Queensland First Home Owner Grant: who qualifies, how much, and when the money arrives

The Queensland first home owner grant is $30,000 for an eligible new home where the contract was signed on or after 20 November 2023, according to the Queensland Revenue Office (QRO). Contracts signed before that date attract $15,000. For an owner-builder, the date that counts is when the foundations are laid rather than a contract date, with the same $30,000 and $15,000 split. The Queensland Government says the increased $30,000 amount continues for eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026 onwards.

The grant is only for buying or building a new home valued at less than $750,000, including the land and any contract variations. QRO states that there are no home owner grants for established homes. The first home owner grant is a national scheme funded by the states and territories and run by the participating states and territories under their own legislation; the Australian Government's first home buyer site lists three programs instead of a cash grant: the First Home Super Saver Scheme, the 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy. Grant settings change, so check QRO's pages at the time a contract is signed.

Applicants, and for the previous-grant and previous-home tests their spouses, must meet the QRO criteria below to receive the Queensland first home owner grant, and the purchase or build must be an eligible transaction.

• Age: each applicant is an individual, not a company or trust, aged 18 or older (QRO's Commissioner has discretion in some exceptional cases).
• Citizenship: at least one applicant is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
• Income: there is no income test. QRO says income has no bearing on eligibility for the grant.
• No previous grant: neither the applicant nor their spouse has received a first home owner grant in any state or territory.
• No previous home: neither has owned residential property in Australia that they lived in on or after 1 July 2000, or any residential property in Australia before 1 July 2000.
• A home to live in: the grant is not available for an investment purchase, although a property owned since 1 July 2000 and used solely as an investment does not automatically rule a buyer out.
• Value: the new home, including land and contract variations, is valued at less than $750,000.
• Residence: all applicants move in within 1 year of the completed transaction and live there continuously for 6 months.

Everyone who is or will be an owner of the new home must be named on the application, and the grant is paid once per new home rather than to each applicant. QRO publishes an eligibility tester on its website for checking a specific situation against these criteria.

In Queensland, the first home owner grant can apply to five types of transaction: a new home, an off-the-plan purchase, a substantial renovation, a contract to build, or an owner-builder project. QRO's eligibility page sets out how each one is treated, summarised in the table below.

QRO decides whether a particular contract fits a category, so unusual arrangements, such as a building contract that leaves out work needed for the home to be ready for occupation, are worth checking with QRO before relying on the grant.

Through a bank or lender, the Queensland first home owner grant is generally paid at settlement for a new home purchase, on the first drawdown of funds for a contract to build, and on receipt of the final inspection certificate for an owner-builder. If you apply directly to QRO instead, the grant is not paid until the home is complete and every supporting document has been supplied.

Because the payment date varies, QRO advises against relying on the grant as a deposit or for other time-sensitive financial obligations. For a build through a lender, the grant is tied to the first drawdown of construction loan funds rather than to the signing of the building contract. How the grant is applied within a particular loan is a question to raise with the lender or a broker before contracts are signed.

There are two ways to apply for the Queensland first home owner grant: through a bank or lending institution on QRO's list of agents, or directly to QRO online. QRO describes applying through a lender as the fastest way to receive the grant, because the lender confirms eligibility and manages the application.

1. 1Check eligibility against QRO's criteria and eligibility tester before signing a contract, including the $750,000 value test with land and any likely variations.
2. 2Confirm the transaction type (new home, off the plan, contract to build, owner-builder or substantial renovation), since it decides when the grant is paid.
3. 3Find out whether the lender for the home loan is on QRO's list of agents. QRO's list names banks, mutual banks and credit unions.
4. 4Gather the supporting documents. QRO lists items such as the title registration confirmation and the final inspection certificate or certificate of occupancy, depending on the transaction.
5. 5Lodge on time. Buyers must apply within 1 year of taking possession and title registration; builders and owner-builders within 1 year of the home being completed, for instance when the final inspection certificate is issued.
6. 6If applying directly, log in to QRO Online once the transaction is complete and upload the documents. QRO aims to process applications at lodged status within 10 working days, longer if an application is incomplete or volumes are high.

No deposit is needed to apply for the grant itself. Pre-approval is a separate lender step. FundUp is a Cairns-based mortgage broker that puts its panel at 40+ lenders and can talk through which home loans and loan structures fit a grant-eligible purchase or build.

The Queensland first home owner grant can sit alongside federal and state help, because each scheme has its own tests. QRO says the grant is separate from the national home buyer schemes administered by Housing Australia, and being eligible for one of those national schemes does not affect eligibility for the grant.

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme lets eligible first home buyers purchase with a minimum 5% deposit without paying lenders mortgage insurance, and it covers houses, townhouses and units, existing or new. Price caps apply, so check the scheme's own pages. Lenders mortgage insurance explained covers the cost the scheme removes, and no deposit home loan options covers other low-deposit routes.

Queensland transfer duty is a separate saving again. For a first home that is a new home, a full transfer duty concession may apply for contracts dated 1 May 2025 or later, with no value cap. A buyer of an established home cannot get the grant but may qualify for the first home concession, which applies to homes valued under $800,000, can save up to $24,525, and means no duty at $700,000 or under. QRO also has a first home vacant land concession, and only one concession can be claimed for a home.

To keep the Queensland first home owner grant, every applicant must move into the home within 1 year of the completed eligible transaction and then live there continuously for 6 months. QRO may later ask for documents showing the period of occupancy for all applicants, so it helps to keep records of when each applicant moved in.

If an applicant cannot meet the residence requirements, QRO must be told within 14 days of the change in circumstances, and there are penalties for not telling QRO. Depending on circumstances, the grant may have to be paid back. Where the grant was paid before the transaction completed, QRO must also be told within 28 days if the home's value turns out to be $750,000 or more including contract variations, a point to watch on a build where variations count toward the value.

The grant and the duty concessions have different rules. QRO's example: renting the home out before moving in can keep the grant but may lose the first home concession. Financial help from a related person who is not eligible and will often stay in the home can be a disqualifying arrangement, although money borrowed from a bank or lender is not counted as financial help. Questions about a specific arrangement are for QRO or a solicitor.

Each participating state and territory runs its own first home owner grant under its own legislation, so the Queensland rules above do not apply interstate. The scheme began on 1 July 2000 to offset the effect of the GST on home ownership and is funded by the states and territories. Amounts, caps and eligibility differ, so check the relevant office directly before planning around a figure.