Question 1

Who is PublicSquare best suited to?

Accepted Answer

PublicSquare is best suited to homebuyers under 50 in Queensland and New South Wales with stable full-time employment, who would otherwise qualify for a mortgage if it weren't for the upfront costs of buying: the deposit, LMI and stamp duty. You'll need savings of at least $10,000 and an income that meets the minimum for your area. Some customers also choose PublicSquare because it lets them keep their savings flexible rather than tying up all their money in one purchase. In some circumstances we can also help applicants who need time to build their credit score or are waiting on permanent residency.

Question 2

Is PublicSquare legitimate?

Accepted Answer

Yes. PublicSquare is a licensed Australian real estate agency (Queensland licence 4555627 and New South Wales licence 10152702) and has operated since 2021 from Brisbane. We act for you as your buyer's agent under a written appointment. Rent-to-Own is delivered through written contracts that you receive in full before you commit, and you must get independent legal advice before you sign. Our reviews are published on the website as received from Google and our own customers, and the model has been covered by Channel 7 and the ABC. We are not a lender and we don't hold your money: the home stays owned by its current owner, your weekly payments (the rent and the extra 50%) go through the property manager's trust account to the owner, like rent, and your contributions are credited to you as your deposit when you buy.

Question 3

What are the criteria for pre-approval?

Accepted Answer

Pre-approval is a quick, self-assessed signup. You tell us how many people are applying (just you, or you plus one), how many dependants you have, your household income (checked against a minimum for the area you want to live in), and whether you have savings of at least $10,000. Personal debts such as credit cards, car loans, personal loans and buy now pay later are fine for now, as long as you'll clear them before you buy your home. Applicants must also be under 50 and want to live in Queensland or New South Wales.

Question 4

What is the age limit?

Accepted Answer

All applicants must be under 50. This means lenders will still consider you for a mortgage when you're ready to buy, which is in years 4 to 8 of the lease. You confirm your age when you sign up, and we check it against your photo ID when you appoint PublicSquare as your buyer's agent.

Question 5

What are the credit and bankruptcy requirements?

Accepted Answer

A credit score of 600 or more is preferred. Bankruptcy or past credit issues can make things harder, because you'll need a lender to approve your mortgage when you buy, but they don't automatically rule you out.

Question 6

How does eligibility vary for non-citizens, pensioners, or people with disabilities?

Accepted Answer

Eligibility may vary for non-citizens, pensioners, or people with disabilities — check with PublicSquare for tailored guidance.

Question 7

Where is PublicSquare available?

Accepted Answer

PublicSquare is currently available in QLD and NSW, with planned expansion to other states like Victoria subject to regulation.

Question 8

How does the pre-approval process work?

Accepted Answer

Pre-approval is a quick, self-assessed signup on our website and doesn't affect your credit history. You answer a few questions: how many people are applying, how many dependants you have, your income (checked against the minimum for your area), whether you have savings of at least $10,000, and that you'll clear any personal debts before you buy. Then log in to your portal to see your result and download your Pre-Approval Results and Rent-to-Own Buyer's Guide. They're valid for 90 days. Pre-approval isn't a home loan approval and it doesn't guarantee you a home. You don't pay anything to get pre-approved. You pay PublicSquare's $325 + GST signing fee ($357.50) only when an owner is interested and you appoint us as your buyer's agent.

Question 9

How is my buying power determined?

Accepted Answer

Pre-approval checks your income against a minimum for the area you want to live in. After that, the best guide is the weekly cost: look for homes where you can comfortably afford the listed rent plus an extra 50% on top, and our weekly fee. Homes need to be valued up to $1 million. Your portal shows the weekly figures for every home you submit.

Question 10

What kind of property can I choose?

Accepted Answer

Any home in your search areas in Queensland or New South Wales that's listed for rent on realestate.com.au. Homes listed for sale don't qualify. Choose a home you'd be happy to live in for years and to buy, where you could comfortably afford the listed rent plus an extra 50% on top. PublicSquare may also feature homes in your area whose owners are open to Rent-to-Own; you'll see those in the Listed by owner tab in your portal. To qualify, the home needs to be a house, townhouse or apartment valued up to $1 million. Suburbs are assessed on rental demand and resale depth, so not every address qualifies.

Question 11

How does the buyer's agency service work?

