Mortgage House Home Loan Lending Policy 2026

A Mortgage House loan can assess self-employed income through full, alternative or low-documentation pathways, depending on the evidence and product. A sole trader doesn’t need to treat missing tax returns as an automatic rejection. The application still needs verifiable income and enough capacity to meet repayments.

Choose the evidence pathway before building the submission. A recent business, a change of structure or falling income needs an explanation supported by records.

Where Mortgage House Policy Comes From

Mortgage House’s Underwriting Credit Policy governs its assessment, while its public self-employed and low-doc guides explain the available evidence pathways. As at October 2026, its broker page directs broker accreditation and support through Mortgage Street. That is the broker channel identified by Mortgage House itself.

Keep the product and funder together in your file notes. Mortgage House’s retail site lists Chameleon products, while Mortgage Street uses its own broker product names and series. A rule attached to one product doesn’t automatically apply to the other channel.

The distinction also matters for externally funded loans. The Vantage policy PDF hosted on Mortgage House’s website identifies Firstmac as the lender and carries an update date of 3 October 2012. It is historical Firstmac policy, not a 2026 Mortgage House rulebook.

Record the product name, underwriting entity and policy version beside the income calculation. Use the relevant product’s credit rules, including later amendments, for a submission. The lender policy guides explain other lenders’ assessment rules without mixing their thresholds into this file.

Sole Trader and Self-Employed Income Evidence

Mortgage House considers both conventional financials and alternative evidence for self-employed borrowers, as at October 2026. Its self-employed guide lists personal tax returns and notices of assessment, business returns, accountant-prepared financial statements and business bank statements. Business activity statements (BAS) also help establish trading performance.

For a sole trader, connect the personal return’s business income with the business records. For a company or trust, identify the entity that earns the profit and how the borrower receives income. Include ownership details and evidence for any proposed add-backs, which are expenses the lender allows you to add back to profit.

Short Trading History or a New Structure

Mortgage House’s alternative-documentation guide describes options for borrowers with less than two years of Australian Business Number (ABN) history. Industry experience and earlier income history affect that assessment. Its low-doc guide describes consideration from six months of self-employment, with 12 to 24 months preferred and regular income required.

Those descriptions concern different evidence pathways. Neither establishes automatic eligibility for every product after six months.

Mortgage House also identifies recently restructured businesses as possible alt-doc applicants. Show the old and new entity details, the transfer date and continuing trading activity. An accountant’s explanation can connect the records when the client’s work continues under a new structure.

Irregular or Declining Income

Mortgage House assesses business strength and repayment capacity individually. Alternative documents can show current trading, but a decline still changes the income available for repayments.

Explain whether the fall comes from lost contracts, seasonality or a one-off interruption. Match that explanation to current statements and financials. Keep turnover separate from income after business costs, and don’t assume the lender will use the previous year’s higher profit.

For evidence comparisons beyond Mortgage House, use the self-employed home loan guide.

Low Doc and Alternative Documentation Options

Yes, Mortgage House has both alt-doc and low-doc home loan pathways, as at October 2026. Its low-doc guide sets out three evidence combinations using its MH 011 Self Assessment Form, the borrower’s income declaration.

Pathway	Evidence accompanying MH 011	What the supporting document does
Accountant’s letter	MH 180 Accountant’s Letter	Supports the declared income
Accountant’s certification	MH 179 Accountant’s Certification Form	Confirms the applicant can afford repayments
Trading evidence	Primary business/income bank statements and BAS where applicable	Shows actual deposits and trading activity

Use primary accounts that show trading flows. The guide requires consistent names, ABNs, trading names and addresses across documents. Resolve differences before submission.

Mortgage House’s retail self-employed page lists Chameleon Freedom Low Doc Home Loan 80 and Chameleon - Freedom Low Doc Home Loan 60. It also lists Chameleon - Gold Low Doc Investment 80. Treat those as product names, not sufficient authority for a maximum loan-to-value ratio (LVR).

The alt-doc guide describes business bank statements, typically covering three to 12 months, alongside BAS, contracts or an accountant’s letter. The product and available evidence determine the combination used. An accountant’s letter alone doesn’t establish acceptance for every Mortgage House loan.

As at October 2026, Mortgage Street’s Optimax Low Doc rate card publishes LVR bands up to 80%. Its selections include owner-occupied and investment loans. That is a named broker product’s published range, not a universal cap for Mortgage House alt-doc or low-doc lending.

The low-doc home loan guide covers alternative-documentation options across lenders.

Deposit, LVR and Security Settings

Mortgage House sets the deposit and security requirements through the selected product’s underwriting assessment, as at October 2026. Loan purpose, valuation and income verification affect that assessment. Full-doc and low-doc borrowers therefore cannot assume the same maximum LVR.

Separate an owner-occupied purchase from an investment purchase, refinance or construction application. A refinance also needs a clear distinction between replacing existing debt and taking extra cash. Construction introduces building documents and progress-payment requirements alongside the income assessment.

Mortgage House’s self-employed guide lists proof of deposit and savings among the documents it can request. For property assessment, it lists the contract of sale, valuation and lease. Building applications can also need the building contract, plans and specifications.

Include the address and postcode, dwelling type, land area and intended use in the scenario. Identify multiple dwellings, unusual titles or any commercial use so the assessor can apply the relevant security rules. Income eligibility alone doesn’t establish property eligibility.

Mortgage House’s self-employed guide flags highly specialised, contaminated or incomplete properties for extra assessment or possible rejection. Remote properties and unusual title arrangements can also need that assessment, as can properties dependent on a single specialised use.

Lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) protects the lender if the borrower defaults. Apply the selected product’s insurance or risk-fee terms when calculating funds needed. An 80% LVR calculation by itself doesn’t establish that a particular Mortgage House product has no additional risk charge.

Worked Example: Equity and Valuation

In this fictional refinance, a client requests $480,000 against a property valued at $600,000. The LVR is 80%, leaving $120,000 of equity before costs. If the accepted valuation is $570,000, the same loan is about 84.2% LVR.

That valuation change can move the application outside an 80% product band. Reducing the loan to $456,000 restores 80% LVR, requiring a $24,000 reduction in borrowing. This calculation illustrates the security position and doesn’t establish Mortgage House approval.

If the refinance replaces an existing Mortgage House loan, the Mortgage House discharge guide covers releasing the current mortgage.

Ask Mortgage House for an Exception

Give Mortgage House a specific departure from policy and the evidence supporting consideration. As at October 2026, its self-employed guidance describes individual assessment subject to its Underwriting Credit Policy. Broker-channel enquiries follow the Mortgage Street route identified on its broker page.

Include the requested product and loan purpose, loan amount and calculated LVR. State the trading history and business structure. Attach the documents supporting the income figure, the deposit or equity position and any explanation of adverse credit.

Identify the exact condition needing a decision. A short ABN history, an entity change and a recent profit decline are separate issues, even when they occur in one application. Explain the reason for each and the evidence that addresses it.

A fictional clarification request for a recently incorporated business can read as follows.

Mortgage House’s Alt Doc Home Loans guidance, accessed 3 October 2026, describes consideration for short ABN histories based on industry experience and income history. Our client requests an owner-occupied refinance at 75% LVR. The company ABN is eight months old, following three years as a sole trader in the same business. Accountant confirmation and statements cover both entities. Can the selected product recognise that continuous trading history, and which entity’s income documents are required?

Keep the written response with the exact scenario and policy version. Apply any conditions to the submission before presenting the file as within policy. An exception response for that borrower doesn’t change the rule for your next client.