What is a repayment holiday?
Learn what a home loan repayment holiday means, how it works, when you might use one, and what to watch out for.
Updated on
22 Jun 2026
5
minute read
Please note Unloan does not offer repayment holidays.
A repayment holiday also known as a mortgage holiday or mortgage freeze, is an arrangement with a lender that allows you to temporarily pause your home loan repayments. This can be helpful for those occasions where you may need to direct your cash elsewhere.
Some reasons include:
- If your partner is going on parental leave
- If you’re moving from a double to a single-income household for an extended period
- Recovering from a serious injury
Depending on your lender, a repayment holiday typically can last up to six months. However, some lenders may extend it to up to a year, depending on the circumstances of your situation. It’s best to speak to your lender about what specific arrangements could be made.
Considering that a home loan is a long-term commitment, having the option to temporarily pause your repayments could help you turn the tide. However, it’s important to consider that taking a repayment holiday could result in increased repayment amounts after the break ends.
If you're experiencing financial hardship, getting support is important, so, please get in contact with us, we’re here to help.
This article is intended to provide general information only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice. Please consider seeking financial advice before making any decision based on this information.
This article is intended to provide general information only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice. Please consider seeking financial advice before making any decision based on this information.
Unloan is a division of Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Applications are subject to credit approval, satisfactory security and you must have a minimum 10% deposit or 10% equity in the property (LVR below 90%). Minimum loan amount $10,000, maximum loan amount $10,000,000, and total borrowings per customer across all Unloan loans is $10,000,000. You cannot borrow more than $2,000,000 of above 80% LVR loans. In some cases depending on the property’s location or type, we may only be able to lend you up to 70%.
Unloan offers a 0.01% per annum loyalty discount on the Unloan Live-In rate or Unloan Invest rate upon settlement. On each anniversary of your loan’s settlement date (or the day prior to the anniversary of your loan’s settlement date if your loan settled on 29th February and it is a leap year) the margin discount will increase by a further 0.01% per annum up to a maximum discount of 0.30% per annum. Unloan may withdraw this discount at any time. The discount is applied for each loan you have with Unloan. The loyalty discount is applied to your variable rate at the relevant time, and this rate may increase or decrease over your loan term. For more information view our rates and features.
*At Unloan, we do not charge any annual, application, banking, account, transaction, late or exit fees. Government fees may also apply. Learn more about government fees here. Your current lender may charge an exit fee when refinancing.
Unloan is a division of Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Applications are subject to credit approval, satisfactory security and you must have a minimum 10% deposit or 10% equity in the property (LVR below 90%). Minimum loan amount $10,000, maximum loan amount $10,000,000, and total borrowings per customer across all Unloan loans is $10,000,000. You cannot borrow more than $2,000,000 of above 80% LVR loans. In some cases depending on the property’s location or type, we may only be able to lend you up to 70%.
Unloan offers a 0.01% per annum loyalty discount on the Unloan Live-In rate or Unloan Invest rate upon settlement. On each anniversary of your loan’s settlement date (or the day prior to the anniversary of your loan’s settlement date if your loan settled on 29th February and it is a leap year) the margin discount will increase by a further 0.01% per annum up to a maximum discount of 0.30% per annum. Unloan may withdraw this discount at any time. The discount is applied for each loan you have with Unloan. The loyalty discount is applied to your variable rate at the relevant time, and this rate may increase or decrease over your loan term. For more information view our rates and features.
*At Unloan, we do not charge any annual, application, banking, account, transaction, late or exit fees. Government fees may also apply. Learn more about government fees here. Your current lender may charge an exit fee when refinancing.
This page is intended to provide general information only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. The above information is not tax advice. Taxation laws are complex and subject to change.
Unloan is a division of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Commonwealth Bank does not provide tax (financial) advice under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth). You should consider seeking independent tax advice from a registered tax agent, accountant or adviser before you make any decisions based on this information.
Applications are subject to credit approval, satisfactory security and you must have a minimum 10% deposit or 10% equity in the property (LVR below 90%). Minimum loan amount $10,000, maximum loan amount $10,000,000, and total borrowings per customer across all Unloan loans is $10,000,000. You cannot borrow more than $2,000,000 of above 80% LVR loans. In some cases depending on the property’s location or type, we may only be able to lend you up to 70%.
Unloan offers a 0.01% per annum loyalty discount on the Unloan Live-In rate or Unloan Invest rate upon settlement. On each anniversary of your loan’s settlement date (or the day prior to the anniversary of your loan’s settlement date if your loan settled on 29th February and it is a leap year) the margin discount will increase by a further 0.01% per annum up to a maximum discount of 0.30% per annum. Unloan may withdraw this discount at any time. The discount is applied for each loan you have with Unloan. The loyalty discount is applied to your variable rate at the relevant time, and this rate may increase or decrease over your loan term. For more information view our rates and features.
