June 16, 2026 Community & Social Infrastructure

What Indoor Play Centre Owners Should Know About Commercial Property Finance

Buying the building your indoor play centre trades from turns rent into an owned asset and locks in the location families already know. At Ardent Capital Group we speak with play centre operators about this kind of commercial property purchase, so this guide walks through how a lender reads the property, the deposit you need, and the way the finance is arranged.

Ardent Capital Group works with indoor play centre operators across Australia who are moving from tenant to owner. Our team gives clear lending advice on the structure and the strategy, and arranges the finance from the first lender conversation through to settlement.

We arrange finance from $100,000 to $10,000,000+, across major and specialist lenders.
We have helped facilitate over $500,000,000 in funding across a decade.
We work with first-time buyers through to multi-site groups with complex structures.
We service Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and surrounding regional towns.

The case for owning your indoor play centre premises

An indoor play centre depends on its location, ceiling height, parking, safety standards and the quality of the fit-out. Foam pits, soft play frames, trampolines, climbing walls, ninja elements, safety netting, padded flooring, acoustic treatments, HVAC sized for active spaces, kitchens and party rooms are long-life investments that anchor the business to the site. Owning the building secures that location, stabilises occupancy cost and builds equity in a property you control.

Customer loyalty connects to the address, with repeat party bookings and memberships coming from a tight catchment.
Repayments build an owned asset, while rent rises compound over time with no equity benefit.
Control over refurbishments and expansions, including mezzanine additions, extra party rooms and sound attenuation.
Long trading windows and school holiday peaks support predictable revenue, which suits owner-occupier lending.

Buying may not suit when the lease term left is too short to negotiate incentives or settlement timing, when a relocation is planned to reach a stronger catchment or freeway access, or when capital is better deployed into a major equipment refresh, a marketing push or a second site. The decision sits with you, and we can help you weigh it.

We handle the play centre property loan end to end, from lender selection through to settlement.

Financing an indoor play centre: how it works

Deposit and LVR. An indoor play centre usually occupies a warehouse or bulky goods building, which lenders treat as standard commercial security. That gears up to around 80 per cent, so the deposit starts near 20 per cent. Where you can offer additional property as security, some lenders extend toward 100 per cent of the purchase price.
Loan term and structure. Terms commonly run 10 to 15 years with a bank and 25 to 30 years with a non-bank lender. Repayments can be principal and interest for steady amortisation, or interest only for defined periods where cash flow needs to support a refurbishment, a second site or seasonality.
Security and serviceability. The property is the primary security. Lenders assess business financials, historical and forecast serviceability, and the valuation of the property in its permitted use, including ceiling height, power, parking, amenities and compliance for children's activity centres.
Owner-occupier treatment. Lenders generally view an owner-occupier favourably due to lower vacancy risk and stronger commitment to the site. This can assist with sharper pricing or a higher LVR relative to an investment purchase.
The major banks. The majors do not publish an owner-occupier commercial LVR and assess each file case by case, so knowing which lender suits your numbers is where a broker earns their place.

How the deal is put together

Many indoor play centre operators hold the freehold in a separate entity, such as a company or unit trust, and lease it to the trading business at a commercial rent. A lender then reads that inter-entity rent as the serviceability line, and the arrangement keeps the property asset separate from operational risk. It also keeps the building in place if the trading entity later takes on a partner or is sold. Ardent arranges the lending around whichever entity ends up holding the building, and your accountant confirms which structure best suits your tax and succession position before contracts are signed.

Buying through an SMSF

Commercial premises used by an indoor play centre generally qualify as business real property, so a self-managed super fund can hold the building in a bare (custodian) trust under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement and lease it back to the trading company in writing at market rent. The arrangement funds that single asset only, so the play equipment, fit-out and working capital are financed separately, outside the fund, and the fund needs its own deposit since cross-collateral is not available inside super. Standard commercial security in this band currently gears from 65 to 80 per cent. ACG arranges the loan and identifies which lenders will accept the fund as borrower; your accountant and SMSF specialist confirm the contribution limits, compliance and trust-deed detail specific to your fund before anything is signed.

What credit teams weigh up

Business financials and performance, including profitability trends, seasonality through school holidays, and any ancillary revenue such as café and party packages.
Serviceability, tested against current and sensitised interest rates, with allowance for insurance, utilities, staffing and maintenance specific to activity centres.
Property and valuation, covering zoning, ceiling height and clear span, floor loads, acoustics, fire compliance, parking, amenities and proximity to family catchments.
Deposit and equity position, including cash, equity in existing property and acceptable additional security.
Lease and occupancy, where relevant for partial subletting or short-term arrangements during refurbishment.

