Right, so you’re looking at buying commercial property or refinancing one you already own. The paperwork side of things can seem overwhelming, but knowing what you need upfront saves a heap of time. Banks and lenders aren’t trying to make your life difficult—they just need proof you can handle the repayments and that the property’s worth what you say it is.
Here is a list of documents you need for commercial property loans in Australia.
Proof of Identity
Basic stuff first. You’ll need your driver’s licence or passport, plus something showing your current address like a rates notice or utility bill. If you’re buying through a company or trust, they’ll want the company registration and trust deed as well.
Financial Statements
This is where it gets serious. Most lenders want at least two years of financial statements for your business. They’re looking at profit and loss, balance sheets—the full picture of how your business performs. If your accountant hasn’t prepared these yet, now’s the time to sort that out.
Tax Returns
Personal and business tax returns for the past two years are pretty much standard. Lenders use these to verify what you’ve told them about income. If your returns show something drastically different from your loan application, you’ve got a problem.
Bank Statements
Expect to hand over three to six months of business bank statements. They’re checking your cash flow—money coming in, money going out. Lenders want to see you’re managing funds sensibly and there’s enough buffer to cover loan repayments.
Business Activity Statements
Your recent BAS submissions give lenders a snapshot of your business’s GST position and trading activity. Usually, they’ll ask for the last four quarters. It helps them see if business is steady, growing, or heading downhill.
Proof of Income
Beyond the formal statements, you might need payslips if you’re employed elsewhere, rental income statements if you own other properties, or contracts showing ongoing business commitments. Anything that proves money’s reliably coming in.
Property Details
You’ll need a contract of sale if you’re purchasing, or title documents if you already own it. The lender arranges their own valuation, but having recent comparable sales or rental assessments handy doesn’t hurt your case.
Existing Debt Information
Come clean about what you already owe. Credit cards, other finance loan options, mortgages—list everything. They’ll find out anyway when they run credit checks, and hiding debts just makes you look dodgy.
Business Plan or Forecast
Some lenders want to see where your business is heading, especially for larger loans. A solid business plan showing projected income and growth helps justify why you’re a safe bet. Working with specialist mortgage providers can help you present your financials in the best light.
Getting commercial property loans sorted means being organised with your paperwork. The better prepared you are, the smoother everything runs. Missing documents just drag out the process and frustrate everyone involved, so gather everything upfront and you’ll thank yourself later.