the money does not leave your Bricklane account, your ISA allowance will not be affected. As you are investing your money into a new fund, the standard investment fee will be charged on your new investment. Due to the special nature of these transactions, transfers can take 4–6 weeks. Timing may be impacted by any discounting offered at your discretion as part of the Secondary Market.
What is a UK REIT?
A UK Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is a UK company specialising in property investment that has to conform to higher standards of governance and risk management. In return, the REIT doesn’t have to pay corporation tax on rental income or increases in value on the properties held.
REITs must be based in the UK, distribute at least 90% of the rental income to investors through a dividend (which you can opt to re-invest), and be listed on an HMRC recognised stock exchange.
Both Bricklane’s Regional Capitals and London funds have been classified as REITs by HMRC. There is about £41bn of property investment in UK REITs including with companies such as British Land, Land Securities and Schroders.
Who manages the funds?
Bricklane’s funds are owned by its customers, and separate to the Bricklane business itself. In order to give customers as much protection as possible, the FCA dictates that the funds must have a series of regulated independent suppliers.
Gallium Fund Solutions and Gallium PE Depositary act as Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) and Depositary to the funds. The Gallium team has launched over 150 funds with gross assets of over £14.5 billion. They safeguard ownership of the properties on investors’ behalf, and monitor ongoing operational and regulatory activities of the fund.
Bricklane acts as Investment Adviser to the funds, sourcing investment opportunities. You can find more information about Bricklane’s property expertise on the About Us page.
Bricklane funds’ Boards are comprised of two Independent Directors (Craig Hallam and Paul Windsor), as well as the CEO and CFO of Bricklane. Read About Us for more information.
Who audits the funds?
What is going to happen to the price of property?
Bricklane chooses properties and areas which have potential for future price growth, as well as strong rental demand. Property prices respond to many different factors: economic, demographic, political and otherwise. Since there can be no certainty about what will happen to prices, we do not give predictions ourselves. We do however provide historical performance data where appropriate for your reference.
Do you borrow money to buy properties?
Bricklane's funds do not tend to use debt to purchase properties. While debt can amplify returns, it also increases risk, and adds an extra layer of complexity.
However, we may use short-term borrowing to provide liquidity to take advantage of buying opportunities that we believe will generate significant value for shareholders, such as the acquisition of the BRUT portfolio, which was completed in February 2020.
The Regional Capitals fund has £5.9m of debt with a major UK high street bank. The debt is secured against 77 of the fund’s properties. The interest rate is fixed for 3 years at 2.87%.
What happens if property prices fall?
If the price of the property in a given fund declines, this will be reflected in the price of your shares. This could be at least partially offset by rental income derived from the properties each month. For some, this may represent a good time to buy further shares, particularly if they believe that property prices will continue to rise in the long term.
Can I reinvest rental income?
Yes, you can. In order for our funds to qualify as UK REITs, we are required to distribute at least 90% of the rental income (after costs) generated from the properties owned by our customers. During the sign up process, you can opt to reinvest your rental income in further shares, compounding your returns.
How do you select properties to buy?
We look for properties that renters will love, and that we would aspire to live in ourselves - homes with character in great areas.
We will consider both new build and existing properties in areas with strong local economies, vibrant cultural and a real sense of community, within easy commuting distance of the city centres.
Through our expertise in residential property and smart, proprietary data modelling, we make sure we only target the best areas, with strong rental demand and potential for price rises.
All Bricklane’s property is available online for our customers to explore whenever they want.
Learn more about our experienced real estate team, or about how we select properties in London or Regional Capitals.
How are the properties valued?
The portfolio of properties owned by the funds are valued on a monthly basis by independent professional valuers at Allsop LLP, according to RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Standards. There is an in-person independent valuation of each property before purchase, followed by a monthly ‘desk valuation’ of the portfolio based on review of the market over the previous month. Bricklane will commission further in-person valuations periodically based on the condition of the property or other material changes to it .
Who lives in the properties?
Who manages the properties?
Will I ever be required to put in more money to cover costs etc.?
How does the tax work?
As UK REITs, Bricklane’s funds are exempt from paying tax on increases in the value of property owned, and rental income received.
If you hold your Bricklane investments through an ISA or a SIPP, this means you are also personally exempt from tax on the gains in the value of your investments, and on income received.
Through combining the ISA/SIPP and REIT structures, Bricklane allows investors to receive similar tax treatment to owning their own home directly.
The funds pay Stamp Duty Land Tax on all purchases at the higher rate established during the 2016 Budget.
A Stamp Duty Reserve Tax is levied on electronic secondary purchase of shares - i.e the purchase of shares by one investor from another - including on shares in Bricklane’s funds. This is allocated fairly across investors in each fortnightly trading cycle, and will not exceed 0.5% of the investment. Any amount due will be deducted from your deposit.
We do not provide personal tax advice and tax rates, allowances and rules referred to are liable to change. Please note that the tax advantages of ISAs depend on your individual circumstances. If you are unsure of your position, please consult a professional advisor.
How is share price calculated?
Is Bricklane Shariah Compliant?
Bricklane’s property portfolios (London and Regional Capitals) have been certified as Shariah compliant. The only revenue stream is residential rental income, which is not prohibited by Shariah rules.
In February 2020, Bricklane completed the acquisition of the British Residential Unit Trust portfolio. As part of the transaction, a modest amount of debt on the portfolio was moved over to the Regional Capitals fund. The fund’s total debt immediately following the transaction amounted to 25% which is below the Shariah threshold of 33%, ensuring that the fund remains Shariah compliant.
Learn more, or download our certificate.
Can I invest via a SIPP?
Bricklane investments can be held in a Self-invested Personal Pension (SIPP), a commonly used UK government-approved pension scheme. This could be an attractive option for those looking to take advantage of the tax benefits to include some diversified property exposure in their pensions, or for buy-to-let landlords looking to side-step tax penalties and burdens of owning and managing a property portfolio themselves.
Simply contact your SIPP administrator or IFA to discuss holding our REITs in your pension. We do not have “preferred” providers and are happy to work with any reputable operators. We are happy to answer questions you or your advisors may have via usual support channels, and point you towards providers with whom we have worked in the past.
What information is available on current share sale (withdrawal) requests?
Security
How secure is Bricklane?
Bricklane customers’ security is our top priority.
We use the same level of encryption as major banks, transfer data through 128-bit SSL encrypted channels, and keep any stored data on servers stored in secure facilities.
We protect the privacy of your information and will never share your data with any third party without your permission (for more information, please review our Privacy Policy).
What are the risks?
As with all investments, investing with Bricklane carries risks.
If you want to sell shares, there is no guarantee that you will be able to find a buyer for your shares within a reasonable timeframe at a price that is acceptable to you. The REITs invest in residential property, which are not highly liquid assets. Rental yields and dividends may be lower than estimated.
Tax rules and allowances depend on individual circumstances and may change in the future. A Stocks and Shares ISA or SIPP may not be right for everyone and tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure if it is the right choice for you, please seek independent financial advice.
Before you complete sign up, you will be asked to read—and indicate understanding of—a detailed list of risks. For a full list of risks, please consult the REIT prospectus and disclosures (London prospectus, Article 23 Disclosures (Regional Capitals)).
What happens if Bricklane were to stop trading?
In the event that Bricklane were to cease trading, the funds and their assets are ringfenced from the operating company of Bricklane. In addition, your investments would continue safeguarded and monitored by an FCA-regulated depositary (Gallium PE Depositary Limited). Bricklane shares are held by a custodian bank, and are protected up to the first £85,000 by the FSCS in the event of their insolvency.