Accepted Answer

PublicSquare acts for you, as your buyer's agent, under a Form 6 appointment you sign electronically. Once an owner is interested in your application, we deal with the property manager and owner, prepare the appraisal and offer documents, and handle the paperwork through to signing. With the Plus package we also arrange and review the building and pest inspection, research the value and negotiate your initial and future price. Our fee is a buyer's agency fee, paid weekly over 5 years with no interest. Owners pay us nothing.

Question 12

How long does it take to secure a property?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how quickly an owner says yes. The more suitable homes you apply for, and the more you follow up with property managers, the sooner you're likely to find the right owner. Once an owner is interested and you appoint us, we can give you a clearer timeline to signing and move-in.

Question 13

Who owns the home while I'm preparing to buy it?

Accepted Answer

The home's current owner, the landlord who already rents it out. You find a home listed for rent that you'd love to buy and ask the owner, through their property manager, to rent it to you on a Rent-to-Own basis. The owner keeps the title until you buy, and receives the rent plus your extra 50% each week.

Question 14

What fees do I pay to PublicSquare?

Accepted Answer

You pay one fee to PublicSquare: our buyer's agency fee. It's $15,000 to $25,000 + GST for Standard or $20,000 to $30,000 + GST for Plus, depending on the initial home value, and it's spread over 260 equal weekly instalments over 5 years with no interest. You pay the $325 + GST signing fee ($357.50) when you sign your buyer's agent appointment; it's non-refundable and credited against your first instalments. The first 12 weeks are paid when your Contract with the owner is fully signed, less that credit. The remaining 248 instalments are paid weekly from move-in. On a $500,000 home, Standard is $63.46 a week and Plus is $84.62 a week, including GST. After 5 years you can choose optional support for $22 a week including GST and cancel any time. If you buy, or the home is sold under the owner's Sell-Back Guarantee, before all instalments are paid, your solicitor pays the remaining balance to us at settlement from the settlement funds or the amount returned to you (within 3 business days at the latest). If the Contract ends early any other way after signing, it is payable within 14 days. We're not a party to your Contract with the owner, and the owner never pays or deducts our fee. You don't pay rates, building insurance or maintenance during your lease; the owner does.

Question 15

Is the signing fee refundable, and when do I pay it?

Accepted Answer

The signing fee is $325 + GST ($357.50). You pay it when you appoint PublicSquare as your buyer's agent by signing your Form 6 appointment, which you can do any time from your portal (many people wait until an owner is interested). It's non-refundable, and it's credited against the first instalments of your buyer's agency fee. You don't pay anything to get pre-approved or to apply for homes.

Question 16

Do I pay a rental bond?

Accepted Answer

Yes. As with any rental, you pay a bond under your standard tenancy agreement when your lease starts, lodged with the state bond authority under tenancy law.

Question 17

Doesn't this cost more than renting?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it costs more each week than renting the same home, because you pay the listed rent plus an extra 50% on top. That extra 50% becomes your deposit. If you rented and saved the traditional way, you'd still need to save a deposit separately to reach the same goal.

Question 18

What's the catch?

Accepted Answer

The trade-offs are out in the open. Each week you pay the listed rent plus an extra 50% on top, so it costs more than renting the same home; that extra becomes your deposit. You pay PublicSquare a buyer's agency fee, spread weekly over 5 years. Your price is the higher of the contracted minimum or an independent valuation, so the deal is set before you move in. The option to buy opens in years 4 to 8, so this suits people planning to stay. And a lender still has to approve your mortgage when you buy, which nobody can guarantee. If you can't get finance, the owner's Sell-Back Guarantee lets you exit through an open-market sale with your contributions returned, less any shortfall.

Question 19

Why not just rent while saving a deposit?

Accepted Answer

PublicSquare homebuyers want more than a roof over their heads. They want a home of their own, where they can put down roots without sharp rent rises or being forced to move. Rent-to-Own gives you a clear path to owning the home you already live in, up to eight years of secure housing, rent rises capped at 4% a year, and no rates, building insurance or maintenance to pay during the lease.

Question 20

Can I use government grants?

Accepted Answer

You can't use grants like the First Home Owner Grant towards your upfront costs, but you may become eligible to claim them later when you go on to complete the purchase using a mortgage.

Question 21

Do interest rate changes affect my rent or contributions?

Accepted Answer

No. Mortgage interest rate changes do not affect the terms of your agreements with PublicSquare and the property owner.

