Private Lending
in Australia
Private lending, and private business lending in particular, is what Australian business owners turn to when a bank says no, or can't move fast enough. Dark Horse Financial connects you directly with the private lenders Australia relies on: individuals and family offices who assess a deal on its merits, not just a credit scorecard. If you need funds in days rather than weeks, or you have security a conventional lender won't touch, we structure the finance around your timeline and your assets, not theirs.
Quick Enquiry
Get a free, confidential assessment. Usually responds within 2 hours.
How to Apply for Private Lending
Three straightforward steps from enquiry to funds released.
Contact Our Team
Submit a quick enquiry or call us directly. We'll ask a few questions to understand your timeline and identify the right private lenders for your situation.
Contact Us →Submit Your Application
Provide details of your business, your security, and what you need the funds for. We match your deal to private lenders who can move at speed.
Start Application →Rated by Our Clients on Google
How Private Lending Works
Private lending is finance provided directly by private individuals, family offices and private investment funds, rather than a bank or an institutional non-bank lender. Traditionally, private lending has been short-term (around 3 to 24 months) and secured against property or business assets, though a growing number of lenders now offer 3-year terms, and some private lenders will extend up to 30-year terms. Because a private lender assesses the deal itself rather than relying purely on standard credit criteria, decisions can be made and funded far faster than conventional finance allows.
What Is Private Lending?
Finance arranged directly with a private lender rather than a bank, assessed on the strength of your deal and your exit strategy.
Who Provides the Funds?
High-net-worth individuals, family offices and private investment funds, not a bank or listed non-bank lender.
What Security Can Be Used?
Most private loans are secured against residential, commercial or industrial property, or business assets, ranked as a first or second mortgage.
What Can You Use Private Lending For?
Private lending earns its place when speed or flexibility matters more than getting the lowest rate.
Tax debt loans to pay out outstanding ATO debt, even when the ATO has lodged a default on your credit file
Bridging finance for a time-critical property settlement, or while you wait to sell a property or complete a bank refinance
Short-term cash flow gaps while a conventional loan application is still in progress
Complex financial situations: adverse credit history, unconventional income, or a recent bankruptcy discharge
Business growth, acquisitions or working capital that can't wait for a lender's standard timeframe
Debt consolidation when timing pressure rules out a conventional refinance
Types of Private Lending
Private lending covers several structures, secured and unsecured, each suited to a different situation.
Is My Business Eligible for a Private Lending Loan?
Private lending may suit your business if:
- You need funding faster than a bank's standard turnaround allows
- You have equity in property or other assets to offer as security
- You've been declined by a bank or non-bank lender but have a workable exit strategy
- Your income, credit history or ownership structure is complex or hard to document conventionally
- You can show a clear plan to repay or refinance the loan at term
Private Lending Loan Rates
Private lending costs more than bank finance, and we won't pretend otherwise. That cost buys you speed, flexibility on security, and a lender willing to say yes when a bank won't. There's no single headline rate; the price of a private loan reflects the individual deal, not a fixed product.
- Loan-to-value ratio (LVR) against the security offered
- Whether the loan is a first or second mortgage
- Loan term and the strength of your exit strategy
- Complexity of the deal and speed required to fund it
- Your credit history and the documentation available
Talk Through Your Numbers
Every private lending deal is priced individually. Tell us your situation and we'll come back with a specific quote.
Get a Custom Quote →Private Business Lending Success Stories
See how Dark Horse has structured funding for businesses in genuinely urgent or complex situations.
The $3.6M Multi-Lender Solution That Saved a Business and the Family Home
Challenge: A Melbourne manufacturing business, hit hard by COVID-19 lockdowns, needed to refinance an existing loan secured against both the family home and the trading business. The ATO had issued a default notice for outstanding COVID-era tax debt, multiple creditors had lodged caveats against the property, and several other brokers had already tried and failed to solve the refinancing puzzle.
Solution: Dark Horse Financial structured a private first mortgage of $2.4M at 7.89% over a 30-year term, a $400K capital raise secured against factory assets, and an $800K invoice finance facility to bridge the remaining shortfall and accelerate cash flow.
Outcome: The business avoided liquidation, preserved its jobs, and returned to sustainable trading, with record sales and orders within months. The family, including the elderly in-laws who had guaranteed the original loan, kept their homes.
Why Choose Dark Horse Financial?
Direct Private Lender Relationships
Access to private lenders (high-net-worth individuals and family offices), not just institutional non-bank lenders.
Fast Turnaround
Approvals typically within 24–48 hours, so a tight deadline doesn't cost you the deal.
Full Lending Spectrum
Bank, non-bank and private lending options from one broker, so you're matched to the right tier, not just the only one on offer.
Established & Proven
Trusted by Australian businesses since 2013.
Specialist Expertise
Led by a working capital specialist with nearly 15 years' experience structuring complex and time-critical finance.
Confidential, No-Obligation Assessment
A free initial assessment, handled discreetly, with no obligation to proceed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private lending, answered directly.