BC Home Owner Grant Guide: How It Works & Who Qualifies

If you’re a new buyer in Metro Vancouver or a homeowner looking to better understand how the BC Home Owner Grant works, this guide is for you.

While the grant doesn’t lower your purchase price, it can meaningfully reduce your yearly property tax bill if you know how and when to claim it.

In this guide, we’ll break down what the BC Homeowner Grant is, how the 2026 assessment numbers impact your eligibility, and answer frequently asked questions we hear from buyers and homeowners in Metro Vancouver.

What Is the BC Home Owner Grant?

The BC Home Owner Grant is a provincial program that reduces your annual property taxes on your principal residence. You apply for it each year when you receive your property tax notice, and it lowers the amount you owe.

Who Qualifies

The grant is for homeowners who live in their property as their principal residence (the home where you normally live). You can only claim it on one property per year.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or an existing homeowner, eligibility is based on how you use the home, not how many properties you’ve owned before.

Who Doesn’t Qualify

The grant does not apply to:

Rental or investment properties
Vacation, cottage, or recreational homes
Properties you do not occupy as your principal residence

Rental and Investment Properties

If you’re buying a rental or investment property, there is no equivalent version of the BC Home Owner Grant. Property taxes are simply part of the ongoing cost of ownership. However, if you earn rental income, property taxes are generally deductible as a rental expense for income tax purposes.

For Buyers

For homebuyers, eligibility is based on how you use the home, not how many properties you’ve owned before. As long as the home is your principal residence when your property tax bill is issued, you qualify.

In short:

The BC Home Owner Grant:

Applies to your annual property taxes
Must be claimed each year (it’s not automatic)
Reduces the amount you pay on your property tax bill

The BC Home Owner Grant does NOT:

Reduce your home’s purchase price
Provide a cash rebate at closing
Affect your down payment or mortgage

An Example

Let’s look at how this works for a buyer in Richmond, BC. Imagine a young couple, Sam and Alex, who closed on their first townhome in Steveston in February 2025. When their property tax bill arrives in May, the total amount owing is $3,200.

Because the townhome is their principal residence, they’re eligible for the Basic Home Owner Grant. After submitting their claim online using the details from their tax notice, their balance is reduced by $570. Instead of paying $3,200, they only owe $2,630.

When Does the BC Home Owner Grant Apply?

The BC Home Owner Grant comes into effect after you take possession of your home, when your annual property tax notice is issued (usually in the spring).

You apply for the grant online using the jurisdiction number and roll number from your tax notice, and the eligible amount is applied directly to reduce what you owe. The grant is tied to your property taxes, not your purchase, mortgage, or closing costs.

Important: the key thing to know is that you must apply for the grant each year, if eligible. It doesn’t renew automatically.

How Does The BC Home Owner Grant Work?

Understanding how the Home Owner Grant is calculated matters for buyers in Metro Vancouver, because the amount you receive depends on your home’s assessed value (the value used for property taxes), and the threshold changes from year to year.

The Regular Grant (Basic)

Most homeowners (under 65 years of age) qualify for the regular (basic) grant. The amount of the grant depends on where your home is located.

Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Capital Regional Districts: up to $570
All other areas of BC: up to $770

Since this guide focuses on Metro Vancouver, you should budget for a maximum reduction of $570.

The Additional Grant

Some homeowners qualify for a higher level of assistance. You may be eligible for the Additional Grant if you are:

A senior (aged 65 or older)
A veteran
A person with a disability
Living with a spouse or relative with a disability

For properties in Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, or the Capital Regional District, the total grant amount for seniors aged 65+ is $845 (and it may be reduced if the assessed value of the home is above the threshold).

2026 Thresholds and Eligibility (What Most Buyers Need to Know)

Just because you own a home does not guarantee you’ll receive the full Home Owner Grant. The province sets a threshold based on your property’s assessed value (not necessarily its market value), and the grant is reduced once you cross that line.

For the 2026 tax year, you may be eligible for the full regular grant if your property’s assessed (or partitioned) value is $2,075,000 or less.

If your assessed value is higher than that, the grant is reduced by $5 for every $1,000 above $2,075,000.

Example:

If a home is assessed at $2,085,000, that’s $10,000 over the threshold, so the regular grant would be reduced by $50.

This is why many higher-assessed homes in Metro Vancouver only qualify for a partial grant.

Regular Grant Cutoff

Once your property’s assessed value exceeds $2,189,000, the regular (basic) grant is reduced to $0.

Additional Grant Cutoff

Because the additional grant starts at a higher amount ($845), its cutoff is higher as well. If your property is assessed over $2,244,000, the additional grant is reduced to $0.

Recommended Resource: Property Assessed Value vs Market Value

Minimum Tax Payable

Even if you qualify for the BC Home Owner Grant, the province requires all homeowners to contribute a minimum amount toward essential local services (such as road maintenance, policing, and fire protection).

