VERIFIED GOVERNMENT SCHEMES DATA

Australian and Victorian home-buyer schemes, explained clearly.

Explore current grants, guarantees, savings schemes, shared-equity programs and Victorian duty benefits that may help eligible home buyers.

Explore All Nine Schemes Open the Scheme Calculator

9 current schemes and concessions Federal and Victorian coverage Official sources included

This is a scheme research and comparison page — not an eligibility determination.

It does not promise approval, confirm that a place is available, calculate every interaction between benefits or replace current confirmation from the relevant authority, lender, conveyancer or adviser.

Scheme explorer

Find the schemes that may be relevant

Filter by jurisdiction or scheme type to narrow the options. The results are general information and do not confirm personal eligibility.

Showing all 9 verified schemes.

Australian Government

Deposit, savings and shared-equity pathways

Three current Australian Government pathways, each linked to the responsible authority and official information.

FederalLoan guarantee

Active

Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme

Administered by Australian Government / Housing Australia

First-home deposit5%

Single parent / guardian2%

Income capsNo

PlacesUNLIMITED

Important rules to understand

Citizenship or residency rule: Applicant must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Prior ownership rule: First-home-buyer stream requires the applicant to be a first home buyer or not have owned property or land in Australia in the previous 10 years.
Occupancy rule: Property must be owner-occupied. The buyer must move in within six months of settlement and continue living there while the guarantee is active.
Eligible property types: New or existing house, townhouse or apartment; house-and-land package; off-the-plan purchase; or vacant land with a building contract, subject to the location price cap.
Property price cap rule: Location-specific price cap. Confirm the applicable cap with a participating lender.
Lenders Mortgage Insurance rule: No Lenders Mortgage Insurance while the guarantee applies and ongoing obligations are met.
Application channel: Application is made through a participating lender, not directly to Housing Australia.

Confirmation required: Authority or lender confirmation required. This page does not determine personal eligibility.

Official information and eligibility details

5% Deposit Scheme overviewOfficial source: firsthomebuyers.gov.au 5% Deposit Scheme FAQsOfficial source: firsthomebuyers.gov.au First-home buyer eligibility and rulesOfficial source: firsthomebuyers.gov.au

FederalSuper savings scheme

Active

First Home Super Saver Scheme

Administered by Australian Taxation Office

Annual eligible contributions$15,000

Total eligible contributions$50,000

Concessional release85%

Non-concessional release100%

Important rules to understand

Prior ownership rule: Generally, the applicant must never have held a relevant property interest in Australia, subject to the financial-hardship provisions.
Application channel: Request an FHSS determination and release through the Australian Taxation Office.
Minimum age: 18 years

Confirmation required: Authority confirmation required. This page does not determine personal eligibility.

Official information and eligibility details

ATO First Home Super Saver guidanceOfficial source: ato.gov.au

FederalShared equity

Active

Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme

Administered by Australian Government / Housing Australia

Minimum deposit2%

Government equity — existing30%

Government equity — new40%

Individual income cap$103,000

Important rules to understand

Income cap — single parent or joint applicants: $165,000
Citizenship or residency rule: All applicants must be Australian citizens.
Prior ownership rule: Applicant cannot own or beneficially own property in Australia or overseas.
Occupancy rule: The home must remain the applicant's principal place of residence while participating in the scheme; investment use and renting out the property are not allowed.
Property price cap rule: A state and regional property price cap applies.
Application channel: Apply through an authorised Help to Buy participating lender.

Confirmation required: Authority or lender confirmation required. This page does not determine personal eligibility.

Official information and eligibility details

Help to Buy income thresholdsOfficial source: firsthomebuyers.gov.au Help to Buy Scheme overviewOfficial source: firsthomebuyers.gov.au Help to Buy participating lendersOfficial source: firsthomebuyers.gov.au Help to Buy property price capsOfficial source: firsthomebuyers.gov.au

Victoria

Grants, exemptions, concessions and duty reductions

Six current Victorian grants, exemptions, concessions and duty reductions administered by the State Revenue Office Victoria.

VictoriaDuty exemption or concession

Active

Victorian first home buyer duty exemption or concession

Administered by State Revenue Office Victoria

Full exemption up to$600,000

Concession from$600,001

Concession up to$750,000

Minimum age18 years

Important rules to understand

Citizenship or residency rule: All purchasers must be Australian citizens or permanent residents.
Principal residence required: Yes
Occupancy rule: At least one purchaser must occupy the home as their principal place of residence for 12 continuous months within 12 months of settlement.
Eligible property types: Eligible new home, established home or vacant residential land intended for a first home.

Confirmation required: SRO or conveyancer confirmation required. This page does not determine personal eligibility.

Official information and eligibility details

Victorian first-home buyer duty reliefOfficial source: sro.vic.gov.au

VictoriaGrant

Active

Victorian First Home Owner Grant

Administered by State Revenue Office Victoria

Grant amount$10,000

Property cap$750,000

New property onlyYes

Principal residenceYes

Important rules to understand

New property only: Yes
Principal residence required: Yes
Minimum age: 18 years
Application channel: Usually through an approved agent such as a bank or credit union; direct SRO application is available within the official time limit where an approved agent is not lodging.

Confirmation required: SRO or approved agent confirmation required. This page does not determine personal eligibility.

