Quick answer (updated 14 October 2026): the cash rate is 4.60% after the 29 September 2026 rise, and the next RBA decision is 3 November 2026. Big recent changes: SMSFs can’t borrow for residential property (from 10 Aug 2026), Queensland home concessions need citizenship or PR (from 1 Aug 2026), the ACT Home Buyer Concession has no price cap and Tasmania’s established-home first home exemption ended (both 1 Jul 2026). Coming up: negative gearing and CGT changes on 1 July 2027 and the foreign buyer ban ending 30 June 2029.
Lending and property rules change often, and the dates matter: the rule that applies is usually the one in force on your contract date. We keep this page updated every time something changes that affects people buying, refinancing or investing, so you can see what’s coming and what’s just changed in one place. Each row links to our plain-English guide and the official source.
Coming up
| Date | What changes | Who it affects | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov 2026 | RBA cash rate decision (2:30pm). The cash rate is 4.60% going in. | All variable-rate borrowers | Last decision explained |
| 8 Dec 2026 | RBA cash rate decision (scheduled). | All variable-rate borrowers | RBA schedule |
| 21 Apr 2027 | Victoria’s temporary off-the-plan duty concession (any buyer, apartments and townhouses) ends for contracts signed after this date. | VIC off-the-plan buyers and investors | VIC stamp duty guide |
| 30 Jun 2027 | Tasmania’s $20,000 First Home Owner Grant ends (unless extended). NT House and Land Package Exemption ends for contracts after this date. | TAS and NT new-home buyers | TAS grant · NT exemption |
| 1 Jul 2027 | Negative gearing and capital gains tax changes start (existing arrangements grandfathered). NSW transfer duty thresholds are indexed, as every 1 July. | Property investors; NSW buyers | Tax changes guide · CGT timing |
| 30 Sep 2027 | NT HomeGrown Territory Grant ($50,000) ends for contracts after this date. | NT first home buyers | HomeGrown grant guide |
| 30 Jun 2028 | WA off-the-plan duty concession (up to $50,000) ends for agreements after this date. | WA off-the-plan buyers | WA stamp duty guide |
| 30 Jun 2029 | The ban on foreign persons buying established homes is due to end. | Temporary visa holders and other foreign persons | Foreign buyer ban guide |
Recent changes
| Date | What changes | Who it affects | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2026 | RBA raised the cash rate 0.25% to 4.60% (unanimous). | Variable-rate borrowers; borrowing power | What it means · RBA |
| 10 Aug 2026 | SMSFs banned from new borrowing (LRBAs) to buy residential property. Existing loans and pre-ban contracts unaffected; commercial property still allowed. | SMSF investors | SMSF ban explained |
| 1 Aug 2026 | Queensland home, first home and first home vacant land concessions limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and specified foreign retirees. | QLD buyers on temporary visas | QLD stamp duty guide · QRO |
| 1 Jul 2026 | ACT Home Buyer Concession Scheme: no income test and no price cap ($0 duty for eligible buyers). ACT owner-occupiers pay $0 duty on off-the-plan and newly unit-titled units. | ACT buyers | ACT stamp duty guide · ACT Revenue |
| 1 Jul 2026 | Tasmania’s first home buyer duty exemption on established homes and its 50% off-the-plan concession ended; the First Home Owner Grant dropped from $30,000 to $20,000. | TAS first home buyers | TAS stamp duty guide |
| 1 Jul 2026 | NSW transfer duty thresholds indexed for 2026–27. | NSW buyers | NSW stamp duty guide |
| 26 Jun 2026 | Tax Reform No. 1 Act became law: negative gearing and CGT changes from 1 July 2027, plus the SMSF residential borrowing ban. | Investors; SMSFs | Tax changes guide |
| 12 May 2026 | Federal Budget: negative gearing and CGT changes announced; foreign buyer ban on established homes extended to 30 June 2029. | Investors; temporary visa holders | Ban extension |
| 7 May 2026 | WA first home owner rate: $0 duty up to $600,000 (land $450,000), same statewide. WA First Home Owner Grant cap raised to $800,000 south of the 26th parallel. | WA first home buyers | WA stamp duty guide · WA grant |
| 25 Mar 2026 | SA seniors downsizing stamp duty relief starts (60+, new home, off-the-plan apartment or land on a smaller block). | SA downsizers | SA stamp duty guide |
| 12 Mar 2026 | WA off-the-plan concession extended to 30 June 2028 and widened (100% up to $800,000, capped at $50,000). | WA off-the-plan buyers | WA stamp duty guide |
| 1 Oct 2025 | 5% Deposit Scheme expanded: no income caps, no place limits, higher price caps ($1.5m in Sydney). | First home buyers nationally | 5% Deposit Scheme guide |
| 1 May 2025 | Queensland first home buyers pay $0 transfer duty on new homes and vacant land, with no price cap. | QLD first home buyers | QLD stamp duty guide |
| 1 Apr 2025 | Foreign persons banned from buying established homes (now extended to 30 June 2029). | Temporary visa holders | Buying on a visa |
| 13 Feb 2025 | SA first home buyer relief: you (and your partner) must never have owned residential property in Australia. | SA first home buyers | SA grant guide |
How to use this page
- Buying soon? Check the deadlines above against your likely contract date. A concession that ends on a date usually depends on when you sign, not when you settle.
- On a temporary visa? The foreign buyer ban, the Queensland change and state surcharges all affect what you can buy. Start with buying on a visa.
- Investing? The 1 July 2027 tax changes and the SMSF ban change the maths. Read the tax changes guide before you buy.
- First home buyer? Your state’s duty and grant rules: NSW · VIC · QLD · WA · SA · TAS · ACT · NT, and how much to save.
Rule changes: common questions
What changes for home buyers in 2026?
The biggest changes in 2026: the RBA raised the cash rate to 4.60% on 29 September; SMSFs can no longer borrow to buy residential property (from 10 August); Queensland limited its home concessions to citizens and permanent residents (from 1 August); the ACT removed the income test and price cap from its Home Buyer Concession Scheme, and Tasmania ended its established-home first home buyer exemption (both 1 July); and WA raised its first home owner duty thresholds (7 May).
When is the next RBA decision?
3 November 2026 at 2:30pm Sydney time, then 8 December 2026. We publish what each decision means for repayments the same afternoon.
When do the negative gearing and CGT changes start?
1 July 2027. The law passed on 25 June 2026 and existing arrangements are grandfathered, so current investments are not affected until then and some keep the old rules.
When does the foreign buyer ban end?
The ban on foreign persons, including most temporary visa holders, buying established homes is due to end on 30 June 2029, after being extended from 31 March 2027. New homes and off-the-plan purchases are still possible with FIRB approval.
How do I know if a change affects me?
Each row links to a plain-English guide. If you are mid-purchase or planning one, ask us: we check your situation against the rules in force on your contract date.
Not sure how a change affects you?
We check every purchase and refinance against the rules in force on the day, including the ones that are about to change. If a deadline is close, a quick call can save you thousands.