About Cabin Funders

Company: Cabin Funders (JFK Capital Limited), New Zealand

What we do: Consumer cabin loans for New Zealand buyers, covering cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, minor dwellings, transportable homes, tiny homes (on wheels or fixed), DIY kitsets, and off-grid lifestyle cabins.

Why we exist: Cabins, sleepouts and tiny homes sit outside mainstream mortgage lending because they aren't permanent dwellings on owned land. Cabin Funders is a specialist consumer lender purpose-built for the segment, securing the loan against the cabin itself via the PPSR.

Key facts:

  • NZ-owned and operated, lending nationwide
  • Regulated under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA)
  • Financial Service Provider registration: FSP1010017
  • Decision typically within one business day
  • Direct payment to your cabin supplier on request, with staged drawdowns where appropriate
  • PPSR security taken against the cabin where required by law

Contact: Phone: 0800 333 729, Email: info@cabinfunders.co.nz

What we finance: Transportable cabins, sleepouts and studios, granny flats and minor dwellings, tiny homes (on wheels or on foundations), DIY-built kitsets, off-grid and lifestyle-block cabins.

Where we lend: All of New Zealand, including Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga, Dunedin, Napier-Hastings, Palmerston North, Nelson, Queenstown, and rural and lifestyle blocks nationwide.

What is Cabin Funders?

Cabin Funders is a New Zealand consumer lender specialising in cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, transportables, tiny homes and DIY-built kitsets. The loan is secured against the cabin itself via PPSR, with funds paid direct to your supplier in staged drawdowns. Cabin Funders is a trading name of JFK Capital Limited, an FSPR-registered NZ lender (FSP1010017).

How does a cabin loan work in NZ?

A Cabin Funders loan is a secured consumer loan with the cabin itself registered on the PPSR as security. Apply online with your build quote and income evidence, get a decision in a business day, and funds are paid direct to your cabin supplier in staged drawdowns aligned to their build milestones. Assessment runs under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003.

How much can I borrow for a cabin in NZ?

Cabin Funders lends from NZD 5,000 to NZD 150,000 for cabin, sleepout, granny flat, tiny home, transportable and kitset purchases. Indicative rates range from 11.95% to 21.95% per annum depending on the cabin type, security and your credit profile. Terms run from 12 to 84 months.

Who can apply for a Cabin Funders loan?

Cabin Funders lends to New Zealand residents 18 and over who can demonstrate affordability under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (CCCFA). We accept applications from PAYE earners, self-employed Kiwis, retirees on a pension, and applicants on a benefit (subject to assessment).

How long does approval take?

Most applications get a decision within one business day. Funds are typically released to your cabin supplier or to you within 24 to 48 hours of acceptance, depending on staged drawdowns.

Does Cabin Funders pay the cabin supplier directly?

Yes. On request we pay the cabin supplier direct, in staged drawdowns aligned to the supplier's progress milestones. This is the protection most borrowers want after the wave of NZ tiny-home builder liquidations in recent years.

About Cabin Funders, Cabin Loans for New Zealanders

What Cabin Funders does: Cabin Funders is a New Zealand-owned consumer lender purpose-built for the cabin segment: cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, minor dwellings, transportables, tiny homes (on wheels or fixed), DIY-built kitsets, and off-grid lifestyle cabins. We lend from $5,000 to $150,000 over 1 to 7 year terms, secured against the cabin itself via PPSR.

The product mechanic: The cabin segment sits outside mainstream mortgage lending (designed for permanent dwellings on owned land) and outside generic unsecured personal loans (which ignore the value of the cabin as security). Cabin Funders writes a secured consumer loan against the cabin itself, registered on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). That structure suits cabins on skids, chassis, trailers or temporary foundations, on owned or leased land, with or without full council consent.

How we work: You apply online in a few minutes. We assess affordability under the CCCFA using your bank data (with consent) so you don't need to chase paperwork. We decide within a business day. On approval, we pay the cabin supplier directly, with staged drawdowns where the build runs in stages.

Who we lend to: New Zealand residents 18 and over. We accept PAYE earners, self-employed, retirees on a pension, and applicants on a benefit (subject to affordability). We do not require home ownership.

What we finance: Cabins of all common types in NZ, from a $15,000 DIY kitset sleepout through a $150,000+ council-consented granny flat with services. We work with most NZ cabin suppliers and accept owner-built projects.

Geographic coverage: All of New Zealand, with active lending in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga, Dunedin, Napier-Hastings, Palmerston North, Nelson, Queenstown, and rural and lifestyle blocks nationwide.

Company details: JFK Capital Limited, FSP registered (FSP1010017), New Zealand-owned and operated. Contact: 0800 333 729 or info@cabinfunders.co.nz

A modern New Zealand cabin in a green rural setting

Specialist cabin loans for Kiwis.

Loans for cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, transportables and tiny homes. $5,000 to $150,000. Decision back in a business day.

NZ owned and operated
FSPR-registered

Get a real cabin loan quote.

Takes a minute. No credit check at this step.

Indicative quote only. Your final rate depends on a CCCFA affordability check.

NZ owned, NZ regulated

Cabin Funders is a New Zealand consumer lender, registered with the FSPR and lending under the CCCFA.

