Reduction of rent or instalment (residential leases only)

To be eligible for the reduction you must:

• use the lease as your principal place of residence
• be suffering hardship
  and
• meet 1 of the following criteria:
  • hold, or be entitled to hold, a Commonwealth concession card;
    or
  • the annual rent or instalment payable under the lease is a significant proportion of your taxable income.

Term and perpetual leases

If you are suffering hardship, you may be eligible to have your rent reduced. You can apply for a hardship concession at any time during the term of the lease.

Note: The reduction only applies for the current rental billing period for a lease that is only used as a leaseholder’s principal place of residence. If you transfer the lease, the hardship concession stops from the day the transfer is registered.

Residential freeholding leases (including grazing homestead freeholding leases)

If you are suffering hardship, you may be eligible to have your instalment reduced. The reduction can only occur on certain freeholding leases. To find out if your freeholding lease qualifies for assistance, contact the nearest business centre.

Reductions in instalments do not reduce the overall purchase price of a freeholding lease. If you transfer the freeholding lease, the balance of the reduced instalments will need to be paid prior to lodging the transfer.

You can apply either:

• online
• by printing and completing our PDF application form.

Online applications

To submit your online application, you’ll need:

• a copy of your current Commonwealth concession card if you hold one
• evidence of your taxable income (e.g. Centerlink PAYG Payment Summary, Centrelink Income Statement, income tax assessment notice).

You, or a legal practitioner on your behalf, must electronically sign the application. It will then automatically be lodged through the online process.

Within the online application, there is a help guide to assist you to complete your application.

PDF applications

To submit your PDF application, you’ll need:

• Reduction of rent or instalment (residential leases only) (PDF) application form
• Contact and land details (online or PDF) application form
• a copy of your current Commonwealth concession card if you hold one
• evidence of your taxable income (e.g. Centerlink PAYG Payment Summary, Centrelink Income Statement, income tax assessment notice).

Once completed, submit your your PDF application forms by:

• using the online Part A - Contact and land details application form
• email to SLAMlodgement@resources.qld.gov.au
• post to Department of Resources, PO Box 5318, Townsville QLD 4810.

This application does not require payment of an application fee.

We will assess your application against legislative requirements. We will seek the views of other stakeholders (e.g. state, regional and local agencies) and inspect the land if required.

Polices and legislation

• Land Act 1994
• Dealing with rent and instalment payments for Land Act tenures (PDF, 895KB).

Once we have assessed the application, we will send you a written notice. If your application is approved, the notice will state the period for which the reduction applies.

If you transfer the lease, the hardship concession stops from the day the transfer is registered.

Information on this form, and any attachments, is being collected to process and assess your application under section 41 of the Land Regulation 2020 . If required, we may need to consult with third parties such as relevant local or state agencies and adjoining property owners. Details provided to third parties will generally be limited to type of application, area applied for and intended use. Your personal information will not otherwise be disclosed unless authorised or required by law.

We may wish to contact you to seek your views on our service, to advise you of any legislative changes that might affect you, or to seek your participation in surveys or programs relevant to your application type. Any participation will be voluntary, and you may email stateland@resources.qld.gov.au if you do not wish for the department to contact you.

We may also compile or analyse statistics and conduct research. Any publication of findings will not involve the publication of identifying personal information.

In terms of the Right to Information Act 2009 interested parties may seek access to the department’s records and view relevant documents.