What is the First Home Owner Grant for a new home in South Australia?

Checked October 2026. Rules, rates and prices change, so confirm anything that matters with the source linked below.

What the grant pays and which homes qualify

The maximum grant is $15,000, or the purchase price or construction cost if that is lower. Only one grant is payable per eligible transaction, and the property must be bought or built for monetary consideration, so gifted homes do not qualify. RevenueSA lists these eligible property types:

• a new home, meaning a home that has been built but not previously occupied or sold as a place of residence
• an off-the-plan apartment, meaning one that exists only as a plan or is under construction but not substantially completed
• a substantially renovated home bought from a GST-registered developer
• a house-and-land package or other comprehensive building contract
• an owner-built home on vacant land.

Vacant land alone, established homes, investment properties and holiday homes are not eligible. Knock-down rebuilds qualify only for contracts signed before 13 February 2025.

The value cap depends on the contract date.

RevenueSA's new home definition lists townhouses among the homes it covers, so a completed townhouse that has never been lived in fits it. Its off-the-plan category names apartments. The pages checked do not say how a townhouse bought before it is built is classed, whether as a new home, a building contract or an off-the-plan purchase, so if yours is unbuilt, ask RevenueSA which category applies before you rely on the grant.

Who is eligible

• Applicants must be at least 18 and natural persons, not companies or trusts, apart from guardians holding a legal interest for a person with a legal disability.
• At least one applicant must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen with a Special Category visa who permanently lives in Australia.
• You must not have previously received a first home owner grant in Australia, and neither may your spouse or domestic partner.
• You must declare your spouse or domestic partner's details even if they will not own the home, because their circumstances affect eligibility.

The ownership rule changed on 13 February 2025. For contracts signed on or after that date, you are ineligible if you or your spouse or partner own or previously owned any Australian residential property. For earlier contracts, you could be eligible if you bought a property after 1 July 2000 and lived in it for less than six months, and you were ineligible if you bought before 1 July 2000. Overseas residential property, vacant land and commercial, industrial or primary production land do not count against you.

The residence requirement

All applicants must live in the home as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least six months, starting within 12 months of completion. For a new home or off-the-plan purchase, that is 12 months from settlement. For a build contract or owner-built home, it is 12 months from when the home is ready to live in.

RevenueSA says you can rent out the property before you move in, and can rent a room while you complete the six months. After the six months, there are no restrictions on use or sale. If your circumstances change and you cannot meet the requirement, you must tell RevenueSA in writing within 14 days, and failing to do so can bring penalties and repayment of the grant. Exemptions are possible in exceptional circumstances and for permanent Australian Defence Force members enrolled to vote in South Australia.

How the grant fits with stamp duty relief

South Australia's stamp duty relief for first home buyers is a separate program with a separate application, and its criteria are similar but not identical to the grant's. For contracts on or after 6 June 2024, relief from stamp duty on a new home has no value cap. RevenueSA's relief is for new homes, off-the-plan apartments and vacant land, but not established homes. Our guide to off-the-plan stamp duty in South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT covers the duty side in more detail.

A worked example

Two buyers sign contracts after 13 February 2025 for a completed new townhouse at $650,000. The first has never owned residential property, and neither has their partner. The second owned a unit before.

1. Stamp duty at the general rate for values over $500,000 is $21,330 plus $5.50 per $100 over $500,000.
2. The amount over $500,000 is $150,000, or 1,500 lots of $100, and 1,500 times $5.50 is $8,250.
3. General duty is $21,330 plus $8,250, which is $29,580.

This assumes each buyer meets all other tests and that the home is a new home under RevenueSA's definition. The foreign ownership surcharge, where it applies, is separate and is not covered by relief for contracts from 13 February 2025.

How and when to apply

You can apply at any time from the commencement of the eligible transaction, but within 12 months of completion. RevenueSA says most applicants lodge through a financial institution that is an approved agent, and that route is needed if you want the grant for settlement or progress payments. If your lender cannot help, you can apply directly online or by post to RevenueSA. The grant is paid by electronic funds transfer to one nominated bank account.

The federal 5% Deposit Scheme is a separate program run by Housing Australia. It says using the scheme does not stop you from accessing other state or territory programs, but each one has its own rules and price caps.

If you are still comparing projects, you can browse new townhouses in Adelaide.

Common questions

Is there a price cap on the SA grant?

Not for contracts signed on or after 6 June 2024. For contracts from 15 June 2023 to 5 June 2024 the cap was $650,000, and from 17 September 2010 to 14 June 2023 it was $575,000. Check the date you signed, because the contract date decides which rule applies.

Can I claim the grant if I have owned a home before?

For contracts from 13 February 2025, no, if you or your spouse or domestic partner own or have previously owned Australian residential property. For earlier contracts, a property bought after 1 July 2000 and lived in for under six months did not rule you out. Overseas property and vacant land do not count.

Do two buyers each get $15,000?

No. RevenueSA says only one grant is payable per eligible transaction. If two people buy together, every applicant must meet the residence requirement, and the previous-ownership and previous-grant tests cover each applicant and their partner. The grant is paid into one nominated bank account and cannot be split across several accounts.

Can I rent the townhouse out before I move in?

RevenueSA says you can rent out the property before you move in. You can also rent a room during your six months of occupation. The six-month period must still start within 12 months of settlement, or of the home being ready to live in for a build contract.

Can I apply before settlement?

Yes. RevenueSA says applications can be made from the commencement of the transaction and must be made within 12 months of completion. If you need the grant paid at settlement or for progress payments, apply through an approved agent such as your lender.

Keep reading

• Off-the-plan stamp duty in South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT
• Is stamp duty charged on the land only, or on the townhouse as well?
• How does buying off the plan work, step by step?
• How does finance work when buying off the plan?
• NSW First Home Owner (New Homes) Grant: who gets it and how it works
• Victoria's First Home Owner Grant for a new townhouse: what to check

Sources

• First Home Owner Grant, RevenueSA
• Eligible properties, RevenueSA
• Eligible applicants, RevenueSA
• Residence requirement, RevenueSA
• How to apply, RevenueSA
• Grant details, RevenueSA
• Stamp duty relief for eligible first home buyers, RevenueSA
• Relief available, RevenueSA
• Rate of stamp duty, RevenueSA
• 5% Deposit Scheme Information Guide for first home buyers, 1 July 2026, Housing Australia

This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Get advice that suits your situation before you buy.