Refinance your investment property before the revert rate hits
Thousands of Australian investors fixed at 2.5% to 3% between 2020 and 2022. Those fixed terms are expiring into revert rates above 7%. On a $500K investment loan, that is roughly $1,400 per month more in repayments. We treat every investor refinance as a structure and tax-aware exercise, not a rate swap.
We compare your rates with 50+ lenders
Why this is different
What makes investment property refinance different
Investor lending sits on a separate pricing schedule, with tighter LVR thresholds and deductibility rules layered on top. Three structural differences shape every investor refinance.
Investor rate premium
20–30 bps over owner-occupierInvestment loans carry a 20 to 30 basis point premium over owner-occupier loans. That gap is baked into lender pricing and does not disappear when you refinance. Your comparison is against other investor rates, not against the headline owner-occupier rate.
Tighter LVR caps
80% standard, 70% for interest-onlyMost lenders cap investor loans at 80% LVR without Lenders Mortgage Insurance. Some cap interest-only at 70%. If your equity has not kept pace with the loan balance, your refinance options narrow before any pricing comparison.
Deductibility follows loan purpose
ATO purpose testInterest on an investment loan is deductible where the borrowed funds produce assessable income. Restructuring during refinance can affect deductibility if the loan purpose becomes mixed. The ATO requires clear records of loan purpose at all times — especially when loans are restructured or refinanced.
Lender appetite for investor loans varies dramatically. The gap between the best and worst investor rate on the market can exceed 1%. This variation is the single biggest reason a broker-led refinance outperforms a direct-to-lender approach for investors.
Four reasons investors refinance that have nothing to do with chasing the lowest rate
Rate is one trigger. Structure, equity, and serviceability are the others. Each reason produces a different refinance specification and a different lender shortlist.
Dropping the rate (and the tax position)
Because investment loan interest is deductible, a lower rate changes both your cash flow and your tax position. On a $600K investment loan, a 0.5% reduction saves roughly $3,000 per year. Typical switching costs of $1,500 to $2,500 break even in under 12 months. After that, the saving compounds every year you hold the property.
Unlocking equity for the next deposit
Many investors hold significant equity in existing properties but cannot access it without refinancing. A cash-out refinance draws on that equity up to the lender's LVR limit and deploys it as a deposit on your next purchase. The new debt drawn for investment purposes is deductible from day one if structured correctly.
Restructuring the loan split for tax
If you hold both an owner-occupier loan and an investment loan with the same lender on a single facility, your deductible and non-deductible debt may be tangled. Refinancing is the cleanest opportunity to split these into separate loans with separate accounts. This is a structural refinance, not a rate refinance.
Increasing borrowing capacity for growth
Your current lender's serviceability model is not the only one that exists. A different lender with more favourable rental income shading can recognise capacity your current lender does not. This is how investors keep buying when their bank says no.
A common trigger
Your interest-only term is ending and your lender will not renew it
The cash-flow shock
+$800–$1,200 per month
On a $600K investment loan at current rates, switching from IO to P&I can lift monthly repayments by $800 to $1,200 depending on the remaining term.
What other lenders want
LVR ≤ 80%, demonstrated rental income
Other lenders will often grant IO where your current lender will not. Clear investment purpose, demonstrated rental income, and a credible exit strategy are usually what they look for.
The broker path
Match before you apply
A broker selects a lender whose IO appetite matches your profile and positions the application correctly. Materially different from approaching a single lender and hoping for the best.
Loan splits, debt recycling, and why your accountant needs to be in the loop
Refinancing for investment property purposes is often about structure, not rate. These four elements define whether the refinance is set up correctly. Stryve does not give tax advice — we coordinate with your accountant before and during the refinance so the loan structure supports your deductibility position.
A clean split lets your accountant calculate deductible interest with precision, not estimation.
01
Loan split restructuring
Refinance is the natural time to separate mixed-purpose debt into clean owner-occupier and investment splits. Mixed-purpose loans create deductibility headaches that compound over time as repayments reduce the loan balance unevenly. A clean split means your accountant can calculate deductible interest with precision, not estimation.
02
Debt recycling at refinance
Debt recycling converts non-deductible owner-occupier debt into deductible investment debt through a structured drawdown and repayment process. This requires careful coordination between broker and accountant to ensure the ATO's loan purpose rules are satisfied at every step. A refinance is the natural trigger point to set this up correctly.
03
Accountant coordination
Stryve does not give tax advice. We state this clearly because it matters. What we do is coordinate with your accountant before and during the refinance to ensure the loan structure supports your deductibility position. Your accountant confirms the tax treatment. We structure the loan to match. This is how professional boundaries protect you.
04
Why this cannot be DIY
Debt recycling and loan split restructuring require lender-specific knowledge: which lenders allow split loans, which allow partial redraws for investment purposes, which will let you set up the structure you need. A direct-to-lender refinance cannot replicate the lender selection and accountant coordination that a broker-led approach provides.