So, even if the grant would theoretically cover your entire property tax bill (which is rare in Metro Vancouver), you must still pay a minimum of $350 if you qualify for the regular grant, or $100 if you qualify for the additional grant.

In practice, this rule rarely affects Metro Vancouver buyers, but it’s still important to know that the grant can’t reduce your property taxes to zero.

Who’s Eligible for The BC Home Owners Grant?

To claim the BC Homeowners Grant, you must meet all of the following criteria:

Registered Owner: You must be the registered owner of the property, or the spouse or relative of a deceased owner.
Status: You must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
Residency: You must live in British Columbia.
Principal Residence: The home must be your principal residence.

For buyers, the key requirement is that the home is your principal residence when your property tax bill is issued. You don’t need to live there for the entire year, but it must be your primary home at that time.

Couples or co-owners can still qualify, as long as the property is the principal residence of at least one eligible owner.

Metro Vancouver BC Home Owner Grant Programs By City

In the past, the BC Home Owner Grant was claimed through individual municipalities (mailing in a form or by visiting the local City Hall, for example).

Today, all BC Home Owner Grant applications are processed directly by the Province of British Columbia, regardless of which city you live in.

This means that the application process and grant rules are the same across Metro Vancouver. Your municipality does not change how or where you apply.

Homeowners in the following Metro Vancouver municipalities are all eligible for the Metro Vancouver grant amount (up to $570 for the regular grant). When you receive your annual property tax notice, it will include a roll number and jurisdiction number, which you’ll use to submit your grant claim through the provincial portal, accessible through your municipality’s website:

Regardless of which of these cities you live in, you will submit your application through the provincial BC Home Owner Grant website once your property tax notice is issued.

How Long Does a BC Home Owner Grant Take to Process?

For most homeowners, the Home Owner Grant is processed very quickly. When you apply online through the provincial system, approval is typically immediate.

You’ll receive a confirmation number, and the province automatically communicates with your municipality to update your balance owing.

In some cases, processing can take longer. This usually happens if an application is selected for review or if there is a discrepancy related to residency or citizenship.

The province may request supporting documents, such as proof of residency, which can extend the timeline. Applications can be reviewed for several years after approval to ensure compliance.

If you’re applying for a retroactive Home Owner Grant because you forgot to claim it in a previous year, processing times are longer than for a current-year application. These requests are reviewed manually and can take several weeks or a few months, depending on volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some of the most common questions about the BC Home Owner Grant.

I forgot to apply for the homeowner’s grant. Can I still apply?

Yes. If you qualified for the grant but forgot to apply, you can usually submit a retroactive Home Owner Grant.

In most cases, you can apply for the previous tax year only, as long as you met the eligibility requirements for that year. Retroactive applications are submitted through the provincial website and reviewed manually.

What happens if I don’t apply for the home owner grant?

If you’re eligible but don’t apply before the property tax due date (usually the first business day of July), you’ll need to pay the full property tax amount, including the portion the grant would have covered.

If you pay only the reduced amount without formally claiming the grant, the unclaimed portion is treated as unpaid taxes and may incur a 5%-10% penalty, depending on the municipality. To avoid this, always apply for the grant before the deadline, even if you can’t pay the remaining balance right away.

If I’m buying a home, does the homeowner grant make it cheaper?

No, this is a common misconception. The Home Owner Grant does not reduce the purchase price of a home or the Property Transfer Tax (PTT) paid on closing day.

It applies only to annual property taxes you pay while you own and live in the home. It’s an ongoing ownership saving, not an upfront buying incentive. (This is different from the First Time Home Buyers Program, which relates to Property Transfer Tax.)

Is it easy to get approved for the BC home owner grant?

For most eligible homeowners, yes. The process is straightforward and works on a self-declaration basis. If you’re a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, live in the home as your principal residence, and your assessed value is below the threshold, approval is usually immediate.

Applications can be reviewed after approval, so it’s important to apply only if you’re eligible. As long as the home is truly your principal residence, this isn’t something most buyers need to worry about.

Do I need to apply for the BC Home Owner Grant every year?

Yes. The Home Owner Grant is not automatic and must be claimed each year, even when you’re eligible. Even if you qualified in previous years, you still need to apply annually when your property tax notice is issued.

Still Have Questions?

The BC Home Owner Grant can be an easy win for homeowners, but only if you understand when it applies, how much you may receive, and what you need to do each year to stay eligible.

For buyers and homeowners in Metro Vancouver, details like assessed value thresholds, annual application requirements, and timing around property tax notices matter more than ever. Small misunderstandings can lead to missed savings or unnecessary penalties.

Reach out to Daniel John and the team for clear, personalized advice to move forward with confidence.