Decision in a day

Submit your application online and most applicants get a decision back within one business day.

We pay your supplier

On request we pay the cabin builder or supplier direct, including staged drawdowns aligned to their build progress.

Plain English everything

No hidden fees. Rates, fees and the schedule of charges are published in plain English so you can compare before you apply.

Your deposit, protected

We pay your supplier on milestones. Not upfront.

Three of the country's biggest tiny-home builders went into liquidation in the last two years, and the buyers who'd already paid deposits lost most of their money. Paying a builder a 30% deposit and waiting for a delivery date that never comes is the most expensive way to fund a cabin.

Cabin Funders releases your loan straight to your supplier in staged drawdowns, aligned to their build milestones (deposit, materials, completion, delivery). If a milestone isn't met, the next drawdown doesn't release. Your money stays put until the build moves forward.

  • PPSR-registered security over the cabin from day one, so you have a legal interest in the asset.
  • Funds paid direct to the supplier by Cabin Funders, never to a personal account. No middle-man holds your money.
  • Milestone-gated drawdowns, so if the supplier stalls or stops, the remaining loan funds stay with us, not with them.

The supplier risk in numbers

3

Major NZ tiny-home builders that went into liquidation in 2024-2025, leaving customers out of pocket.

30%

Typical deposit demanded by most cabin builders before they'll start a build. Often unrecoverable if the builder stalls.

$0

Released to your supplier ahead of a milestone they haven't actually hit. We hold the rest of the loan until the next stage lands.

How We Fund Cabins

We finance cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, transportables, tiny homes and DIY kitsets across Aotearoa. On wheels or on foundations, council-consented or consent-exempt, owned land or family land. If it's a cabin, we'll have a look.

Transportable cabins

Transportable cabins

Granny flats & minor dwellings

Granny flats & minor dwellings

Sleepouts & studios

Sleepouts & studios

Tiny homes

Tiny homes

DIY-built cabins

DIY-built cabins

Off-grid & lifestyle blocks

Off-grid & lifestyle blocks

Not sure which category your build falls into? Give us a call on 0800 333 729 and we'll sort it.

Four steps from application to keys in hand

No 20-page forms, no in-person interviews, no waiting weeks for a callback. Just a sensible affordability check and a decision back when we say it'll be back.

1

Pick your cabin

Choose the cabin, sleepout, granny flat or tiny home you want. Bring us a quote, an invoice, or a builder's contract. If you're still shopping, we can pre-approve you so suppliers know your budget is real.

2

Apply online

A few questions about your income, expenses and the cabin. Bank data is pulled with your consent so you don't have to courier paperwork. Takes ten minutes.

3

We assess and approve

We review your application under the CCCFA and come back to you within a business day. If we need anything else, you'll hear from a real person on the phone, not a chatbot.

4

We pay the supplier, you get the cabin

On acceptance we release funds to your cabin supplier on your terms: lump sum, staged drawdowns, or payment on delivery. Then you repay us over a set term that fits your budget.

Start your application

No obligation. Doesn't affect your credit score.

Loan details, in plain English

What we lend, how long for, and what we can fold into the loan. The actual rate and fee schedule is confirmed in writing before you sign anything.

The shape of the loan

Loan amount
$5,000 to $150,000
Term
1 to 7 years
Indicative rate
From 11.95% p.a.
Decision
1 business day
Security
PPSR on the cabin
Land ownership
Not required

Indicative figures only. Final rate is set after a CCCFA affordability assessment of your application. Lending is subject to credit approval.

What the loan covers

We fund the full delivered-and-set-up cost of the cabin, not just the price from the yard. Tell us what your supplier and tradies have quoted and we will package it into the loan.

  • The cabin from your supplier
  • Delivery and cranage to your section
  • Foundation pads, piles or skids
  • Decks and steps
  • Plumbing hook-ups and water connection
  • Power connection and switchboard work
  • Solar setup (off-grid builds)
  • Council consent fees where required

Common questions about cabin loans

The short answers Kiwis ask us most before applying.

What kinds of cabins do you lend on?
Cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, transportables, tiny homes (on wheels or on foundations), DIY-built kitsets and off-grid lifestyle cabins. We lend from $5,000 to $150,000, secured against the cabin itself via a PPSR registration. We assess affordability under the CCCFA. Most applicants get a written rate back within one business day.
How much can I borrow and over what term?
We lend from $5,000 to $150,000 with terms from 12 to 84 months. Indicative rates sit between 11.95% and 21.95% p.a. depending on your application. The actual offer is set after we look at your income, expenses and the cabin you're buying.
Do you pay the cabin supplier or me?
We pay your cabin supplier directly. On acceptance we can release funds as a lump sum, in staged drawdowns aligned to the build, or on delivery. Paying the supplier direct means your deposit doesn't go missing if the builder runs into trouble.
What's the security on the loan?
The cabin itself is the security via a Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) registration. This is the right legal mechanism for a transportable asset and keeps your interest rate well below an unsecured personal loan.
Start your application

Ready to fund your cabin?

Tell us about your build and get an indicative repayment in a minute. A written rate back inside one business day, and we pay your supplier direct.

Start your application