Official information and eligibility details

Victorian First Home Owner GrantOfficial source: sro.vic.gov.au

VictoriaDuty exemption or concession

Active

Victorian first home owner with dependent child exemption or concession

Administered by State Revenue Office Victoria

Full exemption up to$150,000

Concession up to$200,000

Principal residenceYes

Important rules to understand

Dependent child rule: A dependent child is under 18, in the purchaser's custody, care and control, and ordinarily resides with the purchaser.
Prior ownership rule: Purchaser and spouse or partner generally must not have previously owned a home in Australia that was used as their principal place of residence.
Principal residence required: Yes

Confirmation required: SRO or conveyancer confirmation required. This page does not determine personal eligibility.

Official information and eligibility details

Dependent-child duty reliefOfficial source: sro.vic.gov.au

VictoriaDuty concession

Active — contracts before 21 Apr 2027

Victorian off-the-plan duty concession

Administered by State Revenue Office Victoria

Eligible contracts21 Oct 2024–20 Apr 2027

Property typeEligible strata dwellings

ThresholdNo purchase-price threshold

Important rules to understand

Eligible contracts: Contracts entered into on or after 21 October 2024 and before 21 April 2027.
Eligible property: Off-the-plan residential dwellings such as apartments and townhouses within strata subdivisions that have common property.
Purchaser scope: The temporary concession is available to eligible purchasers including owner-occupiers, investors, companies and trusts.
Calculation rule: Construction costs incurred on or after the contract date can be deducted from the dutiable value under the applicable SRO method.
Purchase-price threshold: The temporary concession has no purchase-price threshold, subject to the property and contract-date requirements.

Confirmation required: SRO or conveyancer confirmation required. This page does not determine personal eligibility.

Official information and eligibility details

Victorian off-the-plan duty concessionOfficial source: sro.vic.gov.au

VictoriaDuty exemption or concession

Active

Victorian pensioner and concession cardholder duty reduction

Administered by State Revenue Office Victoria

Full exemption up to$600,000

Concession from$600,001

Concession up to$750,000

Once-onlyYes

Important rules to understand

Effective start: 1 July 2023
Once-only benefit: Yes
Interaction with other benefits: Where both this reduction and first-home-buyer duty relief are available for the same transaction, one benefit must be chosen.

Confirmation required: SRO or conveyancer confirmation required. This page does not determine personal eligibility.

Official information and eligibility details

Pensioner and concession-card duty reductionOfficial source: sro.vic.gov.au

VictoriaDuty concession

Active

Victorian principal place of residence duty concession

Administered by State Revenue Office Victoria

Property cap$550,000

Principal residenceYes

Vacant land may qualifyYes

Important rules to understand

Principal residence required: Yes
Occupancy rule: Move in within 12 months of settlement and use the property as the principal place of residence for 12 continuous months.
Vacant land may qualify: Yes

Confirmation required: SRO or conveyancer confirmation required. This page does not determine personal eligibility.

Official information and eligibility details

Principal place of residence duty concessionOfficial source: sro.vic.gov.au

Use the data with the right tools

Move from scheme research to a practical purchase plan

This page explains the current scheme rules. The calculator and guides can help organise the broader deposit, purchase-cost and lending questions that still require personal confirmation.

First-Home Buyer Scheme CalculatorExplore scheme and deposit pathways → First-Home Buyer GuideUnderstand the buying process → Deposit GuideCompare deposit sources and trade-offs → First-Home Buyer ChecklistPrepare the key documents and steps → Research & Data HubExplore Rate Challenge research and methodology → Home Loans HubMove from scheme research to the relevant lending pathway →

Data integrity and update method

Checked against official sources and updated carefully

Official-source only

Every included scheme has a responsible authority and one or more official government source URLs.

Amounts and thresholds checked

Deposit percentages, grants, income caps, price limits and contribution limits are checked against the cited authority.

Regular and event-driven review

Scheme information is reviewed regularly and after material budgets, legislation or announcements from the responsible authorities.

Changes are tracked

When rules change, effective dates and material updates should be shown so buyers can understand which version applies.

Government scheme FAQs

Using this information responsibly

Does this page tell me which schemes I am eligible for?

No. It explains general scheme rules. Personal eligibility must be confirmed with the responsible authority, participating lender, conveyancer or broker.

Are scheme places or lender approval guaranteed?

No. A scheme place may not be available, a lender may not participate, and an application must still satisfy the lender’s assessment and approval requirements.

Why do property price caps still require confirmation?

Some federal programs use location-specific state or regional caps. Confirm the applicable cap through the official source or a participating lender.

Can multiple benefits always be combined?

No assumption should be made. Some benefits interact or require a choice. The Victorian pensioner record specifically states that one benefit must be chosen where both it and first-home-buyer duty relief are available for the same transaction.

How often is the dataset reviewed?

The information should be reviewed regularly and after relevant federal or Victorian budgets, legislative changes and announcements from Housing Australia, the ATO or the State Revenue Office Victoria.

Scheme and purchase-cost enquiry

Discuss how the current rules may affect your buying plan

Tell Rate Challenge which scheme, property or deposit pathway you are considering. The response will remain subject to current authority, lender and conveyancer confirmation.

Call 0407 908 024 admin@ratechallenge.com.au

Full name *

Mobile *

Email *

Postcode *

Purchase or loan amount (approx.)

Scheme of interest *

What would you like to understand?

No obligation. Do not send passwords, bank statements or identity documents through this initial enquiry form.

Understand the rules first

Use the scheme information to ask better questions before you commit.

A scheme can materially change the deposit required, purchase costs or ownership structure, but the final outcome still depends on current official rules and your personal circumstances.

Request a Scheme Discussion Open the Calculator