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TRUST AND COMPANY LENDING

Borrowing through a structure

Family trusts, discretionary trusts, companies, SMSFs. The structure exists for good reasons. The lending just needs a broker who understands how each lender reads it.

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Last reviewed: August 2026
Home>Home Loans>Trust and company lending
Structures we work with

Every structure has lending implications. We understand all of them.

Whether you are buying property through a trust, a company or your self managed super fund, the lender is assessing more than just your income. They are assessing the structure itself. Lendology is a boutique brokerage that specialises in getting structured lending approved.

Family / discretionary trusts
The most common structure for property investors and business owners

A discretionary trust gives the trustee flexibility over how income is distributed among beneficiaries. That flexibility is exactly what makes lenders cautious. They need to see that the trust deed authorises borrowing and the provision of real property as security. Most lenders require the trustee and all adult beneficiaries to provide personal guarantees. Lendology identifies which lenders have the most accommodating trust lending policies and how they assess the income flowing through the structure.

Unit trusts
Fixed entitlements, different assessment rules

Unlike discretionary trusts, unit trusts have fixed entitlements based on each unit holder's interest. Lenders generally treat unit trust income more predictably because the distribution is tied to the unit holding rather than the trustee's discretion. However, fewer lenders are willing to accept unit trust borrowers and the guarantor requirements can be more complex when there are multiple unrelated unit holders. Lendology knows which lenders accept unit trust structures and how they handle the guarantor requirements.

Company borrowers (Pty Ltd)
The company borrows, but the directors guarantee

When a Pty Ltd company borrows for property, the directors (and often their spouses) must provide personal guarantees. This means the lender assesses the company financials and the personal financial position of the guarantors. The company's trading history, profitability and balance sheet all matter. Lendology presents the company and personal positions together in a way that gives the lender confidence in both the entity and the individuals standing behind it.

SMSF (limited recourse borrowing)
Strict compliance, fewer lenders, specialist knowledge required

Self managed super funds can borrow to purchase property through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA). The property must be held in a separate bare trust, cannot be lived in or rented to any fund member, and must satisfy the sole purpose test. SMSF lending carries higher rates, lower LVR limits (typically 70% to 80%) and fewer lender options. Lendology works with the specialist lenders in this space and coordinates with your accountant and solicitor to ensure the structure is compliant before lodgement.


Why structure matters to lenders

The lender is not just assessing income. They are assessing the structure itself.

When you borrow in your own name, the lender assesses your income, your debts and the property. When you borrow through a structure, the lender adds an entirely separate layer of assessment. They need to understand who controls the entity, who benefits from it, who is guaranteeing the debt and whether the governing documents permit the borrowing at all.

This is where many applications stall. Not because the borrower cannot afford the loan, but because the structure has not been presented in a way the lender is comfortable with. Different lenders have materially different appetites for structured lending. Some will not touch a discretionary trust. Others will lend to a trust but require every adult beneficiary to guarantee. Others are more pragmatic. Lendology knows which lenders sit where on the spectrum and matches the structure to the right lender before lodging.

Trust deed
Must authorise borrowing and the provision of security
If the trust deed does not explicitly permit the trustee to borrow or to offer real property as security, the lender will decline the application. This is a hard stop. It must be resolved before lodgement.
Distribution volatility
Discretionary distributions create income uncertainty
Because the trustee chooses how much to distribute and to whom, the lender sees the income as potentially volatile. Some lenders average two years of distributions; others take the lower year. The difference can be hundreds of thousands in borrowing capacity.
Personal guarantees
Company directors carry personal liability
When a company or corporate trustee borrows, the directors sign personal guarantees. This means the lender assesses the directors' personal income, debts and assets as if they were the borrowers. Spousal guarantees may also be required.
SMSF compliance
Strict regulatory requirements apply throughout the loan
SMSF lending must satisfy the sole purpose test at all times. The property cannot be lived in by any member, renovations are restricted, and the loan must be structured as a limited recourse borrowing arrangement with a separate bare trust holding title until the loan is repaid.

Trust income: what the lender actually uses

The accountant's number and the lender's number are rarely the same

Your accountant prepares financial statements that show how much the trust earned and how that income was distributed. The lender takes those same numbers and applies their own assessment methodology, which can produce a very different result.

