A dwelling is anything that is used wholly or mainly for residential accommodation. Certain mobile homes can also be a dwelling. Examples of a dwelling are:
- a home or cottage
- an apartment or flat
- a strata title unit
- a unit in a retirement village
- a caravan, houseboat or other mobile home.
Any land the dwelling is on is included as part of the dwelling, but it only qualifies for the main residence exemption if the land and the dwelling are sold together. Also, the exemption applies to a maximum of two hectares of land (including the land on which the dwelling is built). Any excess is subject to CGT. See Land adjacent to the dwelling.
A building or a unit in a building, which is a dwelling, ceases to be a dwelling once you commence converting it into commercial premises.