Question 22

How is the future purchase price calculated?

Accepted Answer

Homebuyers can choose to switch to a mortgage once they've built up a sufficient deposit by years 4–8 of their lease. At that time, the purchase price is determined by an independent market valuation, at or above the pre-agreed minimum. The minimum steps down from 8% growth p.a. in year 4 to 4% p.a. by year 8 — so by the later years of your option window it sits below the long-term national average of 6.8% per year for Australian houses (CoreLogic 1993–2018, a period of historically strong growth). These rates apply to houses. Apartments and townhouses typically grow more slowly, so lower minimum growth rates may be set in the contract for those properties, with the Contract of both parties.

Question 23

What if property prices fall?

Accepted Answer

Your purchase price is set at the start by a schedule that grows the initial value each year, and at purchase you pay the higher of that contracted minimum or an independent valuation. So a fall in the market does not lower your price. Australian house prices grew at an average of 6.8% a year, compounding, from 1993 to 2018. By years 7 and 8 the contracted minimum (5% and 4% p.a.) sits well below that long-term average. In practice that means the fixed price is a two-way commitment: it locks in your cost in a rising market, and in a falling market you are buying at the contracted figure. If you decide not to buy, or cannot get finance, the Sell-Back Guarantee still applies: the home is sold on the open market, your contributions are returned to you if it sells at or above the minimum, and any shortfall below the minimum is taken from your contributions. These rates apply to houses. Apartments and townhouses typically grow more slowly, so lower minimum growth rates may be set in the contract for those properties, with the Contract of both parties.

Question 24

What is the 'Sell-Back Guarantee'?

Accepted Answer

The Sell-Back Guarantee is provided by the property owner under your Contract Between Buyer and Seller. It gives you a safety net if you can't get a mortgage. You have up to eight years in the home to grow your deposit, improve your credit if needed and find the best loan you can. If you can't get finance, you can keep living in the home while your circumstances improve, or request an open-market sale by giving written notice, supported by three formal rejection letters from brokers or lenders, at any time from year 4, as long as you aren't in default. The owner must accept the request. A rejection letter is simply a written statement (an email, letter or PDF) from a lender or broker saying your loan application was declined, each dated within 60 days. You pay the $3,300 marketing cost, and the owner pays the sale commission. If the home sells at or above the minimum price, your contributions are returned to you, less any amounts still owing. Sale proceeds above the minimum price belong to the owner. If it sells below the minimum, the shortfall is taken from your contributions before the balance is returned to you. You keep up your weekly payments until settlement and move out five days before settlement. Any unpaid PublicSquare fee is paid at that settlement: your solicitor pays it from the amount returned to you (within 3 business days at the latest).

Question 25

What counts as a rejection letter?

Accepted Answer

A rejection letter is simply a written statement from a lender or mortgage broker saying you don't qualify: your application for a loan to buy the home has been declined. It can be an email, a letter or a PDF. To use the owner's Sell-Back Guarantee you need three, from three different lenders or brokers, each dated within 60 days of your request. It isn't meant to be hard, but it isn't a formality either: you need to genuinely apply for a mortgage and be turned down.

Question 26

What happens if I fall behind on payments?

Accepted Answer

Contact us early. If you hit temporary hardship, tell your PublicSquare rep straight away. We can help you work out what to ask the owner, and we can talk with you about pausing our own fee. Any change to your rent or contributions needs the owner's written agreement. Breach notices and tenant protections follow your state's tenancy law. Staying up to date matters, because your Sell-Back Guarantee rights depend on it. If, as a last resort, you default and move out, the owner issues an Exit Statement, your contributions to that point stay with the owner, and if the exit balance is negative the owner may recover that amount from you over at least 60 days.

Question 27

What happens if I lose my job or can't keep up the payments?

Accepted Answer

Tell us early. If you hit temporary hardship, contact your PublicSquare rep straight away. We can help you work out what to ask the owner; payment arrangements can only be varied with the owner's written agreement. We can also talk with you about pausing our fee. Notices and protections follow Queensland and New South Wales tenancy law. Staying up to date matters because your Sell-Back Guarantee depends on it. If, as a last resort, you default and leave, the contributions you've paid to that point stay with the owner.

