The state government has introduced a permanent policy allowing first home buyers to rent out a room from day one without losing access to grants and concessions, in a move designed to improve housing affordability across Queensland.
Announced through a Ministerial Directive on December 6, the change takes effect immediately and will be formally legislated next week. Previously, first home buyers receiving grants or stamp duty concessions were prohibited from subletting their property within the first year of ownership under rules set by the previous government.
This policy shift, part of the state government’s *Securing Our Housing Foundations Plan*, aims to address Queensland’s low homeownership rate, currently the lowest in Australia. It also aligns with the government’s 100-Day Plan to make housing more accessible for young residents.
Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Home Ownership, David Janetzki, highlighted the impact of the initiative. “The Crisafulli Government is making it easier for young Queenslanders to get into their first home, by permanently removing the restrictions that prevent first buyers from renting out a room in the first year,” he said.
According to Treasury modeling, this change will unlock opportunities for 20,000 Queenslanders annually, while additional measures—such as abolishing stamp duty on new builds for first home buyers—aim to further alleviate housing pressures.
Janetzki added that rising property prices and rent increases have made housing less affordable. “It now takes a historic high of more than 10 years for an average household to save for a 20 per cent home deposit in Brisbane. Our common-sense plan to boost affordability and supply will stem the tide by providing more housing options for Queenslanders.”
