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About Cabin Funders

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

What we do: Consumer cabin finance for New Zealand buyers, covering completed, ready-to-ship and stock cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, minor dwellings, transportable homes, tiny homes (on wheels or skids), 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, structuring finance around the value of the cabin itself so buying a cabin is as simple as buying a vehicle.

Key facts:

  • NZ-owned and operated, lending nationwide
  • Regulated under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA)
  • Financial Service Provider registration: FSP1010017
  • Loans from NZD 20,000 to NZD 250,000, term up to 5 years
  • Interest rate 1.99% per month (equivalent to 23.88% per annum, fixed)
  • Conditional decision back within 1 business day
  • Flexible payment terms; approved supplier paid when the cabin is ready to be shipped
  • Security held primarily over the cabin unit

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

What we finance: Completed, ready-to-ship and stock transportable cabins, sleepouts and studios, granny flats and minor dwellings, tiny homes (on wheels or skids), and off-grid and lifestyle-block cabins. Custom or bespoke builds are considered strictly by request.

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.

Can I get a loan for a Granny flats & minor dwellings in NZ?

Yes. Cabin Funders specialises in loans for Granny flats & minor dwellings in New Zealand. We assess affordability under the CCCFA and work with most NZ cabin suppliers and builders.

What deposit do I need for a Granny flats & minor dwellings loan?

Deposit depends on the build cost and the cabin type. Many Granny flats & minor dwellings applicants qualify with a low or zero deposit, particularly when the cabin secures the loan. Speak to us about your situation.

A modern New Zealand cabin in a green rural setting

The granny flat loan, made specific.

Powered by JFK Capital Limited (Registered FSP)

Adding a transportable granny flat or minor dwelling to your section is one of the smartest moves a Kiwi homeowner can make in 2026. We finance completed, ready-to-ship and stock granny flats, on owned land or family land. Conditional decision 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.

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

From 2026, New Zealand's Small Stand-alone Dwellings rules are set to remove the building-consent requirement for granny flats up to 70m² designed, built and supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner and meeting the Building Code. Exact commencement and conditions are set by the legislation, and council notification or zoning rules may still apply, so check current rules with your council. Cabin Funders provides specialist cabin finance for completed, ready-to-ship and stock granny flats and minor dwellings from $20,000 to $250,000 at a fixed rate of 1.99% per month (equivalent to 23.88% per annum, fixed). Security is held primarily over the cabin unit, so it sits completely separate from any existing mortgage on your house.

$20k to $250k
Cabin loan range
Paid direct
To your supplier when ready to ship
1 day
Conditional decision in 1 business day
1.99%/mo
Fixed rate (23.88% p.a.)

What cabin buyers struggle with for this type of build

A plain look at how granny flats & minor dwellings actually get financed (and don't) in New Zealand.

Granny flats and minor dwellings sit at the centre of the 2026 NZ housing conversation. New Zealand's Small Stand-alone Dwellings rules are set to remove the building-consent requirement for dwellings up to 70m² designed, built and supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner and meeting the Building Code, though exact commencement and conditions are set by the legislation and council notification or zoning rules may still apply. For homeowners with a 600m² to 800m² section, that points toward an easier path to a second dwelling worth $450 to $700 per week in rent, so it pays to confirm current rules with your council before you build.

The right financing for a completed, transportable granny flat is standalone asset finance structured around the dwelling itself rather than a mortgage top-up that touches your existing home loan. It keeps your fixed rate intact and makes the purchase as simple as buying a vehicle. Cabin Funders provides that finance, with affordability assessed under the CCCFA and forecast rental income factored in where relevant.

Three things that block this kind of cabin purchase

The pain points we hear from granny flats & minor dwellings buyers, almost word for word, every week.

You don't want to touch your existing mortgage

Adding a granny flat through a home-loan top-up usually means breaking your fixed rate, revaluing the property, and restructuring servicing. Most homeowners on a good fixed rate would rather keep their mortgage exactly as it is.

Consent confusion before the 2026 rules land

The new exemption only applies to dwellings up to 70m², built by an LBP, on a section that meets the rules. Anything over 70m² still goes through full council consent. Borrowers want lender certainty before they commit.

You need a clean, simple finance path

Buying a completed, transportable granny flat should be as simple as buying a vehicle. Cabin Funders structures finance around the value of the cabin itself and pays your approved supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you.

With a Cabin Funders loan vs paying outright

Cabin Funders provides straightforward asset finance structured around the completed granny flat, with security held primarily over the cabin unit. Your bank mortgage is untouched. We pay your approved supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you. Loans from $20,000 to $250,000 over a standard term of up to 5 years at a fixed rate of 1.99% per month (equivalent to 23.88% per annum, fixed), with an optional 40% balloon payment at maturity to lower your monthly cost.

Compact granny flat

$45,000 loan

Repay about $1,311 per month over 5 years

Representative example, actual rate confirmed on assessment. Completed 45m² unit from an NZ supplier, delivered and placed on your section.

Mid-range turn-key granny flat

$85,000 loan

Repay about $2,459 per month over 5 years

Representative example, actual rate confirmed on assessment. Completed 60m² one-bedroom dwelling, ready to ship.