Question 28

What happens to my contributions if I leave without buying?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how the lease ends. If you request an open-market sale by giving written notice, supported by three formal rejection letters from brokers or lenders, at any time in years 4 to 8 of the lease, provided you are not in default, and the property sells at or above the Minimum Sale Price, your contributions are returned to you through the Exit Statement, less any weekly payments still outstanding at termination. Any proceeds above the Minimum Sale Price belong to the owner. However, if you default on your payments and vacate the property, your contributions are not refunded. You'll receive an Exit Statement from the owner — your contributions are retained by the owner as the exit fee, and if the exit balance is negative the owner may elect to recover the shortfall from you. This is why we encourage anyone experiencing hardship to speak with us early: we will liaise with the owner, but any variation to your payment obligations requires the owner's written agreement.

Question 29

What happens at the end of the lease if I haven't purchased?

Accepted Answer

You have a window of just under five years — from the fourth year of the lease up to three months before the Contract expires at the end of year 8 — to either complete your purchase or request the property be sold on the open market. If you reach expiry without doing either, all agreements end and your accumulated contributions are retained by the owner as the exit fee. To avoid this, buy or request a sale under the Sell-Back Guarantee before the window closes.

Question 30

Can I really get a mortgage at the end?

Accepted Answer

That's the goal the whole program is built around, and we expect most homebuyers to buy in year 6, 7 or 8. Your contributions become your deposit, and years of on-time payments are the history lenders look for. Use the time to clear personal debts, keep your income steady and on record, and avoid new debt. The purchase window runs from year 4 until three months before the end of year 8, so there's time to strengthen your position. A lender's decision years from now can't be guaranteed, which is why the owner's Sell-Back Guarantee exists: if you can't get finance, you exit through an open-market sale with your contributions returned, less any shortfall.

Question 31

What documents will I sign?

Accepted Answer

With PublicSquare, you sign a Form 6 buyer's agent appointment, electronically, when you appoint us. With the owner, after independent legal advice, you sign a Contract Between Buyer and Seller and a Call Option Deed, which gives you the right but not the obligation to buy the home within the agreed price structure and timeframe. Then you sign a standard tenancy agreement (the REIQ or REINSW template). When you buy, you sign a standard contract of sale.

Question 32

Are pets allowed?

Accepted Answer

Pets follow your tenancy agreement and your state's tenancy law, the same as any rental. Ask the property manager about pets when you apply.

Question 33

Is subletting permitted?

Accepted Answer

Subletting isn't generally allowed unless the owner agrees in writing. It may be an option in times of hardship.

Question 34

How are maintenance and repairs handled during the lease?

Accepted Answer

Repairs and maintenance follow standard rental laws — the owner handles most items. If you need accessibility modifications, government programs such as Queensland's Home Assist Secure can help (outside of PublicSquare).

Question 35

Do I need to attend the inspection before I apply?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Go to the open home, or ask the property manager for a private inspection, before you apply. Meet them, build rapport and get their details, but leave rent and Rent-to-Own for your application. Then confirm you attended on the home in your portal: that unlocks its property application. Property managers are far more likely to pass an application on for someone they've met. If you can't inspect at all (for example, you're moving from interstate), talk to your rep.

Question 36

What is a property application?

Accepted Answer

A property application is a one-page document your portal creates for each home you add. It shows the owner exactly what they'd receive each week (the listed rent plus your extra 50%), introduces you, and gives your PublicSquare rep's details. It unlocks once you've attended the inspection and confirmed it on the home. Then email it to the property manager and apply through their usual tenancy application. Each home in your portal shows the recommended steps.

Question 37

What happens when my pre-approval expires?

Accepted Answer

Your Pre-Approval Results and Rent-to-Own Buyer's Guide are valid for 90 days. When they're close to expiring, tap 'Request extension' in your portal and confirm or update your signup answers.

Question 38

Do owners pay PublicSquare anything?

Accepted Answer

No. PublicSquare works only for you, the homebuyer, as your buyer's agent. Owners aren't our clients and pay us nothing. The owner keeps paying normal ownership costs, and pays their own agency's sale commission when the home sells.

Question 39

Can I see the homes you have available?

Accepted Answer

PublicSquare doesn't list homes. You search realestate.com.au for homes listed for rent in your areas that you'd love to buy, then submit each one in your portal. The only exception is featured homes: homes in your area whose owners are open to Rent-to-Own, which you'll see in the Listed by owner tab in your portal.

Question 40

Can I apply for a home that's listed for sale?

