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Chef / Hospitality

Chef Home Loan Australia: Lending for Hospitality Income

Q: Will banks count my chef overtime as income?

Depends on lender. Some 80%; others 100% with 12+ months overtime history.

Q: I work casual at 2 different restaurants. Will lenders accept that?

Yes — multi-venue casual income acceptable. Some lenders much better than others.

Q: How much can I borrow as a chef on $80K?

On $80K total + 20% deposit: typically $550K–$700K.

Q: Should I include my cash tips in income?

Only declared tips that show in tax returns count. Talk to your accountant about declaring properly.

Q: I'm a head chef on $120K base + overtime. What's my borrowing capacity?

On $140K total + 20% deposit: typically $900K–$1.1M depending on debts.

Mortgagefy Broker Team · Published 2026-04-29 · Last reviewed 2026-04-29

Chef income — late shifts, casual loadings, sometimes multiple venues, occasional cash tips — banks default to conservative assessments. Mortgagefy knows lenders who count it properly.

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Who this guide is for

Australian chefs and hospitality workers wanting home loans that recognise actual income — including overtime, weekend penalties and shift loadings.

Full-time chefs in restaurants, hotels, catering and venues
Casual chefs working multiple kitchens or events
Head chefs and sous chefs with strong base + overtime income
South Asian chefs in Indian/Bangladeshi/Pakistani kitchens needing language support

The real challenge

Hospitality income is one of the trickier sectors for home loans. Casual loadings, weekend penalties and shift loadings can be 30–50% of total income — and major banks discount these aggressively. Multiple-employer chefs face additional scrutiny.

Specialist lenders count overtime and shift loadings at 100% with consistent history.

How Mortgagefy helps

Mortgagefy works with lenders who properly assess chef income. We document overtime and shift loadings, choose lenders that count them at 100%, and identify lenders comfortable with multi-venue casual chef applications.

Free advice. Honest assessment.

How it works — 4 simple steps

Free chef chat

20-minute call about your venue(s), shifts, overtime patterns and target home.

Compare lender options

We identify which lenders maximise borrowing for chef income.

Application package

We compile your payslips, employment letters, tax returns and supporting documents.

Settle your home

Approval through to settlement with ongoing support.

Frequently asked questions

Will banks count my chef overtime as income?

Some banks count overtime at 80% with 6 months' history; others count 100% with 12+ months. For chefs where overtime is a major part of income, the lender choice makes a significant difference.

I work casual at 2 different restaurants. Will lenders accept that?

Yes — multi-venue casual chef income is acceptable. Some lenders handle multi-employer better than others. We choose lenders comfortable with the structure.

How much can I borrow as a chef on $80K?

Depends on overtime, deposit and debts. For a chef on $80K total income (including overtime/penalties) with 20% deposit, $550K–$700K is commonly achievable.

Should I include my cash tips in income?

Only declared cash tips that show in your tax return are usable. Undeclared tips can't be used. Talk to your accountant about declaring tips properly to maximise borrowing.

I'm a head chef on $120K base + overtime. What's my borrowing capacity?

For a head chef on $120K + overtime totalling $140K with 20% deposit, $900K–$1.1M borrowing is commonly achievable depending on debts.

Get a chef home loan assessment

Free 20-minute call about your real options as a chef. We count overtime properly.

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