Buying guide

NZ debt to income ratios: The essential guide

Everything you need to know about the new DTI rules

Ben Tutty
Last updated: 2 September 2024 | 6 min read
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From July 1, 2024, new Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratios from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) will restrict bank lending to ensure borrowers can afford repayments.

The rules limit total borrowing against gross income:

- Owner-occupiers: up to six times their income.

- Investors: up to seven times their income.

Designed to ensure financial stability, DTIs will likely moderate future property booms but have minimal immediate impact. Banks can still offer some high-DTI loans, and exemptions apply for construction, refinancing, and Kāinga Ora loans.

NZ Debt to income ratios explained

The new DTI rules mean:

Annual income x DTI Ratio - Maximum borrowing

Exemptions to the DTIs

Why did the Reserve Bank introduce DTIs?

DTIs won't affect most buyers until the next upturn.

How could DTIs affect the property market?

Why DTis won’t affect prices right away

DTIs won’t affect every market the same

DTIs may moderate prices during a boom

DTIs will affect borrowers differently

Stuff you need to know about NZ debt to income ratios

Non bank lenders don’t have to adhere to DTI rules

You may be able to still get a mortgage from banks with a high DTI

Got a high DTI? There are ways to improve it.

You can improve your DTI

Examples of NZ DTIs

Let’s say you want to buy a home

Now, let’s say you want to increase your home loan

Author

Ben Tutty Ben Tutty
Content Writer