Investor housing credit, Australia

Investor housing credit is the amount Australians owe on loans to buy residential property they rent out, from the Reserve Bank of Australia's table D2 (series DLCACIHS). The series is seasonally adjusted and includes securitized loans.

Investor lending is the part of the Australian housing market that supervisors watch most closely. Investors can deduct interest costs from other income under negative gearing, which encourages borrowing, and their demand can amplify price cycles. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority limited growth in investor lending to 10% a year from December 2014 and later restricted interest-only lending, and this series shows the effect of those measures.

The history contains a break. In 2015 and 2016 lenders reclassified a large volume of loans from investor to owner-occupier after the supervisory limits made the category matter, so the level of this series fell without borrowers repaying; changes in levels around those years understate investor borrowing. And investor credit covers individuals, not companies or trusts that buy property through business structures, so it does not capture all property investment. The RBA's growth rates are adjusted for known breaks, while the levels shown here are not.

The investor housing credit is at its lowest since June 2026, when it stood at A$864.6 bn. Within ten years, the investor housing credit beats 99% of readings.

Investor housing credit, seasonally adjusted.

RBA publishes the investor housing credit monthly in RBA table D2, in AUD and is seasonally adjusted. Code: DLCACIHS. Method for the investor housing credit.