The Reserve Bank has delayed the start of changes to investor loan-to-value restrictions (LVRs) nationwide from 1 September to 1 October 2016, after talking to the banks about time required to honour pre-approved loans.
"Banks have indicated through their submissions that more time is required to enable them to meet the new restrictions that apply to investor loans nationwide, given the pipeline of loan pre-approvals made prior to our announcement in July," Deputy Governor, Grant Spencer said today.
"We understand that banks have been applying the new LVR restrictions to new loan applications since the LVR changes were announced. On that basis we will defer the formal introduction of the changes to 1 October in order to accommodate the backlog of pre-approvals."
Last month the central bank announced plans to introduce new bank conditions requiring most loans to residential property investors to have a minimum 40 per cent deposit.
Most lending to owner occupiers would also require a 20 per cent minimum deposit with both changes rolled out across New Zealand.
Rules requiring Auckland investors to hold a minimum 30 per cent deposit, and Auckland residential buyers to hold 20 per cent, are already in place.
