Westpac is easing restrictions on lending to property investors in an attempt to revive its underperforming mortgage business.The bank yesterday raised the loan to value ratio caps on interest-only mortgages from the previous limit of 80 per cent.Under a revised lending policy Westpac and its regional banking subsidiaries will accept applications from investors seeking loans for up to 90 per cent of property values. This brings Westpac into line with its major banking peers, CBA and NAB.NAB also markets interest only mortgages on 90 per cent LVR terms, but the ceiling extends to 95 per cent on certain loan products.ANZ announced in March that it was raising LVRs on interest only investor loans to 90 per cent, but the bank's marketing department is having some difficulty communicating this offer to borrowers.According to comparison sites Canstar and Finder, the LVRs of all interest-only investment mortgages offered by ANZ are capped at 80 per cent.Westpac, which has struggled to build momentum in home lending during the 12 months to the end of August, said in a notification to brokers on Monday that LVR limits would be relaxed for new purchases and refinancings.The new benchmark will also be apply to investment borrowers wishing to switch from principal and interest loans to interest-only terms.Westpac is under pressure to improve loan volumes over the next 12 months amid mounting speculation that it will slash its 2019 final dividend.The group reported a 24 per cent slide in interim profit to A$3.17 billion on the back of lower interest revenue and a blowout in customer remediation costs.According to data collated by APRA, Westpac has grown residential lending at only 0.1 times the system growth rate in year to the end of August.The decline appears to be accelerating in the investment home lending segment, with the size of the bank's investor mortgage book declining by $729 million to $184.8 billion in August.Westpac's first half result was buffered slightly by a surge in business lending, but those volumes have fallen sharply since the end of March.Consensus forecasts of broking analysts suggest the bank is expected to have generated earnings per share of around $2.04 for the year to the end of September - down 28 cents on 2018.The consensus view is that the full year dividend will be sliced by 3 cents to $1.85. Westpac unveils its full year profit on 4 November.