A specialist broker who understands indoor play centre operations presents the numbers and the property story in a way credit teams recognise, improving fit and speed.

A situation we could help with

This is an illustrative scenario that shows the kind of situation we can assist with, and how the thinking might run.

Profile: Established indoor play centre with steady weekend peaks, weekday sessions and strong party bookings.
Goal: Buy the current warehouse-style site to lock in location and convert rent to ownership.
Options considered: Purchase in a unit trust with a corporate trustee, or in personal names with a commercial lease to the trading company. SMSF flagged for a later site.
Deposit strategy: Mix of cash savings and equity in a residential investment, plus potential vendor terms to align settlement timing with a lease option.
Funding approach: Owner-occupier commercial mortgage geared up to 80 per cent, with additional property security discussed as one route to a higher advance. Interest only considered during a staged refurbishment, moving to principal and interest once school holiday revenue stabilises after settlement.
Structures tested: Fixed versus variable rate split for rate management, and a separate equipment facility to preserve mortgage headroom.
How we would approach it: we would map the ranges, the structures and the repayments under each path, so the decision stays with the client; the figures above are illustrative, not confirmed outcomes. Where equity exists, we can help you leverage your equity into a workable structure.

Types of finance we arrange for indoor play centre businesses

Asset finance for play equipment and safety infrastructure. Fund soft play frames, trampolines, ninja elements, padding, acoustic treatments and café equipment through play centre equipment finance without straining mortgage capacity.
Fit-out and refurbishment finance. Cover flooring, netting, fire services, HVAC upgrades, accessibility works and party room build-outs on practical terms.
Working capital loans. Smooth cash flow across school holiday peaks, term breaks and refurbishment windows with working capital for a play centre.
Business overdraft. Provide a flexible buffer for payroll spikes, consumables and minor repairs that keep sessions running.
Refinancing and debt consolidation. Replace multiple facilities with a cleaner structure that reduces leakage and aligns repayments with trading cycles.
Construction and renovation. Convert a shell or bulky goods unit into a compliant activity centre, or add mezzanine viewing platforms and extra party rooms.
Business or premises acquisition finance. Fund a buy-in, a partner buy-out or the next site while maintaining headroom for safety and compliance upgrades.

Owning the premises can free equity for future growth, and a refinance can consolidate facilities into a structure that supports expansion.

Why indoor play centre owners work with Ardent

Indoor play centre acquisitions call for a lender that understands specialised fit-outs, family traffic patterns and the importance of ceiling height, acoustics and parking. Ardent Capital Group positions your numbers and the property profile for credit, and arranges and structures the finance around how you intend to hold and occupy the building.

We are a specialist commercial mortgage broker servicing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and surrounding metro and regional areas. We have helped facilitate over $500,000,000 in funding over a decade for more than 1,000 borrowers.

Ardent Capital Group brings execution and strategy, clear advice for smart lending, and a focus on long-term growth to every play centre purchase. Speak with us about your plan, and we will structure the finance around how you intend to hold and occupy the building.

Indoor play centre finance FAQs

What deposit do I need to buy an indoor play centre property?

An indoor play centre in a warehouse or bulky goods building is standard commercial security, which gears up to around 80 per cent, so plan for a deposit near 20 per cent. Additional security or a stronger financial position can lift the advance further.

Will a lender count my fit-out and equipment in the valuation?

The mortgage valuation primarily focuses on the building and permitted use, with some recognition of fixed improvements such as mezzanines, acoustic works and services, but portable equipment usually sits outside.

Is buying through an SMSF possible for an indoor play centre?

Yes, commercial premises often qualify as business real property, and an SMSF can own the building and lease it to your trading entity at market rent, subject to SMSF rules and documentation.

How do lenders view the risk profile of trampolines and active play?

Credit teams look for strong risk management, including certified equipment, safety audits, incident procedures and appropriate insurance, alongside sound financials.

Should I buy as an owner-occupier or set it up as an investment with a lease?

Owner-occupier structures can provide pricing and LVR benefits and align cash flow to your business, while an investment stance can suit multi-entity groups or succession plans where the property entity holds long term.

Can I finance a purchase if my centre has under two years of trading?

Shorter trading history can still be considered where there is a strong personal track record, detailed forecasts, solid session bookings and acceptable additional security, assessed case by case.

Written by

Nick Chong

Managing Director, M.AppFin, Dip. Mortgage Mgmt

Nick holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics, a Master of Applied Finance and an Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning. He founded Ardent Capital in 2016 after more than a decade in financial planning and mortgage broking. For the past ten years he has led a team of finance specialists, mortgage advisers, brokers and credit analysts, all working to secure optimal outcomes for clients and always acting in their best interests. The team brings both a qualitative and a quantitative approach to every deal.