May 14, 2026 Automotive & Transport

What RV Hire Depot Owners Should Know About Commercial Property Finance

Buying the depot your RV and campervan hire business already runs from is a defining step for any operator. At Ardent Capital Group we speak with owners about this kind of commercial property purchase regularly, so this guide walks through how a lender reads a hardstand-heavy site, the deposit to plan for, and how the finance is commonly structured.

Ardent Capital Group is a specialist in commercial mortgages for RV and campervan hire depot operators across Australia. Our team can help you move from tenant to owner, with clear lending advice on structure and strategy.

Funding capacity: Access finance from $100,000 to $10,000,000+ for purchase, refinance or construction.
Track record: Over $500,000,000 facilitated across the last decade for more than 1,000 borrowers.
Sector understanding: Experience with hardstand yards, wash-down systems, oil interceptors and compliance-heavy depots.
Coverage: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and surrounding regional towns.

The case for owning your RV hire depot premises

Depots are site-specific. You invest in concrete hardstand, shade structures, site lighting, security fencing, compliant wash bays with oil and silt arrestors, trade waste connections, and a workshop fit-out that includes hoists, compressed air, parts storage and diagnostic equipment. Relocating that cost is disruptive and expensive.

Location ties you to your market. Many depots rely on proximity to airports, tourist corridors, ring roads and highways with B-double or coach access. Exposure, easy ingress and egress, flood-free elevation and zoning that permits vehicle hire and servicing all matter. Owning secures this.

The sector has genuine resilience. Domestic touring demand supports year-round bookings with winter peaks in the north and summer peaks in the south. Corporate and insurance replacements can smooth occupancy. Repayments build an owned asset while your operations generate cash flow.

Main drivers for ownership:

Control: Set the yard layout for vehicle flows, returns, wash and turnarounds without negotiating every alteration with a landlord.
Capital preservation: Fit-out and yard works are durable and specific, and ownership keeps that value on your balance sheet.
Cost visibility: Reduce exposure to rent ratchets and make repayments that amortise principal.
Strategic value: Bankable security that can support future fleet growth or expansion to additional depots.

Buying may not suit if your lease has only a short remaining term with a planned relocation, if you expect to shift closer to a new airport or arterial upgrade, or if capital is better deployed in a fleet refresh or marketing expansion. The decision sits with you.

The structure matters, and our depot property loan specialists build it around your situation.

Financing an RV hire depot: how it works

Deposit and LVR. The right lender funds a depot up to 80 per cent of its value where the site carries a solid workshop and buildings, which means a deposit from 20 per cent. On a yard-dominant hardstand site the band sits nearer 65 per cent, because a lender values engineered hardstand more conservatively than covered floor area. Knowing which side of that line your site sits on before you make an offer is where we help. In some profiles, adding other property as additional security can lift the funded amount toward 100 per cent of the purchase price, subject to valuation and credit.

Loan term and structure. Terms run from about 10 to 15 years with the banks and up to 25 to 30 years with non-bank lenders. Loans can be structured as principal and interest for steady amortisation, or interest only for a period to prioritise cash flow through seasonal peaks and troughs.

Security and serviceability. The property is the primary security. Lenders assess serviceability using business financials, BAS and bank statements, and may request utilisation data, forward bookings, seasonality impacts and fleet capex plans. Valuers look at land size, percentage of engineered hardstand, workshop quality, wash bay compliance, zoning, traffic access and environmental risk.

Owner-occupier treatment. Lenders generally view owner-occupied depots favourably due to lower vacancy risk and the direct link between operations and the site. This can support sharper pricing and higher gearing than a pure investment.

How the deal is put together

Many depot operators hold the freehold in a separate entity, such as a company or 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 separation keeps operating risk apart from the property. Ardent Capital Group arranges the loan around that structure, and your accountant confirms which entity and lease terms suit the depot's tax position.

SMSF option. Commercial premises generally qualify as business real property, so an SMSF can hold the depot and lease it to your trading business at market rent, with the loan held under a limited recourse arrangement and a bare custodian trust. SMSF lending on a depot like this gears within the standard commercial band, 65 to 80 per cent, with tighter liquidity requirements, a single-asset limit and its own compliance calendar. We arrange the loan and the security around the depot itself; whether an SMSF purchase suits your fund is a call for your accountant and SMSF specialist, who confirm the tax, contribution and bare trust detail before you sign.

What credit teams weigh up

Business financials: Two to three years of financial statements, BAS, management accounts, bank statements, fleet utilisation and forward bookings to evidence seasonality management.
Serviceability: Interest coverage and debt service ratios tested against realistic assumptions, including allowances for insurance, rates, trade waste and maintenance of hardstand and wash systems.
Property and valuation: Site area, hardstand depth and engineering, workshop specifications, office and customer area, environmental compliance of wash bays and interceptors, zoning and permitted use, flood and access risk.
Deposit and equity position: Cash, equity in other property, or vendor terms where available, with evidence of source of funds.
Lease and occupancy: Owner-occupier terms, or details of any subleases or related-party leases including rent, options and review mechanisms.

