First home owner grant payment and obligations

When the grant is paid

The grant is paid at different times depending on how and when you apply, and whether you are building or buying. For this reason, it’s best not to count on using the grant as a deposit.

Applying through banks and lending institutions

If you have applied through a bank or lending institution, the timeframe for payment is generally:

• at settlement, for buying a new home
  New home

  First home owner grant

  A new home is either:

  • a home that has never been
    • occupied as a place of residence
    • sold as a place of residence
  • or
  • a substantially renovated home (completed by the seller in limited circumstances).

  From 1 December 2020, a home acquired under a ‘builders’ terms arrangement’ may also be a new home—see Public Ruling FHOGA006.2.

  (including off-the-plan
  Off the plan

  First home owner grant

  An off-the-plan purchase is a single contract to buy a new home and the relevant interest in the land, which is a proposed lot on an unregistered plan resulting from a subdivision.

  In some cases, the property may not have been built yet (e.g. the purchase of a unit in a unit block, where the unit’s individual lot and plan description will not be available until the strata title has been registered).

  You do not have an off-the-plan contract to purchase if you have both a vacant land contract and a building contract.

   purchases)
• on the first drawdown of funds, for contracts to build your new home
• on receipt of a final inspection certificate
  Final inspection certificate

  First home owner grant

  This document proves that your home is approved as a class 1a dwelling and is usually given to you by your builder.

  Learn about the stages of a building inspection.

  , for building your new home as an owner–builder.

Applying to Queensland Revenue Office

The grant is paid:

• when you have a registration confirmation statement
  Registration confirmation statement

  First home owner grant

  This is a document that shows the registered owners of the land.

  Contact Titles Queensland for a current title search (to show you own the property) if you don’t have this document.

   or title search showing your name on the title of the property, for buying a home
• when you have a final inspection certificate
  Final inspection certificate

  First home owner grant

  This document proves that your home is approved as a class 1a dwelling and is usually given to you by your builder.

  Learn about the stages of a building inspection.

  , for building a home.

Understand your obligations

To keep the grant, all applicants must:

• meet the residence requirements
• ensure the value of the new home is not $750,000 or more, including contract variations (if the grant is paid before the completed eligible transaction
  Completed eligible transaction

  First home owner grant

  • Buying a new home (including off-the-plan purchases)—when you are entitled to possess the home under the contract and you have registered your ownership on the title of the land on which the home is built
  • Building a new home (including by owner–builders)—when the new home is ready for occupation and any requirements (e.g. final inspection certificate or certificate of occupancy) have been fulfilled

  When applying for the grant, you need to provide supporting documents, such as the title registration confirmation and final inspection certificate or certificate of occupancy.

  ).

There are penalties if you don’t tell Queensland Revenue Office that you are unable to meet the conditions of the grant. Read the public ruling on penalty amounts (FHOGA047.1). The best way to notify us is to send an email using the online enquiry form. Select Home buyer grants as the subject of enquiry.

Depending on your circumstances, you may have to pay back the grant if you are no longer eligible.

Residence requirements

All applicants must:

• move into the home within 1 year of the completed eligible transaction
  Completed eligible transaction

  First home owner grant

  • Buying a new home (including off-the-plan purchases)—when you are entitled to possess the home under the contract and you have registered your ownership on the title of the land on which the home is built
  • Building a new home (including by owner–builders)—when the new home is ready for occupation and any requirements (e.g. final inspection certificate or certificate of occupancy) have been fulfilled

  When applying for the grant, you need to provide supporting documents, such as the title registration confirmation and final inspection certificate or certificate of occupancy.

• live in the home continuously for 6 months.

You may be required to verify that you have met these residence requirements later, by providing documentation supporting the period of occupancy for all applicants.

If you are unable to meet these requirements, you must tell us within 14 days of your change in circumstances.

Even though the residence requirements for the grant are similar to those for the transfer duty concessions, the grant and concessions are separate benefits—you need to meet the requirements in each case (e.g. you can rent the home out before moving in and keep the grant, but you will lose the transfer duty concession).

Compare the requirements for first home concessions and the first home owner grant.

Value on completion

If the grant was paid before completion of the transaction, you must tell us within 28 days if the value of the new home is $750,000 or more (including contract variations).

Also consider…

• See the public ruling on the increase to the first home owner grant amount (FHOGA000.2).
• Register for a free webinar on building your first home, run by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).