Classification of property as investment property or owner-occupied property (AASB140_08-15_COMPmar20_07-21)

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Investment property is held to earn rentals or for capital appreciation or both. Therefore, an investment property generates cash flows largely independently of the other assets held by an entity. This distinguishes investment property from owner-occupied property. The production or supply of goods or services (or the use of property for administrative purposes) generates cash flows that are attributable not only to property, but also to other assets used in the production or supply process. AASB 116 applies to owned owner-occupied property and AASB 16 applies to owner-occupied property held by a lessee as a right-of-use asset.

The following are examples of investment property:

(a) land held for long-term capital appreciation rather than for short-term sale in the ordinary course of business.

(b) land held for a currently undetermined future use. (If an entity has not determined that it will use the land as owner-occupied property or for short-term sale in the ordinary course of business, the land is regarded as held for capital appreciation.)

(c) a building owned by the entity (or a right-of-use asset relating to a building held by the entity) and leased out under one or more operating leases.

(d) a building that is vacant but is held to be leased out under one or more operating leases.

(e) property that is being constructed or developed for future use as investment property.

The following are examples of items that are not investment property and are therefore outside the scope of this Standard:

(a) property intended for sale in the ordinary course of business or in the process of construction or development for such sale (see AASB 102 Inventories), for example, property acquired exclusively with a view to subsequent disposal in the near future or for development and resale.

(b) [deleted]

(c) owner-occupied property (see AASB 116 and AASB 16), including (among other things) property held for future use as owner-occupied property, property held for future development and subsequent use as owner-occupied property, property occupied by employees (whether or not the employees pay rent at market rates) and owner-occupied property awaiting disposal.

(d) [deleted]

(e) property that is leased to another entity under a finance lease.

In respect of not-for-profit entities, property may be held to meet service delivery objectives rather than to earn rental or for capital appreciation. In such situations the property will not meet the definition of investment property and will be accounted for under AASB 116, for example:

(a) property held for strategic purposes; and

(b) property held to provide a social service, including those which generate cash inflows where the rental revenue is incidental to the purpose for holding the property.

Some properties comprise a portion that is held to earn rentals or for capital appreciation and another portion that is held for use in the production or supply of goods or services or for administrative purposes. If these portions could be sold separately (or leased out separately under a finance lease), an entity accounts for the portions separately. If the portions could not be sold separately, the property is investment property only if an insignificant portion is held for use in the production or supply of goods or services or for administrative purposes.

In some cases, an entity provides ancillary services to the occupants of a property it holds. An entity treats such a property as investment property if the services are insignificant to the arrangement as a whole. An example is when the owner of an office building provides security and maintenance services to the lessees who occupy the building.

In other cases, the services provided are significant. For example, if an entity owns and manages a hotel, services provided to guests are significant to the arrangement as a whole. Therefore, an owner-managed hotel is owner-occupied property, rather than investment property.

It may be difficult to determine whether ancillary services are so significant that a property does not qualify as investment property. For example, the owner of a hotel sometimes transfers some responsibilities to third parties under a management contract. The terms of such contracts vary widely. At one end of the spectrum, the owner’s position may, in substance, be that of a passive investor. At the other end of the spectrum, the owner may simply have outsourced day-to-day functions while retaining significant exposure to variation in the cash flows generated by the operations of the hotel.

Judgement is needed to determine whether a property qualifies as investment property. An entity develops criteria so that it can exercise that judgement consistently in accordance with the definition of investment property and with the related guidance in paragraphs 7–13. Paragraph 75(c) requires an entity to disclose these criteria when classification is difficult.

Judgement is also needed to determine whether the acquisition of investment property is the acquisition of an asset or a group of assets or a business combination within the scope of AASB 3 Business Combinations. Reference should be made to AASB 3 to determine whether it is a business combination. The discussion in paragraphs 7–14 of this Standard relates to whether or not property is owner-occupied property or investment property and not to determining whether or not the acquisition of property is a business combination as defined in AASB 3. Determining whether a specific transaction meets the definition of a business combination as defined in AASB 3 and includes an investment property as defined in this Standard requires the separate application of both Standards.

In some cases, an entity owns property that is leased to, and occupied by, its parent or another subsidiary. The property does not qualify as investment property in the consolidated financial statements, because the property is owner-occupied from the perspective of the group. However, from the perspective of the entity that owns it, the property is investment property if it meets the definition in paragraph 5. Therefore, the lessor treats the property as investment property in its individual financial statements.