Extended absences from your principal residence

Normally, you must occupy your principal residence at the time you apply for the home owner grant. However, you may still be able to apply for the grant if you’re away from your principal residence.

The requirements differ depending on the reason for your absence:

• Your residence was damaged or destroyed
• You’re moving into a residential facility
• You’re absent for another reason

Residence was damaged or destroyed

If you moved out of your principal residence so that substantial damage or destruction caused by fire, flood or other natural disaster can be fixed, you may still be able to apply for the grant if you meet all of the following requirements:

• You occupied the property as your principal residence right before your absence
• Your absence must be continuous and uninterrupted
• You plan to re-occupy the property as your principal residence once the reconstruction or repairs are finished
• The property is vacant
• The property is not for sale while you’re away

Generally, you can apply for the grant for only the first 2 tax years of your absence, even if reconstruction and repairs take more than 2 years to complete.

If you do not re-occupy the property as your principal residence once the reconstruction or repairs are finished, you’ll have to repay the home owner grants you received while you were away, with interest.

For more information on your specific circumstances for extended absence, contact us.

Moving into a residential care facility

If you move out of your principal residence to become a resident in a residential care facility, you may apply for the grant if you meet all of the following requirements: 

• You qualified for and received the home owner grant in the previous year
• You occupied the property as your principal residence immediately before your move into the residential care facility
• You’ve been living in a residential care facility from the date you left the property until the date you apply for the home owner grant (the absence must be continuous and uninterrupted)
• The property was not offered for rent (however, it may be listed for sale)

Generally, you can only claim the grant in the first year you were away and became a resident of a residential care facility.

For more information on your specific circumstances for extended absence, contact us.

Absent for another reason

You may still be able to apply for the grant if you’re away from your principal residence for another reason such as:

• Medical
• Travel
• Work
• Education
• Home renovations

To qualify for the grant during your absence you must meet all of the following criteria:

• You received the home owner grant for the property last year
• Your absence must be continuous and uninterrupted
• You occupied the property as your principal residence right before your absence
• You plan to re-occupy the property as your principal residence when you return
• The property is not for sale or rented while you’re away
• The property is vacant while you’re away, or is occupied by your spouse or relative as their principal residence and they also occupied the property as their principal residence right before your absence
• You are not absent due to incarceration

Generally, you can apply for the grant for the first 2 tax years of your absence.

If you do not re-occupy the property as your principal residence within the year immediately following the last tax year you were entitled to apply, you’ll have to repay the home owner grants you received while you were away, with interest.

For more information on your specific circumstances for extended absence, contact us.