LVR calculator — investor & owner-occupied caps
Enter the property value, loan amount and how you'll use it. We'll show your LVR (or LTV in the US), where it sits against your regulator's cap, and the exact deposit you need to clear it.
The deposit gate every property purchase has to pass.
Loan-to-value ratio (LVR) is loan ÷ value, expressed as a percentage. It tells the bank how much skin you have in the deal — which is why the cap is so much tighter for investors than for owner-occupiers.
New Zealand — RBNZ speed limits
The Reserve Bank lets banks lend a small share of new loans above the cap each quarter, but most lending must sit below it. In practice the planning numbers are 80% for owner-occupiers and 65% for investors on standard residential property. New-builds get an exemption and can sit higher.
Australia — LMI and APRA pressure
Australia doesn't have a hard LVR ceiling, but lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) bites above 80% and most major banks tighten investor lending well before the LMI line. 70% LVR is a sensible planning ceiling for investors; owner-occupiers can stretch to 80% comfortably and 90% with LMI.
United States — LTV and PMI
Conventional Fannie/Freddie loans cap at 80% LTV without private mortgage insurance (PMI). FHA loans go higher (96.5%) but with monthly insurance for life of the loan. For investor (non-owner-occupied) loans, lenders typically require 20–25% down regardless.
What this calculator does
It computes your LVR from the value and loan you enter, compares it to your selected cap (override-able), tells you the equity required to clear that cap on the same property, and tells you the maximum loan you could pull on the same equity at the cap. Three numbers, every angle.
LVR calculator FAQ
What's the difference between LVR and LTV?
They're the same number under different names. LVR (loan-to-value ratio) is the term used in New Zealand and Australia. LTV (loan-to-value) is the US equivalent. Both equal the loan amount divided by the property's value, expressed as a percentage.
What are the LVR speed limits in New Zealand?
Since 2023 the RBNZ allows banks to lend at most 5% of new loans to owner-occupiers above 80% LVR, and at most 5% to investors above 70% LVR — though most banks tighten this to 65% for investors in practice. The 'speed limit' applies to the bank's whole new-lending book, not to individual borrowers, but in practice it makes anything above the cap very hard to get.
What about Australia?
APRA doesn't publish hard LVR limits, but lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) is the practical wall. Above 80% LVR you'll pay LMI; investor lending typically caps out around 90% LVR with LMI, but most major lenders won't approve investor loans above 90% — and many cap investor LVR at 80% without strong compensating factors. We default to 70% as the planning ceiling because that's where serviceability most often binds.
Why is the US default 80%?
Conventional Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac mortgages allow up to 80% LTV without private mortgage insurance (PMI). FHA loans can go to 96.5% LTV but require monthly mortgage insurance for the life of the loan. For investor (non-owner-occupied) properties, lenders typically require 20–25% down — so 80% LTV is the standard "no PMI, investor-eligible" planning number.
Run the rest of the numbers
DTI calculator
See whether your next loan fits inside the RBNZ / APRA / US DTI cap before you talk to a bank.
Cashflow calculator
Weekly and annual net cashflow on a rental, with rates, insurance, management, vacancy and interest baked in.
Stress-test calculator
See what your repayments look like at the bank's stress-test rate — the rate they actually use to approve you.
Rental yield calculator
Gross yield, net yield and cap rate for any rental — with weekly-rent input for NZ/AU and monthly for the US.
LVR is a snapshot. Stackhold runs it across your whole portfolio, every time you change a number.
Per-property LVR, portfolio LVR, equity-release planning — all in one model.
No credit card · Cancel anytime · Your data stays in your private cloud account