Grants and schemes in Queensland

Beyond duty relief, Queensland offers a first home buyer three things: the First Home Owner Grant, the Boost to Buy shared equity scheme, and the federal 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy. Every one has an eligibility test, which this page summarises but cannot apply.

First Home Owner Grant

The First Home Owner Grant in Queensland is $30,000 for eligible contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023. The revenue office's page states the window as 20 November 2023 to 30 June 2026; the Queensland Government has since announced that the $30,000 continues for eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026, and the office's own wording for those contracts was not seen for this page.

The grant is for new homes only, and the home's value including the land must be less than $750,000. The buyer must be an individual aged 18 or over, and neither they nor their spouse can have received the grant anywhere in Australia before. The home must become the buyer's principal place of residence within 1 year of the completed transaction, not an investment. The minimum period of continuous residence and the application deadline were not seen for this page; the office's application page and eligibility tester are the next step.

State schemes

Boost to Buy is open. The Queensland Government contributes towards the purchase in exchange for an ongoing equity share, up to 30% of a new home or 25% of an existing home. It is for first home buyers with at least a 2% deposit, buying at up to $1 million, with income caps of $155,000 for an individual and $232,000 for two adults or for a single applicant with dependants. The government's share moves with the property's value and is repaid on sale or when the loan is paid off.

Places for up to 2,000 buyers are split evenly between South East Queensland and regional Queensland. At the time of checking, round 2 was open with up to 500 more places and the South East Queensland appointments were all allocated; the Treasury page has the current position.

Closed or ended. The $15,000 grant rate ended for contracts from 20 November 2023, and the capped first-home vacant land duty concession (9 June 2024 to 30 April 2025) gave way to full relief; see the stamp duty page.

Federal schemes in Queensland

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme supports a new or existing home at or below the price cap for its location, and from October 2025 has unlimited places, no income cap and higher caps. Queensland's current caps were not confirmed from this environment; the figures seen pre-date the October 2025 increase. Housing Australia's price caps page and postcode tool give the cap, to be confirmed with a participating lender.

Help to Buy is the federal shared equity scheme: a contribution of up to 30% of an existing home or 40% of a new home, with applications open from 5 December 2025, in states that have passed enabling legislation. Whether Queensland has, and its price and income caps, were not confirmed from this environment; see Housing Australia's support page.

How they combine

Duty relief, the grant and a deposit or equity scheme are separate tests run by separate bodies: the revenue office, Treasury and a participating lender. Passing one says nothing about another. A smaller loan means a lower LVR, and with a deposit of 20% or more lenders generally do not charge LMI. The LMI calculator shows the premium by deposit, the LVR calculator where a deposit plus a grant lands, and the deposit timeline calculator how long the saving takes.

The tests that catch people out

• A spouse's history. The grant looks at the buyer and their spouse; the duty concession asks whether the buyer has ever held an interest in a residence anywhere in the world.
• Moving in late. Both require moving in within 1 year; for the duty concessions that period cannot be extended.
• The contract date. The duty concessions turn on the signing date, not settlement, with changes at 9 June 2024, 1 May 2025 and 1 August 2026; so does the grant amount.
• Citizenship. From 1 August 2026 every duty home concession requires an Australian citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree.
• A non-eligible co-buyer. The duty concession is worked out per buyer; mixed claims go to the office's transfer duty calculator.
• What counts as new. The grant is for new homes; the duty concession covers a home not previously occupied or sold as a residence, or one substantially renovated.
• The caps. The grant's $750,000 cap includes the land; the new-home and vacant-land duty concessions have no cap; Boost to Buy stops at $1 million.