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This page gives information about applicant eligibility for the first home owner grant.

Applicant eligibility

Any person who will have a relevant interest in the property must be included as an applicant for the first home owner grant.

You will not be eligible for the first home owner grant if you (or your spouse or domestic partner) have previously received a first home owner grant in Australia.

You may be eligible for the first home owner grant if each applicant is:

• at least 18 years of age at the time of making application for the first home owner grant
• a natural person.

In addition, at least one of the applicants must be either:

• an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia
• a  New Zealand citizen permanently residing in Australia who holds a Special Category visa.

You must include your spouse or domestic partner's details on your application as their circumstances may affect your eligibility.  This applies even if they are not an applicant and will not own (hold a relevant interest  in) the home.

The first home owner grant is not means tested.

Companies and trusts

Companies and trusts are not eligible for the first home owner grant, except in the cases of legal disability.

A person under a legal disability, who has an equitable interest in a trust, can claim the first home owner grant if their guardian(s) hold the legal interest in trust for them.

Here, the equitable interest is considered the relevant interest, and the legal interest is not. This means that the eligibility of the trustee(s) is not considered in the application for the first home owner grant in those cases.

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Current or previous property ownership

Your eligibility for the first home owner grant depends on whether you or your spouse or domestic partner own or have owned (hold or held a relevant interest  in) a residential property in Australia and the date you enter or entered into your contract.

If a grant was received but later paid back together with any penalty, you may be entitled to reapply for the grant.

Residential property ownership within Australia

For contracts entered into on or after 13 February 2025:

• You will not be eligible for the first home owner grant if you or your spouse or domestic partner own or have owned (hold or held a relevant interest  in) an Australian residential property.

For contracts entered into before 13 February 2025:

• You may be eligible for the first home owner grant if you or your spouse or domestic partner own or have owned (hold or held a relevant interest  in) an Australian residential property and that property was purchased or acquired on or after 1 July 2000 and you resided in that property for less than 6 months.
• You will not be eligible for the first home owner grant if you or your spouse or domestic partner own or have owned (hold or held a relevant interest  in) an Australian residential property and that property was purchased or acquired before 1 July 2000, regardless of whether you lived in the home or not.
• If you or your spouse or domestic partner have previously received a first home owner grant in any state or territory of Australia but later paid it back, together with any penalty, you may be entitled to reapply for the grant.

If you are divorced or separated, any residential land your previous spouse or domestic partner owns or previously owned will not be considered as part of your application.  You will need to provide a copy of your divorce order or a statutory declaration as supporting evidence in your application.

Residential property ownership outside Australia

Residential property you own or have previously owned outside of Australia is not considered in assessing your eligibility for a first home owner grant and will not affect your application for the grant.

Vacant land

Current or prior ownership of vacant land will not affect your application for the grant.

Commercial, industrial land or primary production land

Current or prior ownership of commercial, industrial or primary production land will not affect your application for the grant.

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