Top-spec 70m² granny flat with services

$140,000 loan

Repay about $4,038 per month over 5 years

Representative example, actual rate confirmed on assessment. Completed 70m² two-bedroom dwelling, including site placement, plumbing and electrical connections.

What we cover

Cabin Funders finances the full picture for granny flats & minor dwellings in New Zealand, not just the cabin price from the yard.

Completed granny flats up to 70m² (consent rules set to ease from 2026)
Transportable minor dwellings over 70m² (full consent path)
Ready-to-ship and stock granny flat units
Site delivery, transport and placement
Plumbing and electrical connections
Second-dwelling rental conversions

Buy from any NZ supplier

We can fund a granny flats & minor dwellings from any reputable New Zealand supplier or builder. There's no approved-supplier list to squeeze into.

We're flexible on payment terms and pay your approved cabin supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you, keeping the transaction clean and secure. Just tell us who you're buying from when you apply.

Why borrowers choose Cabin Funders

What makes a Cabin Funders loan different for granny flats & minor dwellings.

Sits outside your home loan

Security is held primarily over the granny flat itself, not your land or house. Your existing mortgage stays exactly as it is.

2026 rules built into our process

We know the 70m² exemption rules and which builds qualify. If your build is over 70m², we still lend, the process just runs parallel to your council consent.

Flexible supplier payment

We're flexible on payment terms and pay your approved cabin supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you, keeping the transaction clean and secure.

Rental income offsets the repayment

Rental income from a backyard granny flat can cover much of a Cabin Funders repayment, and the optional 40% balloon payment keeps your monthly cost lower again.

Conditional decision in a business day

No property revaluation, no three-week home-loan top-up wait. Online application, CCCFA affordability check, signed agreement.

Repay early any time

When the granny flat is producing income or you decide to refinance later, settle the loan in full any time, with a $75 prepayment administration fee.

How a Granny flats & minor dwellings loan works

From application to your supplier being paid, in three steps.

1

Apply online

Five-minute application. Tell us about the cabin, the supplier, your income and your deposit. We'll run a CCCFA affordability check and come back with a yes, a no, or a question, usually inside one business day.

2

Sign the loan agreement

Plain-English loan documents arrive by email. Read them, ask any questions, then e-sign. We register a PPSR security interest on the cabin once it's in your possession.

3

Payment Flexibility

We're flexible on payment terms and pay your approved cabin supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you, keeping the transaction clean and secure. Your repayments start the following month.

With a Cabin Funders loan vs paying outright

What changes when you stop trying to save for the whole cabin in cash.

Paying outright (or trying to)

  • Save for years while rent eats every spare dollar
  • Bank says no on policy grounds (transportable, on wheels, no land)
  • Personal loan caps below build cost at 14 to 22% unsecured
  • Drain emergency savings to pay the supplier deposit
  • Builder waitlists keep moving while you scrape funds together

With a Cabin Funders loan

  • Cabin on your section this season, not three winters from now
  • Yes to transportable, on-wheels, skid-mounted and off-grid cabins
  • Secured rate via PPSR, lower than unsecured personal loan
  • Supplier paid direct, no money sitting in your account
  • Repay early any time when your situation changes (a $75 prepayment admin fee applies)

Common questions

What granny flats & minor dwellings buyers ask us most often.

Do I need council consent before applying?
From 2026, New Zealand's Small Stand-alone Dwellings rules are set to remove the building-consent requirement for granny flats up to 70m² designed, built and supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner and meeting the Building Code. Exact commencement and conditions are set by the legislation, and council notification or zoning rules may still apply, so check current rules with your council. You don't need consent in hand to apply to us. For minor dwellings over 70m², or if any part of your build sits outside the exemption rules, you'll still need council consent, and we can usually fund the completed unit once it qualifies.
Will the loan affect my existing home mortgage?
No. Security is held primarily over the granny flat unit itself, not the land or the existing house. Your bank mortgage stays exactly as it is. You don't need to break a fixed rate, revalue the property, or even tell your bank, though we recommend you let your home loan provider know what's happening on the section.
What kinds of granny flats do you fund?
We fund completed, ready-to-ship and stock granny flats and minor dwellings, whether they are built on wheels or skids. As long as it is a portable cabin, we will fund it. Custom or bespoke builds are considered strictly by request. We pay your approved supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you.
How does a Cabin Funders loan work?
Cabin Funders is built specifically for cabin finance. We finance completed, ready-to-ship and stock cabins, making the purchase as simple as buying a vehicle. Security is held primarily over the cabin unit. Bring us your supplier quote and income evidence. We will run our affordability assessment under the CCCFA, give you a conditional decision within one business day, and pay your approved supplier directly when your cabin is ready to be shipped.
What's the maximum loan term?
Cabin Funders writes loans on a standard term of up to 5 years. You can spread principal and interest over 1 to 5 years, with an optional 40% balloon payment at maturity to lower your ongoing monthly costs. At the 5-year mark, you can choose to pay out the 40% residual balance, or refinance the remaining amount with us.
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Ready to finance your granny flats & minor dwellings?

Five-minute online application. Decision in a business day. Repay early any time.

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