The $7,000 first home owners grant was created to help you buy or build your first home. It is a federal initiative that is administered and funded by the state government.
Am I eligible?
This includes anyone who is or will be on the title of the property with you. If you have a spouse who will not own any part of the home, you must include them on the application as a non-applicant spouse. All applicants must meet the eligibility criteria.
You may be eligible for the grant if …
You are:
- at least 18 years of age
- not a company or a person acting as a trustee
- an Australian citizen or a permanent resident (or a joint applicant with someone who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident)
- buying or building a home worth less than $1M.
You may be eligible for the grant if you are a trustee of a trust (other than a discretionary or unit trust) and all the beneficiaries are individuals under a legal disability who will live in the home as their principal place of residence.
You and your spouse have:
- never been paid the first home owner grant
- before 1 July 2000, not owned residential property in Australia
- from 1 July 2000, not lived in residential property (in Australia) you have owned.
You will:
- move into the home within one year of buying it
- live in the home for 6 months continuously as your principal place of residence.
Exceptions
The Office of State Revenue may approve the grant in special circumstances if you:
- are under 18 years of age
- move into the home after one year
- live in the home for less than 6 months.
You may also get the grant if you have entered into an:
Before applying, check with us to see if you are eligible.
Applying for the grant
To receive the grant you must meet the eligibility criteria. You also must apply within 1 year after buying your home.
Note: A first home owner boost is available for contracts entered into between 14 October 2008 and 31 December 2009.
Set out below is a table of how the grant is currently structured:
| Commencement date | QLD grant | Commonwealth boost (established homes) |
Commonwealth boost (new homes) |
| Before 14 October 2008 | $7,000 | n/a | n/a |
| 14 October 2008 to 30 September 2009 | $7,000 | $7,000 | $14,000 |
| 1 October 2009 to 31 December 2009 | $7,000 | $3,500 | $7,000 |
| 1 January 2010 | $7,000 | n/a | n/a |
Your application
Anyone who will own any part of your home must be included on the application. You only need to lodge one application for your home, regardless of the number of applicants. Only one grant is payable per application.
Your application must be:
- signed by all applicants
- witnessed
- completed (including the age restriction/disqualifying arrangements/residency requirements addendum).
See the supporting documentation checklist for information you need to include in your application.
Where can I apply for the first home owners grant?
You can apply for the first home owner grant through an approved bank or lending institution.
You can also apply directly to the Office of State Revenue by sending us your application.
Note: You may be paid the grant sooner if you apply through an approved bank or financial institution.
How long do I have to apply for the grant?
You must apply for the grant within 1 year of buying or building your home.
| Buying your home
|
You must apply within 1 year of taking possession of the home and your title being registered. |
| Contract to build
|
You must apply within 1 year of the home being completed, for instance, the final inspection report being issued. |
| Owner–builder | You must apply within 1 year of the home being completed, for instance, the final inspection report being issued. |
In some special cases, this period may be extended. If you are applying outside the application period, you need to include in your application a written statement explaining your circumstances.
Additional information
In order to determine whether or not you are eligible for the grant, the Office of State Revenue may ask you for additional information.
There are penalties for giving false or misleading information.
You will get paid when…
| Type of transaction | Applying through OSR | Applying through a bank or lending institution |
| Buying your home—
off the plan |
you have a registration confirmation statement showing your name on the title of the property | at settlement |
| Buying your home—
installment purchase contracts |
you fulfill all of the following:
|
N/A |
| Buying your home—
vendor finance contracts |
you own the home under the contractN/Buying your home—
all other contracts
you have a registration confirmation statement showing your name on the title of the property at settlement Building your home—
building contract
you have a final inspection report on the first draw down of fundsBuilding your home—
owner–builder you have a final inspection report you have a final inspection report
Conditions and penalties
In some cases, we may pay the grant before you move into your first home. However, as a condition of the grant, you must tell us and repay the grant if you do not:
- complete the transaction of buying or building your home
- move into the home within 1 year
- live in the home for a continuous period of 6 months.
There are penalties if you don’t tell us within 14 days of finding out that you are unable to meet these conditions.
The first home owner grant and your obligations
When applying for the grant…
You must:
- give us full and correct information
- tell us if you are not eligible for the grant
- tell us if you cannot move into your home within 1 year
- tell us if you cannot live in your home for a continuous 6-month period.
After receiving the grant…
You must:
- tell us within 14 days if your circumstances change and you are no longer eligible for the grant
- tell us if you do not move into your home within 1 year
- tell us if you cannot live in your home for a continuous 6-month period
- pay back the grant if you cannot meet all the conditions.
Give correct information
You will have to repay the grant if you are not eligible (or become ineligible). You may also have to pay penalties.
We will look at the facts of each case to decide if a penalty should apply, and the amount of the penalty.
We may also prosecute if we believe that you knowingly gave us false or misleading information.
| If you… | You must repay the grant plus a penalty ranging from…
|
| made an honest and reasonable mistake of fact when applying for the grant (e.g. you did not know that you wouldn’t be able to move into your home within 1 year) | 0% to 15% of the grant amount |
| did not take reasonable care to ensure that you gave us accurate information (e.g. you did not declare that you had a spouse because you did not realise that your de facto partner is considered to be your spouse for the purposes of the grant) | 15% to 50% of the grant amount |
| knowingly gave us false or misleading information (e.g. you applied for a grant using your maiden name even though you had previously claimed a grant under your married name or you signed a 15-month lease agreement (or any agreement for 12 months or longer) to rent out your house at settlement) |
