Project Carter
Commercial Lending Deposit & Equity Calculator
Work out where you stand on deposit or equity for a commercial purchase. Pick the loan type that matches your situation and see the minimum deposit banks typically expect, compared across major banks and tier 2 / non-bank lenders. This shows your likely equity position, not a borrowing capacity or credit decision - that comes later through a registered brokerage.
These minimum deposit levels assume the lender's full assessment is met — income servicing the debt, acceptable liabilities, and security the bank is comfortable with. They are not a deposit-only threshold: a stronger or weaker position can move the deposit a lender actually asks for. Speak to a mortgage broker to work out what applies to your situation.
Report
Shown on the PDF and used to name the report if you save it to your account.
The deal
Business buying or refinancing the premises it trades from.
Use $2,000,000 if you just want to see how the numbers work.
Lenders typically only recognise part of this for debt cover - see the rental cover check below. Optional.
Purchase costs
Costs of the purchase itself, on top of the deposit. All optional.
Pick a state and the field below fills with an estimate from its general transfer duty rates. Edit it if you have the exact figure.
Estimate only. General duty scales reflect published 2024–25 rates; the SA and ACT commercial treatment reflects 2025–26 changes. Commercial and industrial property is handled differently in some places: SA has abolished duty on it, the ACT exempts it up to a threshold, and Victoria is moving it to an annual tax. The filled figure also adds the land-titles-office fees to register the transfer, and the mortgage where a loan is entered; the seller pays to discharge their own mortgage, so that is not included. Thresholds in several states index each year, and this excludes foreign purchaser surcharges, landholder / land-rich duty and any concession. Confirm the exact amounts with the relevant state revenue office and titles registry.
Bank fees and the valuation ordered for finance.
Building and pest, plant and equipment, or any specialist condition report.
Due diligence, buyer's agent and adviser fees, and anything else.
Cash or equity you can put toward this, e.g. released from another property. Compared against the total cash required for each lender tier below.
- Min deposit / equity – major banks
- —
- Min deposit / equity – tier 2 / non-bank
- —
- Total cash required – major banks
- —
- Total cash required – tier 2 / non-bank
- —
Your deposit / equity position
Figures are part-hidden. Unlock the full lender comparison and one-page PDF below.
Project Carter is sent your figures for an assessment only if you request one.
Major banks vs tier 2 / non-bank
| Metric | Major banks | Tier 2 / non-bank |
|---|---|---|
| Choose a loan type and enter a price to see the comparison. | ||
Rental cover check (BTR) —
Get your summary
The page builds a one-page PDF comparing your minimum deposit across major banks and tier 2 / non-bank lenders. A copy is sent to Project Carter so we can follow up if you'd like.
Done. Your PDF has downloaded. If it didn't, . Project Carter has your figures and will be in touch if you asked for a follow-up.
How the numbers work
- This is a deposit / equity guide, not a borrowing capacity or credit assessment. The minimum deposit shown for each tier assumes the lender's full assessment is met - income servicing the debt, acceptable liabilities and security the bank is comfortable with - not just a deposit threshold on its own. What you can actually borrow depends on income, serviceability, credit history and the specific security; that assessment happens with a registered brokerage.
- Major banks are the big four and other large deposit-taking banks. Rates shown for the majors are indicative of where they currently cap out for a low-risk deal (around 7.25% – 8.00% p.a.); actual pricing depends on the full assessment.
- Tier 2 / non-bank lenders covers second-tier banks, credit unions, private and specialist commercial lenders. They are typically more flexible on documentation and credit, for a higher interest rate.
- Owner-occupied commercial is a business buying or refinancing the premises it trades from. A 20% deposit is available from majors and tier 2 alike, provided income comfortably services the debt and liabilities are limited.
- Commercial investment is a property leased to a tenant. Treated the same as owner-occupied - a 20% deposit is available where income (including the lease) services the debt and liabilities are limited.
- SMSF commercial property is bought through a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) inside a self-managed super fund, including a business buying its own premises back into its members' SMSF (a "rent-back"). Only a limited, panel-approved list of lenders write this lending, major and specialist alike, and the asset's own income needs to support the debt level.
- Lease doc / low doc investment is serviced by the property's own lease - no trading income is required in the entity. Available through a limited number of majors as well as tier 2 lenders; the lease itself needs to support the debt.
- Build to Rent (BTR) uses the total development cost as the base for lending rather than a purchase price. Lenders only recognise part of the projected rental income toward covering debt costs - the rental cover check below uses a 75% recognition of gross rent as a rough guide.
- Build to sell (development / construction for sale) also lends against total development cost. Major banks typically want a level of qualifying presales in place before funding; tier 2 / non-bank lenders are more likely to fund with less presale cover, priced according to the deposit or equity contributed.
- Purchase costs are on top of the deposit: stamp duty, loan / valuation costs, legal fees, building or technical due diligence and any other purchasing cost you enter. Total cash required is the deposit / equity for that tier plus these purchase costs - a fuller picture of what you need to have available, not just the deposit. Focusing the stamp duty field opens an estimator that fills from your state's general transfer duty rates for the price or total development cost entered (commercial ticked by default); edit the figure directly if you know the exact amount.
- All loan-to-value ratios, deposit percentages and rate ranges shown are indicative starting points based on typical market settings as at the time of writing. Every lender, deal and security is different - treat these as a planning guide, not a quote or approval.