Crisafulli opens door for first home buyers to rent out a room

An LNP government would allow first home buyers to rent out a room in their new home to help pay their mortgage, overturning a rule designed to prevent investors from taking advantage of government concessions.

Under current rules, first home buyers who have received government concessions are not allowed to rent out a room within 12 months of their purchase.

David Crisafulli says the LNP will allow first home buyers to rent out a room within the first 12 months of their purchase.Credit: Matt Dennien

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, who had already announced plans to waive stamp duty for first home buyers, said that was a roadblock to many young people entering the property market.

“What that does is it prevents a young person going to the bank and saying that they have an agreement to be able to get somebody into that home to be able to help make the mortgage repayments,” he said.

“In doing so, it makes the dream of home ownership a little further away every time.

“What we’re proposing is allowing first home owners to get a foot in the door, and then it opens the door to give somebody a roof over their head – so it’s a win-win.”

The opposition leader says allowing first home buyers to rent out a room will ease the pressure on the rental supply.

Crisafulli said being able to rent out a room or two would be a “game-changer” for both renters and young people trying to enter the property market.

“It opens the door to get someone into a property, and it opens the door to get someone a roof over their head,” he said.

“That’s a great combination of things at a time when we need to move every lever to give Queenslanders a chance to own their own home.”

Transport Minister Bart Mellish, speaking on behalf of the Miles government on Sunday, said the LNP initiative was no silver bullet for the housing crisis.

“I understand the reasons behind the drafting of it, in terms of wanting to favour first home buyers rather than property investors who might rent out a property straight away, but I’m also told this isn’t really a big issue out there,” he said.

“It’s never been brought up with myself. I understand very, very low amounts of people are being prosecuted over this.

“So they really are chasing a very small issue that isn’t actually an issue out there, as far as I’m aware.”

Still, when asked if Labor would consider adopting the policy, Mellish said the government was “always happy to look at tweaks and changes”.

Speaking at Bowen Hills train station on Sunday to mark 50 days until the start of 50¢ fares across the Translink network, Mellish also touched on the other big political issue of the day – Pauline Hanson’s satirical cartoon featuring Robert Irwin and Bluey.

Irwin has threatened legal action over the video, the latest in the One Nation leader’s Please Explain series.

In the two-minute video, cartoon depictions of Irwin, the son of late wildlife campaigner Steve, and children’s show favourite Bluey critique alleged issues in the state, such as youth crime, poor roads and waiting times for hospital care.

Mellish said such videos did little to add to constructive political discourse.

“I love political satire, but the main thing about political satire is it’s actually got to be funny, and the Pauline Hanson video, as I saw it, it’s just a bit mean.

“It’s a bit mean-spirited, and using Queensland icons like Robert Irwin and Bluey to try and sell a bit of a mean-spirited and a bit racist political message, I don’t see what the point of that is.”

Crisafulli said while the video touched on issues “Queenslanders are living through”, such as health and housing crises, in the end, cartoons were just cartoons.

“I’m not a big fan of censoring cartoons, but I would like to see the two of them work it out,” he said of Irwin and Hanson.

“On the Australiana scale of full-bore Australiana clashes, it’s right up there. It’d be good for them to just sort it out.”