Commercial property · mixed-use
Properties that don't fit a single category.
Retail with apartments above, office with ground-floor café, light industrial with attached living. Mixed-use lending is more complex because lender appetite varies sharply by mix percentage and property structure.
What it is, when it fits
Plain English, with the trade-offs.
Mixed-use property is anything that combines two or more usage categories under one title: retail with residential above, office with ground-floor café, industrial with caretaker accommodation. Lender appetite varies sharply by the residential-vs-commercial percentage mix, the property structure (single title vs strata), and operational complexity. Most lenders apply hybrid policy: residential lending criteria for the residential portion, commercial criteria for the commercial portion, with the larger portion driving the dominant treatment. Properties with above 50% residential by floor area often qualify for residential lending rates; below 30%, commercial criteria dominate; the middle range requires specialist mixed-use lenders. Pricing 6.5% to 9% p.a. depending on dominant use and lender; LVRs typically 60% to 70%. Specialist mixed-use lenders maintain dedicated mixed-use teams that understand the underwriting complexity better than generic commercial lenders.
Broker meeting business owners on-site at their workshop.
Typical scenarios
Shop-top apartment building
Why: Ground-floor retail with 4 apartments above; strata-titled.
Outcome: Specialist mixed-use lender, 70% LVR, 25-year term, residential lending rates on apartment portion.
Professional suite with manager's residence
Why: Medical clinic with attached residence above.
Outcome: $1.8M loan, 65% LVR, owner-occupier treatment for the dominant clinic portion.
Café with owner's apartment
Why: Café operator owns and operates from residential-above structure.
Outcome: Mixed-use loan structured around owner-occupier business plus owner-occupier residence.
Light industrial with caretaker accommodation
Why: Storage facility with caretaker apartment.
Outcome: $2.4M loan, treated primarily as commercial, residential portion modest.
Lenders for this product
Who we work with.
- Thinktank
- La Trobe Financial
- Liberty Commercial
- Pepper Money
- NAB Business
- CommBank Business
Lender accreditation varies; not every lender is available for every deal. We pick from the panel based on your specific situation.
How it works
From brief to settlement.
- 01
Property classification
We map the residential-vs-commercial percentage and property structure (strata vs single-title) to specific lender policy bands.
- 02
Specialist lender match
Five to eight specialist mixed-use lenders typically fit. We match property profile to lender appetite before submitting.
- 03
Valuation and approval
Mixed-use valuations are more complex than single-use; allow extra time. Typical approval timeline 4 to 8 weeks.
- 04
Settlement and review
Settlement coordinated with lawyers. Mixed-use loans often need more frequent rate review because policy bands shift over time.
Indicative pricing & terms
Ranges, not promises.
Rate range
6.5 to 9% p.a.
Loan size
$500K to $20M
Term
15 to 25 years
Security
First mortgage; structure varies by title arrangement
Indicative only; specific pricing depends on lender, security, and your business profile.
Frequently asked
Honest answers, plain English.
Lending criteria for mixed-use?
Lenders apply hybrid policy reflecting the residential-vs-commercial mix. Above ~50% residential by floor area often qualifies for residential rates; below ~30%, commercial criteria dominate. Middle ranges need specialist mixed-use lenders.
Residential vs commercial percentage thresholds?
Varies by lender, typically falls in 30% to 50% bands. We pre-screen against the specific property profile before applying. Mis-classifying the property by 5% can shift rate by 0.5%+ or change LVR caps.
Strata-titled vs single-title considerations?
Strata-titled mixed-use is structurally simpler because each lot can be financed separately under appropriate-use lending. Single-title mixed-use requires specialist treatment because the whole property must fit one lending policy.
Insurance complexities?
Mixed-use insurance can be material because the policy must cover both residential and commercial usage. Premiums can run materially higher than equivalent single-use properties; budget into total cost.
Tenancy mix and lender appetite?
Lenders consider the actual tenant mix, not just the floor-area split. Residential-only tenants in residential portions plus commercial tenants in commercial portions is the cleanest profile.
When mixed-use becomes residential or commercial for lending?
Some lenders set bright-line tests (>70% one use treated as that use). Others apply blended policy throughout. We map the property to lender-specific policy at qualification.
Related products
If this isn't quite the fit.
Next step
Twenty minutes, no obligation.
Tell us the shape of the deal and the timing. We'll send a lender shortlist for mixed-use property or, if it isn't the right fit, an honest signal of what is.