“For sale by mortgagee” signs sprouting around the country is not something anyone wants to see happening. But there is a risk of that - and home owners being evicted on to the streets - once the mortgage repayment deferrals afforded to borrowers by Australian banks cease to operate.

There is a limit to how long the deferrals can continue. The ongoing accumulation of interest works to push the amount owed upwards and eventually beyond the borrower’s capacity to repay.