A specialist broker who understands depot operations, environmental compliance and valuation nuances shortens the path to the right lender and structure.

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.

Situation: A Brisbane-based operator with a 70-vehicle fleet leases a 5,500 sqm site with 3,000 sqm of hardstand, a compliant wash bay and a two-bay workshop. The landlord plans to sell.
Objectives: Secure the site, keep cash free for a 15-vehicle fleet upgrade, and hold turnaround times through peak season.
Options we would map:
- Purchase in a property trust with the trading company on a market lease.
- SMSF purchase with rent paid from the trading entity.
- Remain a tenant and negotiate a longer lease with a capex contribution from the new owner.
Funding structures we would discuss:
- A 75 per cent LVR commercial mortgage to the trust, a 5 per cent vendor-finance tranche via a short-term second, and a 20 per cent deposit drawn from equity in an existing warehouse.
- An alternate path using a 70 per cent LVR SMSF loan, with remaining equity from rollovers and non-concessional contributions.
Cash flow lens: Market rent from the trading company to the trust supports serviceability, preserving working capital for fleet upgrades funded through separate asset finance lines.
How we would approach it: We would map the ranges, structures and repayments, then talk through control, LVR and cash demands so the operator can weigh their risk and growth plan. The figures above are illustrative, not confirmed outcomes, and depend on valuation, financials and lender appetite at the time.

Other finance we arrange for RV hire depot operators

Asset finance for fleet and workshop equipment: Fund new or used motorhomes, campervans, hoists, tyre machines and diagnostic gear through depot fleet finance without draining cash.
Fit-out and refurbishment finance: Shade sails, site lighting, customer reception, key drop lockers, security fencing and IT upgrades for the booking counter.
Working capital loans: Smooth seasonality, pre-pay insurance and registration blocks, and carry parts inventory ahead of peak turnover with working capital for a depot.
Business overdraft: A flexible buffer tied to trading cycles and card settlements for quick access during handover peaks.
Refinancing and debt consolidation: Reset terms, lower repayments and simplify multiple facilities linked to fleet, workshop and premises.
Construction and renovation: Expand hardstand, add a second wash bay with oil and silt arrestors, upgrade stormwater capture and resurface aprons.
Business or premises acquisition finance: Buy your operating company, acquire a competitor's depot, or purchase the freehold you currently lease.

These facilities interact. Owning the premises can free equity for future fleet expansion, and a refinance can consolidate facilities to align with how the depot operates.

Why RV hire depot owners work with Ardent

Ardent Capital Group focuses on commercial mortgages for depot operators. We arrange and structure finance around common ownership arrangements, including leaseback, SMSF and multi-entity holdings.

We service Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and regional centres, and have helped facilitate over $500,000,000 in funding over a decade for more than 1,000 borrowers.

If you want a direct conversation about buying your depot and setting up the finance for optimal financial outcomes, talk to us. The structure and the strategy matter as much as the rate, and we give business owners clear advice on both so the finance supports the wealth you are building and the years ahead.

RV hire depot finance FAQs

What deposit do I need to buy a depot property? Most lenders fund 65 to 80 per cent of value, so plan for a 20 to 35 per cent deposit. A workshop-heavy depot sits nearer the top of that band; a yard-dominant hardstand site sits nearer the bottom.

Will lenders accept a hardstand-heavy site with limited buildings? Yes, provided the hardstand is engineered, drainage and wash bays are compliant, and access, exposure and zoning are suitable. Valuation will weight land, improvements and permitted use, and gearing tends to sit lower on yard-dominant sites.

Can my SMSF buy the depot and lease it to my business? Yes, commercial premises generally qualify as business real property and can be leased back at market rent. SMSF lending on this class of security typically gears within the standard commercial band, 65 to 80 per cent, with tighter liquidity settings and specific compliance compared to non-super lending.

How do lenders treat seasonal cash flow in this sector? They assess multi-year results with attention to winter and summer peaks, forward bookings, cancellation rates and your approach to fleet capex. Interest only periods can be used to align repayments with seasonality.

Can I include yard works and a new wash bay in the loan? Yes, through a purchase plus improvements facility or a separate construction facility. Lenders will require quotes, permits and evidence of environmental compliance for wash bays and interceptors.

What costs should I budget for beyond the purchase price? Stamp duty, legal and conveyancing, valuation and environmental reports, lender fees, GST considerations on commercial property, and initial capex such as resurfacing or shade structures.

Do lenders prefer owner-occupier or investment structures? Owner-occupier purchases generally receive stronger terms due to lower vacancy risk and direct business use, which can support sharper pricing and higher gearing.

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.