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Income types

Links Property Finance · Mortgage broker for every income type, Sydney: Can I Get a Home Loan on Casual Income?

Yes. Most lenders accept casual income once you have been in the role for six to twelve months, and some from three months with a longer history in the same industry.

Reviewed by Charles Touma Updated 18 October 2026

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Can you get a home loan on casual income?

Yes. Lenders want time in the job, consistent hours and payslips that match your bank statements. Most average your income over six to twelve months; some accept three months with a longer history in the same industry.

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A year-to-date figure on your payslip and an employer letter often lift how much of it is counted.

Part of the employment and income home loans guide.

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How much could you borrow?

How much could you borrow?

$140,000
None

What moves the number

Choose any that apply. Each shows roughly how much it changes the figure, the way a lender’s assessment would.

$635,000

is an indicative borrowing figure at today’s typical rates. Lenders typically count around 80% of rental income, which is why an investment purchase can lift your number, your real figure comes from a proper assessment.

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How do lenders treat casual income?

Typical positions across the panel. Policies change and differ by lender.

Minimum time in the current job6 to 12 months; some accept 3 months with 2 years in the industry. Continuous employment, a letter confirming ongoing hours.
How the income is calculatedAverage of the last 3 to 6 months of payslips, or year-to-date divided by weeks worked. Steady hours; avoid applying straight after a quiet month.
Casual loadingCounted as part of the income. Payslips that show the loading separately.
Overtime and penalty ratesOften counted at 80%, sometimes 100% with 12 months of history. A year of payslips showing regular penalties.
Second casual jobCounted with 6 to 12 months of history. Both employers confirmed in writing.
Gaps in workShort gaps accepted; long gaps need an explanation. A letter explaining study, travel or parental leave.

Illustration of typical policy, not a quote. Confirmed in an assessment.

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What proves casual income?

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  • Three to six months of payslips.Showing hours, rate, loading and year-to-date totals. Lenders check that the year-to-date figure matches the average they calculate.
  • Three months of bank statements.The pay must land in your account in amounts that match the payslips.
  • An employment letter.Start date, that the position is ongoing, and typical weekly hours. For a new role, it carries the file.
  • Last year’s tax summary.The income statement from the ATO shows the full year and smooths out seasonal swings.
  • Rent history.Twelve months of rent paid on time is strong evidence for a lender that you can carry a repayment on this income.

What does casual income support?

Borrowing power is calculated from the averaged income the same way as a salary. The borrowing power calculator takes the averaged figure; the $80,000 guide shows the arithmetic.

A casual nurse averaging $85,000 including penalties borrows about the same as a salaried nurse on $85,000 at a lender that counts the penalties in full, and noticeably less at one that counts them at 80 per cent.

First home buyer help applies in full. The 5% Deposit Scheme has no employment-type rule, and the NSW duty exemption under $800,000 depends on the property and the buyer, not the job. The casual income worked example walks through a real-world file.

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What lifts the figure, and what lowers it?

Four things that move a casual application.

  • Lifts: time in the jobTwelve months with one employer opens almost every lender; two years opens all of them.
  • Lifts: consistent hoursPayslips within a narrow band each fortnight are read as reliable; wide swings are averaged down.
  • Lowers: a quiet quarterApplying after a slow summer or a period of leave drags the average. Timing the application matters.
  • Lowers: unexplained gapsA break in payslips without a letter explaining it makes a lender assume the income is irregular.

Common questions about casual income home loans

Can I get a home loan if I am a casual employee?

Yes. Most lenders accept casual income after six to twelve months in the job, averaged over recent payslips. Some accept three months with a longer history in the same industry.

How long do I need to be casual before applying?

Commonly six months, with twelve months opening the widest choice of lenders. Three months can work where you have two years in the same field and an employer letter confirming ongoing hours.

Do lenders count my casual loading and penalty rates?

Yes. The casual loading counts as income, and penalty rates and overtime are often counted at 80 per cent, or in full by some lenders with twelve months of history.

Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme on casual income?

Yes. The scheme has no employment-type rule. The lender still has to be satisfied the income is reliable, which is the same test as any other application.

What if my hours changed recently?

Lenders average recent payslips, so a recent drop lowers the figure and a recent rise is only partly counted until it has history. An employer letter confirming the new hours helps.

Is a casual nurse or teacher treated differently?

Often better. Several lenders count penalty rates and overtime in full for essential-services roles with twelve months of history, which lifts borrowing power above a salaried applicant on the same base.

Read the casual income worked example and the employment and income guide for the other income types lenders assess differently.

Get a straight answer for your situation

Send Charles three months of payslips and your start date. He matches you to the lenders that read casual hours most generously and tells you what you could borrow. Free, no credit check.

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Charles Touma, mortgage broker at Links Property Finance
Reviewed by Charles Touma Director & Mortgage Broker · MFAA member · Credit Representative 579003 under ACL 389328 About Charles · Employment and income · MFAA register · ASIC register · Complaints processEvery page is reviewed by Charles before it is published and checked against current lender policy and the official scheme pages linked where figures appear.

General information only, not credit or financial advice. Scheme thresholds and lender policies change; the figures are illustrations on stated assumptions, not a quote. Links Property Finance holds an Australian Credit Licence authorisation and confirms eligibility against current rules in an assessment.

Official sources for the figures on this page: Housing Australia, 5% Deposit Scheme. Scheme rules change; the official pages are the final word. Checked against these sources on 12 October 2026.