Your super, working harder in property.
SMSF property lending in Canberra and the ACT needs a lender who understands the LRBA structure and the realities of SMSF lending in the ACT. Few do. We find the ones who do.
Limited recourse: the lender can chase the property, not the rest of your super.
A limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) lets your SMSF borrow to buy property while quarantining the risk. If the loan defaults, the lender's recourse stops at the asset held in the bare trust. The rest of the fund stays out of reach.
That structure gives trustees real leverage inside super without exposing the whole balance. But it only works if it is built right from the start. Get the order of steps wrong and you risk a non-compliant arrangement and an ATO review. We build the structure first, then go to a lender.
The SMSF trustee is the beneficial owner. A bare trust holds legal title as security for the life of the loan.
The asset must be a single acquirable asset. No improvements during the loan that change its character.
Rent and repayments flow through the SMSF's own bank account. Personal guarantees from members are usually required.
The fund must be established and compliant before the loan is applied for. We coordinate with your accountant or administrator.
What your SMSF can actually hold.
An SMSF can hold a range of property under an LRBA, subject to the sole purpose test and your investment strategy. We work across residential and commercial.
Residential investment property — houses, townhouses, and apartments.
New off-the-plan purchases where title is expected before settlement.
Established commercial property with a strong tenant covenant.
Industrial and warehouse property — a growing allocation within SMSFs.
Retail and office tenancies for business-owner occupiers buying through their SMSF.
Refinances of existing SMSF property to better terms as the fund and the market change.
From fund setup to first drawdown.
SMSF lending pulls together your fund, your advisers, a bare trust, and a specialist lender — all in the right order. Coordinated correctly, it is clean. Out of order, it stalls.
The honest answer on timing: SMSF applications are document-intensive, and the bare trust has to be in place before settlement. We tell you upfront what the sequence demands so nothing surprises you at the title transfer.
Establish your SMSF structure
We confirm the fund is correctly established, compliant, and holds enough liquid assets to service the loan and meet contributions. We coordinate with your accountant or SMSF administrator.
Identify the right property
Investment strategy, the sole purpose test, and related party rules all constrain what the fund can hold. We work through the acquisition with you and your adviser before you commit.
Structure the bare trust
The LRBA needs a bare trust in place before settlement. We coordinate with your solicitor — the step that catches first-time SMSF buyers off guard.
Select the right lender
SMSF lending is a specialist product, and commercial SMSF loans narrow the field further. We know who is active and what their appetite is right now.
Manage the application
Trust deed, investment strategy, member details, contract, bare trust deed, SMSF financials. We run the process across your accountant, solicitor, and the lender.
Review at loan end
When the loan is repaid, legal title transfers from the bare trustee to the SMSF trustee. We plan that transition and review whether the structure still suits the fund.
The LRBA requirements.
An LRBA has specific compliance requirements that must be satisfied before settlement. Miss one and you cross the line from a compliant structure to a non-compliant one that can trigger an ATO review.
- —The SMSF must be established and compliant before a loan is applied for.
- —A bare trust (holding trust) holds legal title to the property during the loan period.
- —The SMSF trustee is the beneficial owner; the bare trustee holds legal title as security.
- —The property must be a single acquirable asset — no improvements that change its character.
- —Rental income and loan repayments must flow through the SMSF's bank account.
- —Personal guarantees from members are typically required by lenders.
The parameters that govern an SMSF loan.
The benchmarks that decide what your fund can borrow, and on what terms.
LVR — Residential
Up to 90%
For standard residential property within an SMSF, with the right lender and fund position.
LVR — Commercial
Up to 80%
For commercial property; lower for specialist or single-tenancy assets.
Loan term
5–30 yrs
SMSF loans run on standard P&I or interest-only terms, depending on strategy.
Minimum fund balance
$200K+
Most lenders require the fund to retain meaningful liquid assets post-settlement.
Member guarantees
Required
Personal guarantees from all members are standard SMSF lender requirements.
ACT lenders
Specialist
We know which SMSF lenders are genuinely active on ACT security and what their appetite is.
Who we work with.
Business owners buying commercial premises through their SMSF to occupy as tenants.
Investors adding property to an existing SMSF alongside equities and cash.
Professionals establishing a new SMSF specifically to hold investment property.
Self-employed clients building retirement assets through property within super.
SMSF trustees with existing property looking to refinance to better terms.
Clients in the ACT, where the SMSF commercial lender panel is narrow.
"SMSF property lending in the ACT needs a lender comfortable with the LRBA structure and active on ACT security. We know exactly which lenders to approach — and how to present your fund."Black Mountain Financial
SMSF property lending FAQs.
The questions we hear from Canberra and ACT clients before they engage us on SMSF property loans.
Where SMSF lending connects.
Commercial Property
Purchase, refinance, and equity release across office, industrial, retail and mixed-use — including owner-occupier funding.
ExploreConstruction Loans
Staged construction facilities for residential, mixed-use and commercial builds across the ACT and regional NSW.
ExploreDevelopment Finance
Construction loans and capital-stack structuring for property developers in the ACT and regional NSW.
ExploreReady to discuss your SMSF property strategy?
Start the Conversation
Start a Conversation
Talk to us about your SMSF property goals — whether you're ready to purchase or still planning the structure.
Contact Details
Phone
02 6188 9849
Office
Level 1, 33 Allara Street
Canberra ACT 2601
Hours
Monday – Friday, 9am – 6pm
What to Expect
- Honest assessment of your options
- Response within 24 hours
- Strategic insight, not a sales pitch
- No obligation discussion