Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the home owner grant, you must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant and ordinarily reside in British Columbia. This means you

• have all or most of your personal belongings in B.C.
• have (or are eligible for) B.C. medical insurance
• have (or are eligible for) a B.C. driver's licence and are able to register vehicles in B.C.
• file a B.C. income tax return
• are entitled to vote in B.C.

You must be the owner or occupant of an eligible residence and live in it as your principal residence. You must qualify at the time you submit the signed application form.

	owner registered at the Land Title Office, Manufactured Home Registry or Integrated Land Management Bureau
	tenant for life under a registered life estate
	registered holder of the last registered agreement for sale
	holder/occupier of land as described in Section 228 (Crown land used by others) or Section 229 (municipal land used by others)
	First Nations person who is an owner under the terms of Section 12 (incorporation of reserve residents as a village)
It also includes tenants under a lease that:
	is registered in the Land Title and Survey Authority of British Columbia
	has a term of at least 99 years, and
	provides that the lessee (tenant) is to pay current year taxes

	ordinarily reside in British Columbia
	occupied the residence with the eligible owner as your principal residence at the time of the owner's death and continue to do so, and the residence remains registered in the name of the deceased owner, the estate, or in your name
	you or your spouse have not claimed a home owner grant on any other property in the province in the current year
	During the year of death, you may be eligible to claim the grant to which the deceased owner would have been entitled (i.e. basic, additional). After that, you may claim only the grant to which you would otherwise be entitled.
The definition of "spouse" means a person who:
	is married to another person, or
	is living and cohabiting with another person in a marriage-like relationship, including same-gender relationships, for at least two years before either persons dies, or applies for a home owner grant or low-income grant supplement.
The definition of "spouse" does not include a wife or husband separated and living apart and who:
	have entered into a written agreement under which they have agreed to live apart, or
	is subject to an order of the court recognizing the separation

You and your spouse together can claim only one grant.

The definition of "relative" includes the owner's child, grandchild, father, mother, brother or sister.

Ownership of a home does not automatically qualify you for a grant, even if it is the only real property you own. You must occupy the home as your principal residence to be entitled to the grant.

The Act defines "principal residence" as

	the usual place where an individual makes his/her home
	the place where an individual lives and conducts his/her daily activities

A property does not qualify as an "eligible residence" unless you occupy a
self-contained unit in it or have access to all living facilities at all times (cooking, sleeping, bathroom and living room facilities).

The grant does not apply to summer cottages, second homes or rental properties.

If a grant application is made and you are not entitled to it, or you are entitled to a lesser amount, you must repay the grant or the amount of the overpayment to the Minister of Finance.

Interest will be charged from the date the grant was approved to the date of repayment.

If you do not repay the amount owing, the debt will be placed on the tax roll against your property and collected in the same manner as other outstanding taxes. If you no longer own that property, the debt will be placed on the tax roll of any other property you own in British Columbia.

If you have no property anywhere in the province, a certificate will be filed with the Supreme Court of B.C. This certificate is enforceable as a judgment in favour of the government for the recovery of a debt.

A grant claim can be audited up to seven years after the claim was made. Fraudulent claims are subject to a penalty of up to $10,000 per offence.