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SMSF Lending · Residential Investment · Australia

SMSF residential investment loans

Use your self-managed super fund to buy a residential investment property — growing your retirement savings through rental income and capital growth, inside the concessionally-taxed super environment.

Enquire about an SMSF loan → Call 1800 705 505

New & established SMSFs · Purchase or refinance · Up to 80% LVR

Australian suburban residential investment property held by a self-managed super fund
80%Max LVR on residential
Up to 80%Maximum LVR
New & establishedEligible SMSFs
Variable or fixedRate options
Purchase or refinanceLoan purpose
Can you buy residential property with super?

Yes — as an investment, through your SMSF.

A self-managed super fund can borrow to buy a residential investment property through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA). The catch is that it must be a genuine, arm's-length investment: you can't live in it, and you can't rent it to family. Get the structure right, though, and the rental income and long-term growth build inside your super, often with concessional tax treatment.

Buying commercial property instead? See our SMSF commercial property loans — where different rules let you lease premises back to your own business.

Australian couple buying a residential investment property through their self-managed super fund
Grow your super with property

Residential property as a retirement investment

For many Australians, property is a familiar way to build wealth. Holding a residential investment inside your SMSF lets rental income and capital growth accrue in the fund — often taxed more concessionally than the same investment held in your own name.

  • ✓Rental income and capital growth accrue inside your fund
  • ✓Often more concessional tax treatment than holding in your own name
  • ✓Diversify a fund weighted towards shares and cash
  • ✓A tangible asset class many investors understand
Before you buy

The rules you must know

Residential SMSF property comes with strict conditions. Getting these wrong can put your fund's compliance at risk — so it's worth being clear from the start.

You can't live in it

No fund member or related party may live in the property. It must be a genuine investment.

You can't rent to family

It can only be leased to an unrelated, arm's-length tenant at genuine market rent.

You can't buy it from yourself

Unlike commercial property, an SMSF generally can't acquire residential property from a member or related party.

It must meet the sole-purpose test

The property must be held solely to provide retirement benefits to fund members.

The essentials

SMSF residential lending at a glance

The standing basics for residential investment lending in an SMSF. We'll confirm the finer detail with you directly based on your fund and the property.

Loan purposePurchase or refinance
Rate optionsVariable or fixed
SMSF eligibilityNew & established funds
Maximum LVRUp to 80% LVR
How an SMSF residential loan works

From strategy to settlement

01

Set up the structure

Your SMSF and a separate holding (bare) trust are established to hold the property under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement.

02

Get your loan assessed

We assess serviceability on the fund's income and the property's rent, then structure the loan to suit your situation.

03

Buy at arm's length

The SMSF buys a residential investment property from an unrelated party, to be leased to an arm's-length tenant.

04

Repay & build wealth

Rent and contributions service the loan. Once repaid, legal title can transfer from the holding trust to the SMSF.

Why Greenline for SMSF lending

A mortgage manager that approves the deals others decline

Specialist SMSF expertise

We structure SMSF property loans day in, day out, and know how to get them across the line.

We consider more locations

Metro, high-density and regional residential property that many lenders won't touch.

New & established SMSFs

We accept applications from brand-new funds as well as established ones.

Mortgage-manager flexibility

As mortgage managers we can structure the loan to fit your fund, not the other way around.

SMSF residential questions

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy residential property with my SMSF?+
Yes, but strictly as an investment. A self-managed super fund can borrow to buy a residential investment property using a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA). The property must be held solely to provide retirement benefits — no fund member or related party may live in it, and it must be rented to an unrelated tenant at market rent.
Can I live in a property my SMSF owns?+
No. Under the sole-purpose test, a residential property owned by your SMSF cannot be lived in by you, any other fund member, or any related party. It must be a genuine arm's-length investment held to provide retirement benefits.
Can I rent it to family or a related party?+
No. A residential property owned by an SMSF can only be leased to an unrelated, arm's-length tenant at genuine market rent. It cannot be rented to a fund member or any related party.
Can my SMSF buy residential property from me or a relative?+
Generally no. Unlike commercial business real property, an SMSF cannot acquire residential property from a fund member or related party. Residential investment properties must be bought from an unrelated party at arm's length.
How much can I borrow for an SMSF residential property?+
SMSF residential investment loans are available up to 80% LVR. On a $600,000 purchase at 80% LVR, your maximum loan is $480,000 — so your SMSF contributes the remaining $120,000 plus acquisition and loan costs.
What is a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA)?+
An LRBA is the structure all SMSF lending must use. The SMSF trustee borrows to buy a single acquirable asset, held in a separate holding trust until the loan is repaid. Returns flow to the SMSF, and if the borrower defaults the lender's rights are limited to that one asset — there's no recourse to the fund's other assets.
Ready to invest in property through super?

Let's structure your SMSF loan.

Speak to a Greenline lender about buying or refinancing a residential investment property inside your self-managed super fund — with the structure done right from the start.

Call 1800 705 505 Get in touch

SMSF borrowing is complex and this page is general information only — it is not financial, tax, credit or SMSF advice and does not consider your objectives or circumstances. Consider the appropriateness of any strategy and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser, accountant or SMSF specialist before acting. Lending criteria and LVRs are a guide and subject to lender policy and approval.