*At Unloan, we do not charge any annual, application, banking, account, transaction, late or exit fees. Government fees may also apply. Learn more about government fees here. Your current lender may charge an exit fee when refinancing.
Unloan is a division of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Commonwealth Bank does not provide tax (financial) advice under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth). You should consider seeking independent tax advice from a registered tax agent, accountant or adviser before you make any decisions based on this information.
Applications are subject to credit approval, satisfactory security and you must have a minimum 10% deposit or 10% equity in the property (LVR below 90%). Minimum loan amount $10,000, maximum loan amount $10,000,000, and total borrowings per customer across all Unloan loans is $10,000,000. You cannot borrow more than $2,000,000 of above 80% LVR loans. In some cases depending on the property’s location or type, we may only be able to lend you up to 70%.
Unloan offers a 0.01% per annum loyalty discount on the Unloan Live-In rate or Unloan Invest rate upon settlement. On each anniversary of your loan’s settlement date (or the day prior to the anniversary of your loan’s settlement date if your loan settled on 29th February and it is a leap year) the margin discount will increase by a further 0.01% per annum up to a maximum discount of 0.30% per annum. Unloan may withdraw this discount at any time. The discount is applied for each loan you have with Unloan. The loyalty discount is applied to your variable rate at the relevant time, and this rate may increase or decrease over your loan term. For more information view our rates and features.
*At Unloan, we do not charge any annual, application, banking, account, transaction, late or exit fees. Government fees may also apply. Learn more about government fees here. Your current lender may charge an exit fee when refinancing.
This article is intended to provide general information only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice.
Applications are subject to credit approval, satisfactory security and minimum deposit requirements. Full terms and conditions are found on our Unloan Terms and Conditions. Modified Terms and Conditions will be set out in our Notice of Variation Agreement, if you are approved. This article is intended to provide general information only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice.
Applications are subject to credit approval, satisfactory security and minimum deposit requirements. Full terms and conditions are found on our Unloan Terms and Conditions. Modified Terms and Conditions will be set out in our Notice of Variation Agreement, if you are approved. This article is intended to provide general information only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice.
This article is intended to provide general information only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice. Please consider seeking financial advice before making any decision based on this information. To learn more about what features Unloan provides, visit our product page here.
The above information is not tax advice. Taxation laws are complex and subject to change. Unloan is a division of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Commonwealth Bank does not provide tax (financial) advice under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (Cth). You should consider seeking independent tax advice from a registered tax agent, accountant or adviser before you make any decisions based on this information.
Applications are subject to credit approval, satisfactory security and you must have a minimum 10% deposit or 10% equity in the property (LVR below 90%). Minimum loan amount $10,000, maximum loan amount $10,000,000, and total borrowings per customer across all Unloan loans is $10,000,000. You cannot borrow more than $2,000,000 of above 80% LVR loans. In some cases depending on the property’s location or type, we may only be able to lend you up to 70%.
Unloan offers a 0.01% per annum loyalty discount on the Unloan Live-In rate or Unloan Invest rate upon settlement. On each anniversary of your loan’s settlement date (or the day prior to the anniversary of your loan’s settlement date if your loan settled on 29th February and it is a leap year) the margin discount will increase by a further 0.01% per annum up to a maximum discount of 0.30% per annum. Unloan may withdraw this discount at any time. The discount is applied for each loan you have with Unloan. The loyalty discount is applied to your variable rate at the relevant time, and this rate may increase or decrease over your loan term. For more information view our rates and features.
*At Unloan, we do not charge any annual, application, banking, account, transaction, late or exit fees. Government fees may also apply. Learn more about government fees here. Your current lender may charge an exit fee when refinancing.
Unloan offers a 0.01% per annum loyalty discount on the Unloan Live-In rate or Unloan Invest rate upon settlement. On each anniversary of your loan’s settlement date (or the day prior to the anniversary of your loan’s settlement date if your loan settled on 29th February and it is a leap year) the margin discount will increase by a further 0.01% per annum up to a maximum discount of 0.30% per annum. Unloan may withdraw this discount at any time. The discount is applied for each loan you have with Unloan. The loyalty discount is applied to your variable rate at the relevant time, and this rate may increase or decrease over your loan term. For more information view our rates and features.
*At Unloan, we do not charge any annual, application, banking, account, transaction, late or exit fees. Government fees may also apply. Learn more about government fees here. Your current lender may charge an exit fee when refinancing.