Some lenders assess the distributions received by the individual borrower or guarantor. Others look at the underlying net profit of the trust before distributions. Some average two years; others take the most recent year. Some allow depreciation and interest to be added back; others do not.

This means the same trust, with the same financials, can produce materially different borrowing capacity depending on which lender assesses the application. The difference is not marginal. It can be the difference between approval and decline.

Lendology models trust income across multiple lenders before recommending where to lodge. We work with your accountant to ensure the financials are presented in the format each lender expects and that supportable add backs are clearly documented.

What lenders typically assess
Distributions received by the borrower or guarantor personally, as shown on individual tax returns
Underlying trust profit before distributions, to understand the true earning capacity of the trust
Consistency of distributions over the past two financial years, looking for stability or a declining trend
Add backs such as depreciation and interest on the property being purchased, where the lender's policy permits
Director fees and wages paid from the trust, which some lenders treat as PAYG income and assess separately
Retained earnings and working capital in the trust, as an indicator of the entity's financial health

The documentation checklist

What you will need to provide

Structured lending requires more documentation than a standard home loan. Each item serves a specific purpose in the lender's assessment. Lendology prepares a tailored document list for your situation and reviews everything before lodgement.

Trust deed (full copy) The lender's legal team reviews the deed to confirm it authorises borrowing, permits the provision of security and identifies the trustee, appointor and beneficiaries. Any restrictions on borrowing will need to be addressed before the application can proceed.
Company ASIC extract Confirms the company's registration, its directors, shareholders and registered office. The lender uses this to verify the entity exists and to identify who needs to sign guarantees.
Personal tax returns (2 years) Required for all guarantors and individual borrowers. The lender assesses personal income, including any distributions received from the trust or company, alongside PAYG income from other sources.
Entity tax returns (2 years) The trust or company tax returns show the entity's taxable income and how it was distributed or retained. The lender cross references these with the financial statements and individual returns.
Financial statements (2 years) Profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the trust or company. These provide the detail behind the tax return numbers and allow the lender to assess profitability, debt levels and working capital.
Accountant's letter Some lenders require a letter from the accountant confirming income details, business viability or specific financial arrangements. Lendology provides the specific wording the lender requires to avoid back and forth.
BAS statements (most recent 4 quarters) Used to verify ongoing trading activity and GST turnover. The lender compares BAS figures to the reported income on tax returns to check for consistency.
ABN and GST registration Confirms the entity is actively registered for business and, where applicable, for GST. The lender uses this as a basic verification that the entity is trading.

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Common questions

FAQs

Can a family trust get a home loan?
Yes. Many lenders will lend to a family trust (also called a discretionary trust), but the trust deed must specifically authorise borrowing and the provision of security. The trustees and usually the beneficiaries will need to provide personal guarantees. Lendology identifies which lenders have the most favourable trust lending policies.
Do the directors always have to guarantee a company loan?
In almost all cases, yes. Lenders require the directors (and often their spouses) to provide personal guarantees when a Pty Ltd company borrows for property. This means the directors' personal income and liabilities are assessed alongside the company position.
How do lenders assess trust income for a home loan?
This varies significantly between lenders. Some use the distributions shown on tax returns, others look at the underlying net profit of the trust, and some blend the two. The way distributions are split between beneficiaries also affects assessment. Lendology models your trust income across multiple lenders to find the strongest borrowing position.
Can an SMSF borrow to buy property?
Yes, through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA). The property must be held in a separate bare trust, cannot be lived in by members, and must meet the sole purpose test. Fewer lenders offer SMSF lending and the rates and LVR limits are more restrictive than standard residential lending.
What if the trust deed does not authorise borrowing?
The deed will need to be amended before a lender will proceed. This is a legal matter handled by your solicitor. Lendology reviews the trust deed early in the process so any amendments can be arranged before the application is lodged, avoiding delays.

Borrowing through a structure?
Talk to a broker who gets it.

Lendology understands trust deeds, company structures and SMSF compliance. Book a free call and we will map out which lenders suit your structure.

Local trust and company lending

Adelaide suburbs we serve

Trust, company and SMSF lending across Adelaide. Specialist advice for structured borrowers.

Norwood Burnside Unley Goodwood Henley Beach Glenelg North Adelaide Walkerville Mitcham Brighton
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