What is the First Home Owner Grant in the NT?
The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is a one-off, tax-free grant available to eligible first-home buyers in the Northern Territory. It can help alleviate some of the costs of buying a home in the NT, but specific limits and eligibility criteria apply.
How much is the First Home Owner Grant in the NT?
The First Home Owner Grant in the Northern Territory is $10,000 for eligible first-home buyers to buy or build a new home. It’s one of the only first-home buyer grants available in Australia that doesn’t have a house price cap.
Properties eligible under the program include:
- A new house, unit, townhouse or duplex (including off-the-plan)
- Vacant land (with a contract to build)
- A home moved from one site to another
- Substantially renovated homes
NT First Home Owner Grant eligibility criteria
- Applicants must be 18+ years of age
- You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident (or applying with someone who is)
- You must be a first-home buyer who has not owned a property or received the grant previously
- You must be buying or building a new home in the Northern Territory
- You must move into your new property within a year of buying and live there for at least 6 months
- The grant is not available to property investors, or properties purchased through a trust or company
Is the NT First Home Owner Grant available if you’ve previously owned an investment property?
You may not be eligible for the FHOG if you’ve owned or partly owned an investment property, even before 1 July 2000, (when the FHOG was introduced), according to the Territory Revenue Office.
NT FHOG savings analysis on a $600,000 home loan
| With $10,000 NT FHOG | Without the NT FHOG | |
|---|---|---|
Loan amount | $600,000 (reduced to $590,000) | $600,000 |
Interest rate | 6.00% p.a. | 6.00% p.a. |
Monthly repayments | $3,537.35 (save $59.95) | $3,597.30 |
Total to repay | $1,273,445 (save $21,584) | $1,295,029 |
Total interest payable | $683,445 (save $11,584) | $695,029 |
See First Home Owner Grants in each state & territory
Do you need to show genuine savings when using a grant?
Mansour Soltani , Home Loans Expert
“Lenders generally expect you to show genuine savings, equivalent to a minimum of 5% of the home loan amount, in addition to any grants you intend to use. Lenders will ask for three months of bank statements to evaluate your savings history and expenditures. Some lenders may consider rental payments as genuine savings if you can provide a rental ledger.”
Mansour Soltani , Home Loans Expert
How to apply for the NT First Home Owner Grant
You can apply for the First Home Owner Grant through your lender (who will handle all the paperwork) or directly with the Territory Revenue Office.
If you apply via your lender
Complete the First Home Owner Grant application form and submit it to your lender with the supporting documents of the property purchase. You’ll also be asked to provide 100 points of Australian or state-issued documents that the lender can use for your home loan application. The lender will lodge your FHOG application on your behalf.
If you’re approved for the FHOG, you’ll usually receive the payment at settlement if you’re buying a newly-established home or at the first drawdown of funds if you’re building a new home.
If you apply via the Territory Revenue Office
You can lodge your grant application by email to ntrevenue@nt.gov.au or by mail to:
- Territory Revenue Office
- GPO Box 1974
- Darwin NT 0801
If you’re approved for the FHOG and are buying a new home, you’ll receive payment when your name is registered on the property title. If you’re building a new home, the grant is typically issued after laying the foundations and making progress payments of at least $10,000, excluding the deposit.
How to fill out the NT First Home Owner Grant application form
1
Complete the eligibility checklist
Verify your eligibility for the First Home Owner Grant. Tick the relevant box for questions 1 to 7.
2
Enter your personal details
Each applicant must fill out their personal information and contact details. If you’re applying with a spouse, they must enter their details in the ‘Applicant 2’ section. There’s a separate section for spouses not party to the grant application further down.
3
Provide your property and transaction details
Enter the details of the property you’re buying, including the street address or a lot number if a street number is not allocated (e.g. new housing estates or developments). You’ll also be asked to include transaction details, such as your settlement date for a new home, a contract of sale or a contract to build date.
4
Provide your bank account details
If you’re applying directly through the Territory Revenue Office, you will need to nominate the bank account you’d like the grant paid into. If you’re applying through your lender, the grant will be paid to them in accordance with your agreement.
5
Sign the declaration
Each applicant must agree to and sign the declaration to confirm that all information provided is true and correct, and that they’ve read and understood all the details completed on the application form.
6
Submit your application
Submit your completed First Home Owner Grant application form to your lender or the Territory Revenue Office for review. You will be contacted if any details are missing or if further clarification is needed.
Other support for first-home buyers in the NT
Home Guarantee Scheme
The First Home Guarantee (FHBG) is a nationwide program that helps eligible first-home buyers purchase a property with a deposit as low as 5%. Housing Australia guarantees up to 15% of the value of a first home, meaning you’d avoid lender’s mortgage insurance (LMI). In the Northern Territory, the FHGB price cap is $600,000.
There’s also the Family Home Guarantee (FHG) to help eligible single parents or guardians buy a property with a deposit as low as 2%, with Housing Australia guaranteeing up to 18% of the property’s value.
Please note: the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee (RFHBG) which helps eligible first-home buyers in regional areas buy a home with a deposit from 5% is not available in the Northern Territory.
Can you combine the NT first-home buyer grant and First Home Guarantee?
Yes, it’s possible to use both the $10,000 NT first-home buyer grant and (FHBG) if you qualify, according to Housing Australia. However, the FHOG is typically available only at settlement (i.e. after the completion of your property transaction), so it can’t directly be put towards the minimum 5% deposit for the FHBG.
Can you use the NT First Home Owner Grant as part of your home loan deposit?
Mortgage brokers we spoke to said in certain situations lenders might consider including your FHOG as part of your deposit, most commonly with off-the-plan property transactions.
Even if a lender does not accept FHOG funds as part of your deposit, being eligible for it may still help you when applying for a loan. For example, lenders may factor in the one-time payment when assessing your borrowing capacity, pending grant approval, according to ANZ.
First-home buyer NT stamp duty exemption
Eligible home buyers may be eligible for an exemption on stamp duty in the Northern Territory for house and land packages purchased before 30 June 2027, under the House and Land Package Exemption (HLPE). This exemption has no cap on the property's value and is not means tested.
For the HLPE to apply, the building contractor must fulfil one of the following conditions:
- Build or place a new detached home on the land they sold you
- Complete the construction of a partially built detached new home on the land they sold you
- Transfer you ownership of the completed and detached new home on the land they sold you