Accepted Answer

No. Only homes listed for rent qualify. Owners of rental homes are the ones looking for a tenant, and Rent-to-Own gives them the listed rent plus an extra 50% each week and a long-term tenant who wants to buy.

Question 41

What's the difference between Standard and Plus?

Accepted Answer

Standard includes full deal facilitation with all documents prepared, education for you, the owner and the property manager, one-on-one coaching on securing your ideal home, the full portal for your whole lease, and support when you buy, through to settlement. Plus includes everything in Standard, and adds valuation research and negotiation of your initial and future price, a building and pest inspection arranged and reviewed (the inspection itself is paid separately), annual rent review checks, mortgage health checks from year 4 and priority support. Standard is $15,000 to $25,000 + GST and Plus is $20,000 to $30,000 + GST in total, depending on the initial home value, paid weekly over 5 years with no interest.

Question 42

When do I pay the buyer's agency fee?

Accepted Answer

In four steps. The $325 + GST signing fee ($357.50) when you sign your buyer's agent appointment. The first 12 weekly instalments when your Contract with the owner is fully signed, less the signing fee credit; that's when our fee is earned. The remaining 248 instalments weekly from move-in. Then, after 5 years, optional support for $22 a week including GST, which you can cancel any time. On a $650,000 home, Standard is $913.85 for the first 12 weeks at signing, then $76.15 a week. If you buy, or the home is sold under the owner's Sell-Back Guarantee, before all instalments are paid, your solicitor pays the remaining balance to us at settlement from the settlement funds or the amount returned to you (within 3 business days at the latest). If the Contract ends early any other way after signing, it is payable within 14 days. We're not a party to your Contract with the owner, and the owner never pays or deducts our fee.

Question 43

Can I use my own solicitor?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Independent legal advice is required before you sign with the owner, and you can use any solicitor. Most charge $2,000 to $3,000. Our pre-arranged referral is a well-respected independent law firm for $1,100 including GST.

Question 44

What is the Form 6 appointment?

Accepted Answer

It's the standard form you sign electronically to appoint PublicSquare as your buyer's agent. You can sign it any time from the Appointment page of your portal, or once an owner is interested: you choose your package, upload your ID, sign, and pay the $325 + GST signing fee. You only do it once and it covers every home. From then on we act for you.

Question 45

Do I have to book a call with a rep?

Accepted Answer

No. A call is optional. You can book one with a PublicSquare rep at any stage if you'd like to talk anything through.

Question 46

What if the property manager doesn't reply?

Accepted Answer

Follow up with a quick call or text on day 3, then a short email on day 7. Your portal reminds you on each home and has recommended messages. Property managers are busy, and the ones who've met you at the inspection are more likely to pass your application on. After the second follow-up, put your time into your next home.

Question 47

What happens when an owner is interested?

Accepted Answer

The property manager contacts your PublicSquare rep. If you haven't appointed us yet, you do it then: choose Standard or Plus, upload your ID, sign the Form 6 appointment and pay the $325 + GST signing fee (you can also do this earlier, any time). We deal with the property manager and owner, prepare the appraisal and offer documents and handle the paperwork. After independent legal advice, you sign the Contract Between Buyer and Seller and the Call Option Deed with the owner, then a standard tenancy agreement, and move in. Don't agree terms or sign anything with the owner yourself before you appoint us.

Question 48

Should I add a photo and a note to owners?

Accepted Answer

It's optional, but it helps. Your photo and a short note appear on your property applications, so owners can see who'd be living in their home. A warm, simple note about your household and why you'd like to stay long term helps your application stand out.

Plan comparison	Standard	Plus
Valuation research (appraisals, sales data, suburb reports)
Negotiation of your initial and future home price
Building and pest inspection arranged and reviewed*
Annual rent review check
Pre-mortgage health check† (up to once a year from year 4)
Priority support (faster responses)

Rent-to-Own in Port Stephens, 0% Deposit

How It Works

Secure your home without the deposit

Build your deposit while you live in the property

Switch to a mortgage when you're ready

Available Properties in Port Stephens

Average ~18x cheaper than entering a mortgage.

Buyer's agency fee

Buyer's agency fee

Rent-to-Buy in Port Stephens: Coastal Living Without the Deposit Wall

How Rent to Buy Works in Port Stephens

A Coastal Bay Worth Settling In

Frequently Asked Questions