Growth in new lending to housing investors has accelerated to its fastest annual pace since early 2015, when banks were forced to crack down on landlord buyers amid fears the property market was overheating.

The value of new loans approved for property investors jumped 4.9 per cent in November, and this lifted year-on-year growth in this segment to 21.4 per cent, a 19-month high, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed on Tuesday.

The jump is the latest sign of a revival in borrowing by property investors, with the value of new lending to owner-occupiers increasing more slowly, at 0.9 per cent during the month.

The bounce back in lending to property investors over recent months has occurred as house prices continue to rise strongly in Sydney and Melbourne during 2016, despite many experts predicting a weaker year for bricks and mortar.