SMSF LENDING
Super is the asset. Property is the strategy.
Altura's SMSF Lending is structured for trustees investing in residential or commercial property through their self-managed super fund with facilities built around compliance, servicing flexibility, and execution certainty.
WHAT IT IS AND WHO IT'S FOR
Property inside super requires a lender who understands both.
SMSF lending operates under a distinct compliance framework, limited recourse borrowing arrangements, trustee obligations, and fund structure requirements that standard bank processes often struggle to accommodate efficiently.
Altura structures SMSF facilities for trustees purchasing or refinancing residential and commercial property within their fund. We assess servicing inside and outside the fund, whilst many lenders just look at SMSF inflows, Altura take a flexible approach and can consider the financial position outside of the fund also, maximising capacity.
We can work across both principal and interest and interest-only structures, and handle the compliance and structural requirements that make SMSF lending more complex than standard property finance.
The result is a facility built around the fund's position and the trustee's strategy not a standard mortgage with an SMSF wrapper applied.
Who this is for:
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SMSF trustees purchasing residential property within their fund
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Trustees purchasing commercial property including business owners acquiring their own premises through super
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Existing SMSF property holders looking to refinance into a more suitable facility
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Accountants and financial advisers applying SMSF property lending for clients.
New to SMSF lending and not sure how to get the ball rolling?
Altura can connect you with the right professionals to establish the fund, get the right advice and ensure you are protected and set up correctly and compliantly. Our SMSF experts will guide you through the process from start to finish, ensuring you are confident with the approach and outcome.
WHEN TO USE THIS STRUCTURE
This structure may be right for your scenario if:
The trustee wants to purchase residential property through their SMSF.
The fund has sufficient balance, the property is compliant, and the trustee's strategy is to build long-term wealth through superannuation. Altura assesses servicing inside and outside the fund and structures the LRBA accordingly.
The trustee is acquiring commercial property including their own business premises.
Purchasing business real property through an SMSF is one of the most tax-effective strategies available to business owners. Altura structures commercial SMSF facilities for office, retail, strata, and mixed-use assets held within compliant funds.
The existing SMSF loan needs to be refinanced.
Altura offers a streamlined process, requiring less documentation where the current facility no longer suits the fund's position, the rate, structure, or lender relationship has run its course.
Altura assesses refinance of compliant residential and commercial SMSF facilities where the security and fund structure meet our criteria.
The broker or adviser needs a lender who can assess SMSF complexity without slowing the deal.
SMSF lending requires a credit team that understands trust deeds, fund compliance, and the servicing mechanics specific to superannuation structures. Altura has handled SMSF facilities since 2011. We assess and respond quickly.
HOW WE STRUCTURE
Key lending parameters
Altura offers SMSF lending across residential and commercial security. Parameters differ by security type, both are set out below. All facilities are assessed on their own structure.
Submit a scenario to get a direct assessment.
Residential SMSF
MAX LVR
Up to 90% LVR
SERVICING
Inside and outside the fund - above or below the line
LOAN TERM
Up to 30 years
ACCEPTABLE SECURITY
House · Unit · Townhouse · Villa · Max 10 hct · NDIS · 2 dwellings on title
REPAYMENT TYPE
Principal & Interest or Interest Only
LOAN PURPOSE
New purchase or refinance of compliant facilities
OFFSET FACILITY
Available
Commercial SMSF
MAX LVR
Up to 80%
SERVICING
Inside and outside the fund - above or below the line
LOAN TERM
Up to 30 years
ACCEPTABLE SECURITY
Strata · Office · Retail · Up to 3 dwellings on 1 title · Serviced apartments · Mixed-use · Medical and dental
REPAYMENT TYPE
Principal & Interest or Interest Only
LOAN PURPOSE
New purchase or refinance of compliant facilities
INTERNET BANKING
Access available
DEAL SHOWCASE
How this structure has been applied
The deals below are real transactions structured and settled by Altura. Details are anonymised.
SMSF LENDING · STEVE & KATH, NSW
$1.85M
SMSF structure deemed too complex to finance by multiple previous lenders. Borrowers had been repeatedly declined.
Altura assessed the strategy behind the structure rather than applying standard policy, delivering a solution aligned with the borrowers' long-term retirement plan.
Finance approved and settled. Borrowers described the commercial thinking as a step above anything previously experienced.
SMSF LENDING · AARON, QLD
$1.2M
Business owners seeking to purchase the commercial property they operated from via their SMSF. Current landlord was selling and the lease had expired, creating a hard acquisition deadline.
SMSF loan structured with a competitive rate. Clear guidance provided at every step to manage complexity and timing.
Outcome: Settled on time, enabling the borrowers to secure ownership of their trading premises.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
What brokers and borrowers ask most
What is a limited recourse borrowing arrangement and why does it matter for SMSF lending?
A limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) is the legal structure that allows an SMSF to borrow money to purchase an asset. The "limited recourse" aspect means the lender's recourse is limited to the asset being purchased, other fund assets are protected. All SMSF property loans must be structured as LRBAs to remain compliant. Altura structures SMSF facilities within these requirements as standard.
Can an SMSF purchase the business premises of a related party?
Yes — business real property is one of the few asset types that can be acquired from or leased to a related party through an SMSF, provided the transaction is conducted at arm's length and on commercial terms. This is one of the most tax-effective structures available to business owners. Altura can structure the commercial SMSF facility required to support this.
What LVR can Altura lend to on SMSF property?
Up to 90% LVR on residential SMSF securities and up to 80% LVR on commercial, both priced on risk. The appropriate LVR depends on the security type, fund position, and servicing assessment. Submit a scenario and we'll give you a direct position.
How does Altura work with accountants and financial advisers on SMSF transactions?
Many SMSF transactions are introduced through accountants or financial advisers who manage the fund but need a lending partner to execute the property component. Altura works directly with professional referral partners, provides clear indicative assessments, and stays close to the transaction through to settlement. Accredited introducers have direct access to the credit team.