Hospitality property loans

Yes. Major banks will fund up to 100% of the purchase price for a hospitality freehold where you add extra security, usually your home or other business assets, structured as a cross-collateralised facility. The exact structure depends on your file, so talk to us and we will build it around what you hold.

Hospitality finance is a commercial mortgage used to buy licensed premises and accommodation assets, from pubs and hotels to restaurants and function venues. These are often sold as a freehold going concern, and LVR and terms depend on the property type and trading history. Ardent Capital Group is a Sydney-based finance brokerage arranging hospitality finance across Australia.

Ardent Capital Group brings the same method to every client: execution and strategy, clear advice for smart lending, and long-term growth. That means the right lender, structure and timing, straight advice so you borrow with confidence, and today's deal built toward where you want to be tomorrow. We are specialists in helping business owners secure finance to purchase their own property, and we understand the complex structures that often sit around it, including multiple trusts, holding companies and self-managed super funds. A financier here has to weigh the trade, the lease and the going concern as much as the bricks and mortar, so we carry your case to one that does exactly that and keep it moving. As you take on the next site, we are still in your corner. Every figure is subject to serviceability, lender appetite and approval.

Going direct to your bank means one lender's appetite and one set of criteria. Hospitality is a sector where lender appetite varies significantly. Some banks have pulled back from hospitality lending entirely. Others are active but require specific trading performance and licence types. A specialist broker knows which lenders are currently active in hospitality, what their credit requirements look like, and how to present a venue's trading history in a way that gets a decision. You get the right lenders for your situation rather than working through a list.

Hospitality properties are typically assessed at LVRs of 55% to 65%. The specific LVR depends on the property type, the venue's trading history, the licence type and the overall borrower profile. Well-established venues in strong locations with consistent trading records attract better LVRs than newer or regionally located assets. We will give you a clear picture of what is realistic for your specific property before you commit to a purchase timeline.

Hospitality deals typically take a little longer than standard commercial property deals because the income assessment is more involved. A well-prepared application to the right lender can settle in four to eight weeks. More complex structures, SMSF arrangements or significant trading history reviews take longer. We will give you a realistic timeline upfront so your purchase schedule stays manageable.

For a full-doc application, most lenders require two to three years of business financial statements and tax returns, personal tax returns for all guarantors, and a copy of the contract of sale or expression of interest. Many hospitality operators are self-employed, and not all fit neatly into a standard full-doc assessment. Non-bank lenders offer alt-doc and low-doc options where income can be evidenced through an accountant's declaration, BAS statements or bank statements rather than full financials. These products carry slightly higher rates but open the door for operators whose paperwork understates income. We work through your income situation upfront and identify whether full-doc, alt-doc or low-doc is the right fit for you.

We work across pubs and licensed bars, hotels and accommodation venues, motels and motor inns, restaurants and cafe freeholds, function centres and event venues. If your hospitality property type is not listed, ask us, the range of assets we can finance is broader than most people expect.

Yes, it is possible, and we arrange these. It is also one of the more intricate purchases in commercial finance, and the detail is what decides whether it works. The fund borrows under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement, so the venue sits in a separate holding trust and the lender can only come after that one property. From 10 August 2026 a new arrangement can only be used for business real property: a property trading wholly as a business generally qualifies, a property with a residence attached generally does not. Your operating company leases the venue back from the fund, in writing, at market rent supported by an independent appraisal, and the rent has to actually be paid. Cross-collateralisation is not available inside super, so the fund needs its own deposit and the 100% LVR structures described elsewhere on this page do not work here. Lenders cap SMSF lending below a standard purchase, generally between 65% and 75%, and want cash left in the fund after settlement. We know this sounds complicated. It is, and that is exactly why we do it every day. Reach out to our team and we will guide you through the entire process. We structure the finance, tell you which lenders will take a hospitality venue as SMSF security and on what terms, and bring in the SMSF specialists and licensed advisers who set the fund side up. You will not be working it out on your own. Get that right and it is a solid, compliant structure.

Often, yes. A decline from your bank does not mean the deal is not fundable. Banks have tightened their hospitality lending criteria over time and some have exited the sector entirely. Non-bank lenders and specialist hospitality finance providers assess deals differently and are often more comfortable with the asset class. We will give you an honest assessment of what is possible before proceeding.

Hospitality properties are typically valued by a specialist commercial valuer who assesses the property on both a capitalisation of income basis and a comparable sales basis. The valuer reviews trading financials, the licence, the venue's condition and comparable sales in the market. The income-based component means the value is partly tied to the venue's trading performance, which is why lenders experienced in this sector are better placed to assess the deal accurately.

Most of the time, no. We are paid a commission by the lender once your loan settles, so there is no cost to you. Where your financials are complex, your structure is unusual, or the deal requires significant preparation before it can go to a lender, we may charge a small mandate fee depending on the complexity. We will always be upfront about this before any work begins.

Yes. This is a common structure for hospitality businesses. We have experience presenting company and trust structures to lenders in a way that is clear and credible. That includes preparing the supporting documentation, explaining the income and ownership rationale, and identifying which lenders are most comfortable with the specific entity and property combination.

Although we are based in Sydney, we service clients across all major Australian cities, including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, along with their surrounding regional areas. Wherever your venue is located, we can arrange your finance.

Although our main speciality is property loans for business owners, we also assist with hospitality fit-out finance and working capital for hospitality operators. On asset finance, that covers commercial kitchen and refrigeration equipment, coffee machines, furniture and fit-out, and point-of-sale or gaming systems. On working capital, we arrange business overdrafts, lines of credit and cash-flow funding to cover wages, stock and the seasonal swings in trade.

Yes. That is our core ethos, helping you understand the right strategy, structure and clear advice from the very first conversation. Our main borrower profiles are established hospitality operators and venue owners seeking finance from $100,000 upwards for their company, so a first commercial loan is well within our wheelhouse. Smaller sole-trader and consumer-style ABN lending sits outside our field.