What is an easy refinance?
A standard refinance reassesses the fund from scratch: income, contributions, rent, expenses, buffers, the lot. An easy refinance replaces most of that with a single question. Has this loan been paid on time for the last 6 to 12 months?
The reasoning is straightforward. If a fund has serviced a more expensive loan without missing a payment, it can service a cheaper one. Several lenders on the panel have written that logic into a named product, variously called easy refinance, express refinance, or like-for-like refinance. The mechanics differ in detail; the principle is the same.
In practice it means no income documents, no fund financials, no fresh serviceability calculation, and frequently the ability to reuse the legal advice already given on the original limited recourse borrowing arrangement.
Who qualifies for one?
The gate conditions are consistent across the panel as at 23 August 2026:
- A clean repayment record over the last 6 to 12 months, depending on the lender. This is the condition doing the real work, and it is usually absolute rather than a matter of degree.
- The new repayment is no higher than the current one. Some lenders state this as an explicit benefit-to-client test.
- Dollar-for-dollar borrowing. The new loan covers the existing balance plus reasonable costs. No equity release.
- An unchanged security and structure. Same property, same holding trust, usually a corporate trustee.
A missed repayment inside the window does not end the conversation, but it does move you out of these lanes and into a standard assessment, where fund financials come back into play.
Find out which lanes your file opens
Nine questions, no credit check, and your answers stay in your browser until you choose to share them.
What do you give up to use one?
Speed and paperwork relief are not free. The trade-offs worth knowing before you assume an express lane is the obvious choice:
- A smaller panel. Fewer lenders offer these lanes, so there are fewer prices to compare.
- No restructuring. You cannot use the moment to consolidate, release equity, or in some cases move from principal and interest to interest only.
- Feature limits. Some express products drop offset accounts or redraw, which can matter more than a few basis points depending on how the fund runs.
- Not automatically the cheapest. An express lane is a lighter assessment, not a lower price. On some files a standard refinance prices better, and the paperwork is worth it.
How does it compare to a standard refinance?
| Express refinance | Standard refinance | |
|---|---|---|
| Assessed on | Repayment conduct | Full serviceability |
| Income documents | Not required | Required |
| Panel breadth | Narrower | Widest |
| Indicative rate floor | From 6.94% p.a. | From 6.89% p.a. |
The full range table by pathway and LVR band is published in the monthly rates guide, and the calculator applies both to your own numbers, including the switching costs.