£1,304.5billion, an increase of 1.0% compared with Q4 2015 and an increase of 3.4% over the past four quarters. As the popularity of bridging loans increased, so too did the controversy around them. In 2011, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) warned homebuyers against using bridging loans as substitutes for ordinary mortgages, expressing fears that some mortgage brokers might be misrepresenting their suitability. Usage In the United Kingdom, bridging loans are used in both business and real estate. In the former, they are typically used to free equity in order to boost cash flow. In the latter, they are used by home-movers to ‘break’ property chains by providing a short-term source of finance when there is a delay between sale and completion dates, by buyers bidding on property at auction, and by landlords and property developers to secure renovation finance for quick sale or to refurbish a property that is considered uninhabitable prior to obtaining ordinary mortgage finance. Characteristics Bridging loans can be secured as a first or second charge against real property, including commercial real estate, buy-to-let property, dilapidated property and land or building plots. Loan terms typically run up to 18 months, with compound interest charged monthly; as such, they are often more expensive than other types of secured home loan. Bridging loans are defined as either ‘opened’ or ‘closed’. A loan is closed if the borrower has a clear and credible repayment plan or exit strategy in place, such as the sale of the loan security or longer-term finance. Open bridging loans are riskier to both the borrower and creditor due to the greater likelihood of default. Regulation Bridging loans secured by first charge against a property in which the borrower or a close family member will reside are considered regulated mortgage contracts, and are therefore regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Bridging loans sold to landlords and property developers are generally not regulated; however, if the occupant of the rental property against which the loan is secured is or will be a close family member of the borrower, FCA regulation will still apply. An exception currently exists in the case of mixed-use properties, where the borrower or a close relative will occupy less than 40% of the property. In March 2016, however, the UK will be forced to bring its existing legislation in line with that of Europe, under the pan-European Mortgage Credit Directive (MCD). As