Defence Bank home loans just for the ADF.

You may be eligible for a DHOAS subsidy of up to $1,155 per month.

Talk to a Defence Bank lender to find out more. For full DHOAS eligibility criteria visit dhoas.gov.au. 

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What is DHOAS?

The Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme (DHOAS) is an initiative by the Australian Government to assist current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families in purchasing their own home.

Eligible members can receive a monthly subsidy on their home loan interest, which can significantly reduce the amount of interest they pay over the life of the loan.

Am I eligible for DHOAS?

To be eligible for DHOAS, ADF members need to have completed a certain period of service and meet other specific criteria.

From January 2023, there have been some positive changes to make it easier for current and former ADF members to qualify for, and access DHOAS.

These changes include:

  • reducing the minimum qualifying period for current ADF members (from four to two years for permanent service and from eight to four years for Reserve service)
  • and eliminating the previous five-year deadline for veterans who have left the service to access their final subsidy certificate.

For information about your DHOAS eligibility contact the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

DHOAS subsidy tiers for 2024-2025.

Tier. Minimum permanent service. Minimum reserve service. Subsidised loan amount. Maximum monthly subsidy.
1 2 years. 4 years. $396,965 Up to $577.
2 4 years. 8 years. $595,447 Up to $866.
3 8 years. 12 years. $793,930 Up to $1,155.

Estimated monthly subsidy values based on the December 2024 median interest rate. These monthly subsidy values fluctuate based on changes in the median interest rate.

Consider these DHOAS-compatible home loans.

Defence Bank is an approved DHOAS home loan provider. You can count on us to find the home loan that's right for you.

DHOAS Essentials home loan - Ultimate Package (fixed).

Our most comprehensive DHOAS home loan, with loads of extra benefits and support with fixed-rate options from 1 to 5 years.

Annual rate from 5.89 %p.a.
Comparison rate 6.81 %p.a.
Request a call back. Learn more.
DHOAS Premier Low Rate home loan.

If a DHOAS-compatible low variable rate is what you’re looking for, this is the loan for you.

Annual rate from 6.09 %p.a.
Comparison rate 6.09 %p.a. *
Request a call back. Learn more.
DHOAS Premier home loan.

A DHOAS-compatible low variable rate option with the flexibility of an offset account.

Annual rate from 6.44 %p.a.
Comparison rate 6.44 %p.a. *
Request a call back. Learn more.

See more DHOAS home loans.

Why choose a Defence Bank home loan?

As an official provider of DHOAS eligible home loans, we ensure that our loans contain features suitable to the unique needs of our ADF members.

Pay off your home loan faster.
Our home loans start with a competitive market rate, and combined with the DHOAS subsidy, members can pay off their loan quicker especially when selecting a variable loan allowing extra repayments for no extra fees.

Free loan redraw.
Select a loan that offers you free redraw, so you benefit from lower interest costs but enjoy the flexibility of easy access to your money.

Offset account.
Our Home Loan Offset account is the way to manage your day-to-day banking to reduce the interest payable on your home loan. Here's how it works.

We're the bank that gets defence.
With the most on-base branches across Australia, we understand that yours will be a life like no other. We're the bank that gets it.

Support from wherever you’re posted.
Whether you’re near a branch or posted overseas, our Lending Specialists can help you in-person, over the phone or face-to-face through our virtual branch.

Read more about home loans on Intel, the Defence Bank blog.

Frequently asked questions.

The Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme (DHOAS) assists current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families to achieve homeownership.

DHOAS is administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) on behalf of the Department of Defence.

DHOAS provides eligible current and former serving members of the Permanent Force and the Reserves with a subsidy on the interest of their home loans.

The subsidy is paid monthly, directly into a DHOAS home loan. The amount of subsidy you receive depends on your subsidy tier level and the balance of your home loan up to your subsidised loan limit. 

To learn more about Defence Bank DHOAS home loans click here. 

To find out more about DHOAS and your eligibility click here. 

Eligibility for a DHOAS certificate is organised directly through the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA). Once you have your DHOAS certificate, our lenders can help find the best product for you.

Talk to a lender to find out more.

Portability of your Defence Bank DHOAS home loan may be possible if you don’t require additional funds to purchase your next home. Speak with a lender to discuss your situation further.

We also recommend you should always contact the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) before making any changes to your DHOAS home loan.

From January 2023, there have been improvements to how ADF members and veterans can qualify for and access DHOAS, these are:

  • Reducing the minimum qualifying period required by current ADF members from four to two years for permanent service, and from eight to four years for Reserve service.
  • Removing the deadline for veterans who have left the service to access their final subsidy certificate (previously five years). Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs for more information.
See all home loan FAQs.
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Comparison rates based on a $150,000 secured loan over 25 years. Fees and charges are payable. Terms and conditions available on request. WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. For interest only variable loans, the comparison rates are based on an initial 5 year interest only term. For fixed rate interest only loans, the comparison rates are based on an initial interest only period equal in term to the fixed period.