What Happened to Masthaven Bank?
Masthaven Bank Limited was authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA before its acquisition by Shawbrook. The lender was active in bridging finance, development finance, and specialist residential and buy-to-let lending, including second charge mortgages. Its business was acquired by Shawbrook Group, which already had a well-established presence in the specialist lending market covering many of the same product areas.
Following the acquisition, Masthaven's loan book was transferred to Shawbrook and the Masthaven brand was wound down. Staff, systems, and processes were integrated into Shawbrook's operation. For borrowers, the practical effect was that correspondence, account management, and repayment instructions moved from Masthaven-branded channels to Shawbrook-branded ones.
Shawbrook is a significantly larger and longer-established institution than Masthaven, with a broader product range and deeper funding capacity. The acquisition therefore represented a consolidation of the specialist lending market rather than a reduction in service quality for existing borrowers. Shawbrook has continued to maintain the specialist lending ethos that Masthaven was known for.
I Have a Masthaven Secured Loan — What Now?
If you took out a secured loan or second charge mortgage with Masthaven, your loan agreement will now be administered by Shawbrook Bank. You should have received formal notification of the transfer — known as a notice of assignment — which confirmed the new entity responsible for your account and provided updated contact and payment details. If you have not received this communication and are unsure of the current status of your account, contact Shawbrook directly using details from the FCA's Financial Services Register.
Your loan terms — including the interest rate, repayment schedule, outstanding balance, and any applicable early repayment charges — remain as set out in your original agreement. A transfer of the loan book does not entitle the acquiring lender to change your contracted terms. If you believe any change has been applied incorrectly, you have the right to raise a formal complaint with Shawbrook and, if not resolved, to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
If you want to review your options going forward — for example, to remortgage or refinance the second charge — you can use a whole-of-market broker to compare rates and terms now available from Shawbrook and other second charge lenders. Market conditions and your own equity and credit profile may have changed since the loan was originally taken out, and a better deal may be available. Shawbrook is an active lender in the second charge market and may itself offer a more competitive product than your legacy Masthaven terms.
