The world’s third-largest bank is targeting first-time buyers, home movers and remortgagors, and buy-to-let investors.
As well as dealing direct with customers, the bank is offering loans through Legal & General Mortgage Club, Savills and two other brokers.
With tracker rates starting from 2.5% over base rate, it is undercutting many UK lenders.
Keshav Thukaram, managing director of Smartlandlord.co.uk, welcomed the move: "This is an exciting new development. Although the Bank of China is currently lending on a limited scale, every little helps. The Bank's cautious approach to buy to let lending should lead the way for other lenders in what it still - wrongly - considered a risky sector.
“The Bank of China's new lending also demonstrates confidence in the UK housing market. Contrary to media reports, the private rented sector is buoyant, although the availability of property finance is a serious restriction at the moment."