Want your portfolio reviewed before the next rate review?
Book a free 20-minute investor portfolio review. A Stryve broker covers rate, structure, IO renewal, and lender selection — not a generic rate check.
Book your portfolio reviewThe hard cases
Some investors cannot refinance right now. Here is why.
Investor serviceability is harder in 2026 than in any year since APRA introduced the 3 percentage point buffer. Three structural factors explain why even profitable portfolio investors get knocked back.
Rental income shading
70–80% of gross rentLenders shade rental income at 70% to 80% of gross rent for serviceability purposes. The exact shade rate varies by lender. The amount you collect in rent is not the amount your lender counts as income — it never is.
APRA's 3% serviceability buffer
Compounds across the portfolioAPRA requires lenders to assess you at the loan rate plus 3 percentage points on every new loan, including refinances. An investor being assessed at a 6.5% rate is tested at 9.5%. For portfolio investors with multiple properties, the buffer compounds across every loan.
Negative gearing is not income
Tax-only benefitNegative gearing benefits — where investment expenses exceed rental income and produce a tax loss — are not counted as income in lender serviceability assessments. The tax benefit exists at the ATO level but does not improve assessed borrowing capacity.
A broker-led pre-assessment identifies which lenders have the most favourable serviceability policies for investors before any application is submitted. This protects your credit file from unnecessary enquiries and declined applications. The honest answer is that not every investor can move — knowing that before you apply is worth more than a declined application on your file.
A broker who knows which lenders want investor loans right now
Stryve tracks which lenders are pricing aggressively for investor loans this month, which are open to IO renewal, which have tightened LVR caps, and which have the most favourable serviceability policies. This intelligence changes constantly.
Commission transparency
We disclose lender commissions upfront. Every recommendation is based on investor-specific lender appetite, IO availability, and loan structure. You see what we earn and why we chose that lender.
IO and loan split structuring
We structure IO renewal and loan splits at the point of refinance, not as an afterthought. The loan is set up correctly from day one so your cash flow model and deductibility position are protected.
Accountant coordination
We work with your accountant on deductibility implications before the loan structure is finalised. The accountant confirms the tax treatment. We build the loan to match.
Pre-assessment before application
We identify the right lender before submitting an application. Your credit file stays clean. No speculative applications, no unnecessary enquiries, no declined applications that follow you for five years.
Next steps for
investor refinancing
What our customers
say about us
“Nate and Dylan were extremely helpful in helping us secure our new home. They were easy to contact from day one, and answered any questions we had. We felt reassured at all times and are very grateful for their patience with us. I have recommended Stryve to 3 friends now who have all been successful in achieving their goals of purchasing their homes. We are so happy with the service and will definitely keep on recommending Stryve to our family and friends.”
Whitney Tran
Homeowner
“I never had a problem with Dylan. From the start of our journey on mortgage til the very end and even with refinancing, he/they were very helpful, transparent, honest and really keen to help their clients! Highly recommended.”
Cristianne Del Valle
Homeowner
“On behalf of my husband and I, we would like to truly thank Dylan Bertovic for all his assistance in helping us with our new loan - approved in time before our settlement. Dylan worked above and beyond expected. He took the time to explain every step and process with us. Any questions we had, Dylan would go out of his way to ensure they were answered. He made the process stress free and ensured we got the best possible deal. We highly recommend Dylan to all our family and friends.”
Merna Yalda
Homeowner
“Nate is great to work with, very knowledgeable, responsive and genuinely invested in helping me find the right solution. Highly recommend this firm to anyone looking for reliable, competitive and professional brokerage services.”
Julia
Homeowner
“Dylan has not only been a longtime friend, but also the trusted mortgage broker of choice for my family. He answers the phone at all hours, communicates extensively through all steps of a sometimes-complicated process and manages my risk. He has a straight to the point approach which I appreciate. Simply gets the job done, and gets it done very quickly. Thanks for everything Dylan, you're a champion broker and a good mate.”
Christian Barać
Homeowner
“Nate and Dylan were the ultimate professionals in securing a home loan to help us purchase our first home! Following the purchase of our home, they have continued to provide their exceptional service and have been able to secure two rate reductions in six months! Being self-employed wasn't an issue for me as Nate knew the process back-to-front and was able to provide sound advice throughout the application process.”
Justin Tomas
Homeowner
“It was an absolute brilliant experience with Stryve. Our first purchase was with Dylan he was always clear re: the next steps, quick to respond, never tired of questions and went over and above with communication. We went back and used him again for our next investment and the experience was just as wonderful as the first. Stryve also reviews our loans every 6 months to make sure we are getting the best rates on offer. We couldn't ask for more!”
Amber Motii
Homeowner
Investment property refinance: common questions
Your investment loan deserves a second opinion
A 20-minute conversation covering rate, structure, IO renewal, and lender selection. Not a generic rate check. A portfolio review with a broker who knows investor loans.