Property & Lending› Commercial Property Loans
Low Doc Commercial &
Investment Property Loans Australia
Banks are tightening. You're still growing. If your business can afford the property but your paperwork doesn't fit the bank's box — we know a different way in.
Switchboard Finance · Credit Representative 576702 · Finsure ACL 384704
How we can help
Most commercial property deals don't fail on merit. They fail on bank policy.
The project stacks up. The property is strong. But the bank either can't assess it under standard policy, or takes so long the deal dies waiting.
The bank problem
Servicing models don't fit
Banks assess commercial property against personal income servicing — not property cash flow or business revenue. Self-employed structures (trusts, companies, variable distributions) get penalised under rigid servicing models.
The specialist path
Assessed on the deal, not the tax return
Non-bank lenders assess on property value, rental income, business cash flow, and exit strategy. Your accountant's tax minimisation doesn't kill the deal.
The bank problem
Two years of full financials or nothing
Tax returns, NOAs, company financials. If your accountant hasn't finished last year's returns, the deal stops dead.
The specialist path
Alt doc verification — BAS, bank statements, or accountant letter
Low doc uses alternative income evidence. Lease doc uses rental income only. Private lending assesses on property value and exit strategy — no income verification at all.
The bank problem
6–10 week turnaround kills the deal
Settlement deadlines pass. Auction dates expire. Vendors move on. The bank's timeline doesn't match the market's timeline.
The specialist path
Indicative terms in 48 hours. Formal approval in 2–4 weeks
Non-bank lenders move at commercial speed. Private lender deals can settle in days when timing is critical — auction, notice to complete, or vendor pressure.
The bank problem
Entity structures trigger policy exclusions
Trusts, companies, multi-director structures, and SMSF borrowing entities trigger automated policy exclusions at most banks.
The specialist path
Complex entities are business as usual
Non-bank commercial lenders work with trading trusts, corporate trustees, SMSF structures, and multi-entity arrangements daily. Manual credit assessment — not auto-flagged.
The bank problem
Annual reviews are getting harder
Existing commercial loans face annual reviews with increasingly strict criteria. Income drops, structure changes, or market shifts can trigger forced repayment or rate increases.
The specialist path
Set-and-forget facilities with no annual reviews
Specialist non-bank lenders offer set-and-forget commercial facilities. Refinance away from banks that are tightening — into a facility with no ongoing reviews and no requirement to re-verify income each year.
Bottom line: a bank decline on a commercial property deal usually isn't a credit problem — it's a policy fit problem.
Quick answer
A low doc commercial property loan lets self-employed business owners purchase, refinance, or release equity from commercial or investment property — using BAS, bank statements, or an accountant letter instead of full tax returns. Structured through non-bank lenders who assess the deal on the property and your business cash flow, not just paperwork.
What it is
What is a low doc commercial property loan.
A category of property-secured lending designed for self-employed borrowers, investors, and business owners who can't — or don't want to — provide the full documentation banks require. Income is verified through alternative pathways, and the loan is assessed against the property's value and the borrower's capacity to service — not a rigid two-year paper trail. Whether it's a low doc investment property loan for a portfolio purchase or a commercial owner-occupier deal, the assessment model is the same.
| Low Doc | Lease Doc | Private Lending | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Docs | BAS, accountant letter, or bank statements | Current lease agreement | Asset value + exit strategy |
| Max LVR | Up to 80% | Up to 75% | Up to 75% (resi) · 60% (commercial) |
| Terms | Up to 30 years | Up to 30 years | Up to 3 years |
| Speed | 2–4 weeks | 2–3 weeks | 1–2 weeks |
| Reviews | No (set & forget) | No | N/A |
| Best for | Owner-occupiers & investors | Portfolio investors | Urgent deals, bridging |
Property fit
What commercial properties this funding suits.
If your deal involves purchasing, refinancing, or releasing equity from a standard commercial property with an ABN and a clear purpose — it likely fits.
Who this is for
Who low doc commercial property loans are for.
Self-employed and need commercial property finance? No credit check, no obligation.
Get a Free Callback
Real scenarios
People like you, deals like yours.
Purchase · Industrial
Sam — electrician buying his workshop
Sam's been leasing a workshop in Dandenong for four years. The landlord put the property on the market with a 6-week settlement. Sam's business turns over $800K a year but his accountant hasn't finished last year's tax returns — and the bank said they need the completed financials before they can assess. That's an 8-week wait minimum. We structured a low doc commercial property loan through a non-bank lender using 12 months of BAS and an accountant letter. Valuation came back strong. Settled in 3 weeks at 75% LVR. Sam now owns the building he works in.
✓ Settled 3 weeks · Low doc · 75% LVR · BAS + accountant letter
Purchase · Retail
Priya — investor adding a leased shopfront
Priya owns two residential investment properties and wanted to diversify into commercial. She found a leased retail shopfront in Footscray with a strong tenant on a 3-year lease. Her income is structured through a family trust with variable distributions — the bank couldn't get comfortable with her servicing. We used a lease doc pathway where the tenant's rental income alone services the loan. No personal income verification needed. Priya added a commercial asset to her portfolio without touching her existing loan structures.
✓ Lease doc · Tenant's rent services the loan · No personal income verification
Refinance · Office
David — refinancing off a private lender rate
David bought a commercial office in Richmond two years ago through a private lender because he needed to settle fast on a tight timeline. The private lending facility did its job — but now his business has stabilised and he wants to move to a longer-term, lower-rate facility. His bank said they need two full years of company financials plus an annual review process he wasn't confident he'd pass. We placed David with a non-bank lender on a set-and-forget facility using BAS and a current accountant letter. No annual reviews. Significant interest saving from day one.
✓ Refinanced from private to low doc · Set and forget · No annual reviews
SMSF · Medical
Wei — SMSF commercial purchase
Wei is a dentist who wants to buy the medical suite her practice operates from — through her SMSF. The property is valued at $1.2M and her fund has $400K in cash. Most brokers she spoke to didn't know how to structure SMSF commercial lending. We placed the deal with a specialist non-bank lender offering SMSF commercial loans at up to 80% LVR, with the practice paying market rent back to the fund. Clean structure, tax-effective ownership.
✓ SMSF commercial · 75% LVR · Practice leases from fund
FAQ
Commercial property loan FAQs.
Quick answers for business owners and investors considering low doc commercial property finance. If the scenario is unusual, a short call covers more ground than any FAQ.
Structured around the property, not the paperwork.
The deal that gets approved isn't always the cheapest — it's the one that's structured right. If you're buying, refinancing, or releasing equity from commercial property and need funding outside standard bank policy, start here.
Switchboard Finance · Credit Representative 576702 · Finsure ACL 384704