{
  "licence": "CC BY 4.0, cite Payotte (https://payotte.com/australia/by-state) with a link",
  "topic": "cooling-off-period",
  "extracted": "2026-10-14",
  "states": {
    "nsw": {
      "cooling_off": "yes",
      "length": "5 business days (10 for off the plan)",
      "cost_to_withdraw": "0.25% of the price",
      "auction_excluded": "yes",
      "answer": "In New South Wales, the cooling-off period is 5 business days from exchange of contracts (10 for off the plan), and withdrawing costs 0.25% of the price. There is none at auction.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Contracts and deposits when buying property in NSW (nsw.gov.au)",
          "url": "https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/buying-and-selling-property/buying-property-nsw/contracts-and-deposits"
        },
        {
          "title": "Buying property at an auction (nsw.gov.au)",
          "url": "https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/buying-and-selling-property/buying-property-nsw/buying-property-at-an-auction"
        }
      ]
    },
    "vic": {
      "cooling_off": "yes",
      "length": "3 clear business days",
      "cost_to_withdraw": "refund less the greater of $100 or 0.2% of the price",
      "auction_excluded": "yes",
      "answer": "In Victoria, the cooling-off period is 3 clear business days from signing a private sale contract. The buyer is refunded less the greater of $100 or 0.2% of the price, and there is none at auction.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Buying property by private sale (Consumer Affairs Victoria)",
          "url": "https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/buying-and-selling-property/buying-property/buying-property-by-private-sale"
        }
      ]
    },
    "qld": {
      "cooling_off": "yes",
      "length": "5 business days",
      "cost_to_withdraw": "up to 0.25% of the price",
      "auction_excluded": "yes",
      "answer": "In Queensland, the cooling-off period is 5 business days from receiving the contract signed by both parties, ending at 5pm. The seller may keep up to 0.25% of the price, and there is none at auction.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Cooling-off period for residential property contracts (qld.gov.au)",
          "url": "https://www.qld.gov.au/community/fair-trading/regulated-industries-licensing-and-legislation/property-industry-regulation/legal-requirements-for-the-property-industry/cooling-off-period-for-residential-property-contracts"
        },
        {
          "title": "Cooling-off period (qld.gov.au, buyer guide)",
          "url": "https://www.qld.gov.au/law/housing-and-neighbours/buying-and-selling-a-property/buying-a-home/making-an-offer-on-a-home/cooling-off-period"
        }
      ]
    },
    "wa": {
      "cooling_off": "no",
      "length": "none required",
      "cost_to_withdraw": null,
      "auction_excluded": null,
      "answer": "Western Australia has no mandatory cooling-off period for real estate contracts. The parties can agree to insert one in the contract, so a buyer who wants one must negotiate it before signing.",
      "note": "Cost applies only if a clause is agreed; auctions not addressed in the guide.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Sale by offer and acceptance (Consumer Protection WA)",
          "url": "https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/publications/sale-offer-and-acceptance-publication"
        }
      ]
    },
    "sa": {
      "cooling_off": "yes",
      "length": "2 business days",
      "cost_to_withdraw": null,
      "auction_excluded": "yes",
      "answer": "In South Australia, the cooling-off period is 2 business days from service of the Form 1, or from signing if the Form 1 came first. There is none at auction.",
      "note": "Cost to withdraw not described in the guide; source page last revised December 2013.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Cooling-off period (SA Law Handbook)",
          "url": "https://www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/ch23s08s08s01.php"
        }
      ]
    },
    "tas": {
      "cooling_off": "unknown",
      "length": null,
      "cost_to_withdraw": null,
      "auction_excluded": null,
      "answer": "Tasmania's Property Agents and Land Transactions Act 2016 (version of 1 July 2025) contains no cooling-off provision, so any cooling-off would come from the contract itself.",
      "note": "No statutory period found; check the contract.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Property Agents and Land Transactions Act 2016 (Tasmania), authorised version 1 July 2025",
          "url": "https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-2016-058"
        }
      ]
    },
    "act": {
      "cooling_off": "yes",
      "length": "5 working days",
      "cost_to_withdraw": "0.25% of the price",
      "auction_excluded": "yes",
      "answer": "In the ACT, the cooling-off period ends at 5pm on the 5th working day after it begins, and the buyer forfeits 0.25% of the price. There is none at auction or tender.",
      "note": null,
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Civil Law (Sale of Residential Property) Act 2003 (ACT), republication 1 November 2025",
          "url": "https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/DownloadFile/a/2003-40/current/PDF/2003-40.PDF"
        }
      ]
    },
    "nt": {
      "cooling_off": "unknown",
      "length": null,
      "cost_to_withdraw": null,
      "auction_excluded": null,
      "answer": "For the Northern Territory, the guide could not read the NT Government pages, so the length and cost of any cooling-off period are not stated. Ask the NT Government or an NT conveyancer.",
      "note": "Guide notes a rule exists for property not sold by auction; length and start not read.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Contracts and deposits when buying property in NSW (nsw.gov.au)",
          "url": "https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/buying-and-selling-property/buying-property-nsw/contracts-and-deposits"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}