Unusual property home loans

The point is not that every bank uses the same limit. It is that one property classification can change the available equity before the income assessment changes at all.

For company title, ask your solicitor to check the constitution and any approval needed to transfer shares, rent the home or alter it. Revenue NSW explains the ownership structure.

Company title usually means shares in a company carry the right to occupy a particular part of a building. That is different from owning an ordinary registered strata lot. Your solicitor should confirm the legal position from the company and title documents.

For the loan, I separate acceptance from the maximum loan percentage. Current policies include refusals, 80% options without lenders mortgage insurance and more conditional options. The development size, company setup, location and valuation can all matter.

I looked at 4 lenders with published company-title rules. They fall into 2 broad groups. The dwelling count is the figure that decides which group may apply.

Lender guides: Westpac · St George · ING

Lender rules checked 30 July 2026. A general starting-point view of the 4 lenders named above, not a ranking, a recommendation or credit advice. Lending policy changes without notice, and any loan is subject to the lender's own credit assessment and approval of your full application.

The similar name creates false starts. Stratum title can divide a building by level or section and rely on easements or service arrangements. I would not let a standard-unit pre-approval stand in for a title check.

Current policies range from standard treatment to state-specific acceptance, an 80% cap without mortgage insurance or refusal. The title search, plan, state, valuation and shared-service documents decide which row is relevant.

ACT residential Crown leasehold is commonly addressed in lender policy. A lease elsewhere can follow a different rule. I would first identify the lessor, location, unexpired term, permitted use, assignment conditions and any performance obligations.

The lease would expire 5 years before the requested loan term. That term cannot work as proposed. A shorter term still needs to satisfy the selected lender's additional buffer and the lease conditions.

Current comparison: published additional buffers in the policies reviewed range from 5 to 20 years beyond loan maturity. The precise lender and lease type matter.

Do not read a positive buffer as approval. Some policies distinguish ACT Crown leasehold from non-ACT Crown leases, private leases, snowfields leases and other specialist arrangements.

A manufactured home in a residential park can involve owning the home while renting the site. That is different from the Crown leasehold arrangements discussed above. Check the site agreement and the finance available for the exact ownership structure. The Queensland site agreement guide explains rent, utilities and other terms to review.

A listing may describe a house, cottage and granny flat as 3 dwellings. First I confirm how many are legal, approved, self-contained and included in the valuation.

Some current residential policies can consider 3 established dwellings but reduce the loan percentage or require a credit exception. Other policies stop at 2.

If the same borrower plans to build the 3 dwellings, the construction limit can be tighter. The established-security rule does not answer progress payments, builder requirements or the as-if-complete valuation.

If building is involved, use the construction financing guide as a separate decision. A lender accepting the finished security does not automatically mean it will fund the build.

A listing label does not establish separate ownership. Check the approved layout, number of legal dwellings and registered titles. If several dwellings share one title, do not plan on selling or refinancing each dwelling separately without checking the legal and lender requirements.

For apartment size and building rules, see the apartment home loan guide. If you plan to add a dwelling, start with the approvals and construction finance process.

A home office is different from a shop and residence on one title. A separately titled home above a shop is different again. The words "mixed use" do not settle the loan.

Miles's case shows why I would read the valuation classification before arguing about the number. The 70% limit in his earlier application came from the minor-commercial-component classification, not a lower dollar valuation.

If the valuation wording appears wrong, separate a factual error from a correct policy warning. A wrong use, floor area or title fact may support a review. A correct mixed-use classification usually needs a lender whose rule fits, not a request to ignore it.

Use the bank valuation challenge guide if you already have the report.

An easement can give another party a right to use part of the land for access, drainage, sewerage, electricity or another registered purpose. Your solicitor or conveyancer should explain what the dealing allows and whether it affects your plans for the property.

For the finance question, I check whether the easement affects how you can use the property, where you can build, its value or how easy it may be to sell later.

That does not mean every easement is fine. The title, building position, access, proposed work and valuer's view of use, value and future saleability can still change the answer.

For utility or access easements, our power lines and easements guide separates the title, measurement, building-permission and finance questions.

Choose the document group that matches the lender's concern:

Once the property classification is clear, I can compare the relevant current policy without turning an application into the first title check.

Client examples are based on real situations. Names and identifying details have been changed.