Investment Home Loan Rates, September 2026

In Ratesniffers' verified 80% LVR snapshot dated 27 August 2026, the lowest investor principal-and-interest variable rate is 6.09% p.a. (6.28% comparison rate) from Bank Australia. Rates above that level are common: investor pricing depends on LVR, repayment type, loan size and whether the loan is variable or fixed, so compare by comparison rate rather than headline.

A good investor rate is one close to the lowest verified comparison rate for your loan type. In the 27 August 2026 snapshot the lowest matched investor variable comparison rate is 6.24% at 80% LVR, principal and interest. A loan priced well above that with the same features is worth renegotiating or refinancing, after the switching costs are counted.

Divide the annual rate by twelve and multiply by the balance. At the lowest verified investor variable rate of 6.09% p.a. (6.28% comparison rate, 27 August 2026 snapshot), interest on $1,000,000 is about $5,075 a month interest-only, and the principal-and-interest repayment over 30 years is about $6,053 a month. Interest-only investor rates are usually higher, which lifts the interest-only figure.

There is no fixed salary, because lenders assess a $500,000 loan against your income after tax, living expenses, existing debts, the number of dependants and a buffer above the actual rate. Rental income counts, usually after a discount for vacancy and costs. The Ratesniffers income-required calculator at /calculators/income-required models the income a lender would look for at a given rate and term, and the borrowing power calculator works the other way from your income.

Yes. Interest-only is common for investors because the repayment is lower during the interest-only term and the interest is generally deductible. In the verified 80% LVR snapshot dated 27 August 2026, the lowest investor interest-only rate is 6.39% p.a. (6.44% comparison rate) from MyState Bank. The balance does not reduce during the term, and repayments step up when principal-and-interest begins.

No. Lenders price investment loans nationally, so an investor in New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland sees the same rate for the same product, LVR and repayment type. What differs by state is the holding cost around the loan: land tax thresholds, stamp duty and rental conditions. The state pages on this hub cover that local context alongside the same national rate table.

Usually, yes. Lenders price in the extra risk of investment lending. Right now the lowest matched investor variable rate we're tracking is 6.09%, against 5.93% for the lowest matched owner-occupier variable rate, a gap worth about $960 a year in interest on a $600,000 loan. Some lenders price the two purposes closer together than others, which is why it's worth comparing purpose-specific rates rather than assuming a flat premium.

Generally, yes, interest on a loan used to buy or maintain an income-producing investment property is tax deductible against your rental income, and any shortfall can offset other income (negative gearing). This depends on how the loan is used and structured, redrawing for personal spending can taint the deductible portion, so it's a question for your accountant, not this page. See our negative gearing glossary entry for the mechanics.

Interest-only keeps repayments lower during the IO term, which suits investors prioritising cash flow or planning to sell before the loan is paid down, but the balance doesn't reduce and the rate is usually higher once you revert to principal and interest. Principal-and-interest costs more month to month but builds equity and cuts total interest over the life of the loan. The comparison table above shows both structures side by side; see our interest-only page for the full trade-off.

Releasing equity is usually done via a refinance or a separate equity loan against the investment property, and the new rate is priced the same as any other investor product at your new LVR, not a special "equity release" rate. Pulling equity out increases your loan balance and interest cost, so it's worth modelling the new repayment against the purpose you're releasing it for. Start at our refinance home loans page to compare rates for the switch.

In Ratesniffers' verified 80% LVR investor snapshot, the lowest matched investor variable offer comparison rate as of 27 August 2026 is 6.24%, on a headline investor variable rate of 6.09%. The broader comparison table is maintained separately and sorted by comparison rate.

There is no single bank with the best rate for everyone, the sharpest advertised rates usually come from online-direct lenders and challenger brands rather than the Big Four, but the rate you actually qualify for depends on your deposit (LVR), whether you're owner-occupier or investor, and the loan features you need. The lender at the top of the table above has the lowest comparison rate today; sort and filter to match your situation.

A competitive rate is one near the top of the table for your scenario. In Ratesniffers' verified 80% LVR investor snapshot, the lowest matched investor variable offer comparison rate is 6.24%. A "good" rate is always relative to your LVR, loan purpose, repayment type and the features you need.

The interest rate (or headline rate) is the cost of the loan before fees. The comparison rate folds in most standard upfront and ongoing fees, normalised on a $150,000 loan over 25 years, so two loans with the same headline rate but different fees show different comparison rates. It's a mandatory disclosure under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009, and it's the fairer number to rank loans by, which is exactly how the table above is sorted.

Five levers move your rate the most: a lower LVR (a bigger deposit), choosing owner-occupier over investor where it applies, principal-and-interest over interest-only, a clean credit file, and simply asking. Lenders routinely offer existing customers a discount when they call to leave, and a licensed expert can run that negotiation across the whole panel at once, which is the service Ratesniffers connects you to for free.

Yes, and you should. Lenders price new customers more sharply than existing ones, so loyalty often costs you. Call your lender's retention team, quote a cheaper comparable rate from the table above, and ask them to match it. If they won't move, refinancing to a lender that will is usually straightforward, and many pay cashback to switch.

Variable home loan rates track the Reserve Bank's cash rate, so the direction of rates depends on the RBA's decisions, which it reviews roughly every six weeks. We don't make forecasts we can't stand behind, but we do publish a wrap of every RBA decision and what it means for variable-rate borrowers, see our news page. Fixed rates move ahead of the cash rate, based on what the market expects the RBA to do next.

Individual lenders change rates continually, sometimes several times a week, and often within days of an RBA decision or a competitor's move. That's why a comparison table is only useful if it's fresh. Ratesniffers refreshes its rate index daily and stamps every page with the last-updated date so you're never comparing stale numbers.

Variable rates move with the RBA cash rate, so you benefit when rates fall and pay more when they rise; they also tend to come with offset accounts and free extra repayments. Fixed rates lock your repayment for a set term, which buys certainty but usually limits extra repayments and charges break costs if you exit early. Many borrowers split the loan to get some of each, you can filter for fixed, variable or split above.

A deposit of 20% or more (an LVR of 80% or less) gets you the sharpest rates and avoids Lenders Mortgage Insurance, but you can borrow with as little as 5% down. Lower deposits usually mean a slightly higher rate plus LMI, though eligible first home buyers using the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme can avoid LMI even with a small deposit. Use the LVR filter above to see only the loans you qualify for.

Often, yes. Advertised rates are a starting point, and lenders price a well-presented file below their published rate more often than people expect. A licensed expert can put your scenario to the lender and ask for a sharper rate on your behalf, usually at no cost to you. Ratesniffers offers that as a free rate review, and the comparison itself is free and unbiased.

The promoted rate claims come from Ratesniffers' verified 80% LVR investor snapshot, dated 27 August 2026. The broader comparison table is maintained separately and may include products outside that verified snapshot. Check the displayed source date and product conditions before relying on a rate.

Comparing rates and using the calculators is completely free, with no sign-up or email gate. We don't take paid placement to influence the ranking, loans are sorted by comparison rate, full stop. When you choose to speak to a broker about applying, the lender pays the broker a commission, the same way it would for any mortgage. That's how the service stays free to you.