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 (including off-the-plan purchases)
• on the first drawdown of funds, for contracts to build your new home
• on receipt of a final inspection certificate, for building your new home as an owner–builder.

Applying to Queensland Revenue Office

If you are building or buying your new home (either under a contract or as an owner–builder) and applying for the grant directly with us, the grant is not paid until the home is complete and you have supplied us with all the supporting documents.

The grant is paid:

• when you have a registration confirmation statement or title search showing your name on the title of the property, for buying a home
• when you have a final inspection certificate, 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).

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
• 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).