Nearly 1,500 government-backed first homes became investment properties

Housing Australia data reveals 1,486 homes bought under the 5% first-home-buyer deposit scheme were converted to investment properties between the scheme's 2020 launch and May 2026 — out of 208,000 guarantees issued. The data, released in response to a Senate estimates question on notice in June, does not show how long buyers lived in the properties before converting them.