SF-429 Real Property Status Report Explained

The SF-429 is the Standard Form 429, the Real Property Status Report (RPSR). Recipients of Federal financial assistance use it to report on land and buildings tied to an award (Attachment A) or to ask the awarding agency for instructions about that property (Attachments B and C). It is not a financial report and it is not a tax form. This guide walks through what each part asks for and the points where filings tend to go wrong, as described in the official instructions on 2026-10-29.

What the SF-429 is and who runs it

The form is a government-wide standard report with OMB Number 4040-0016 (expiration date 06/30/2028 as printed on the instructions). The instructions are published through Grants.gov, and the form lists an estimated average of 240 minutes per response. The Federal awarding agency named in the award document receives the report and responds to any request made on it.

According to the instructions, the report covers real property that was or will be provided as Government Furnished Property (GFP), or acquired (purchased or constructed) in whole or in part under a Federal financial assistance award such as a grant or cooperative agreement. That includes real property improved using Federal funds and real property donated to a Federal project as a match or cost share donation. It is meant for awards that establish a Federal Interest in real property.

Who must file: awards that establish a Federal Interest

The form does not apply to every award. The instructions limit it to awards that establish a Federal Interest on real property. Whether yours does is set by the award terms and the awarding agency, not by the form. Most research awards involve equipment rather than land or buildings; for equipment, see property management and equipment under 2 CFR 200.313 and equipment titling on federal awards. For property the government supplies, see government furnished property on university research awards.

How often the report is due is also an award-level question. The instructions refer to the “next scheduled reporting date” and to direction “in the award document”, so check the award terms and the agency’s own guidance for the reporting schedule rather than assuming a fixed interval.

What it funds or requires: Attachments A, B and C

The SF-429 has a cover page plus three attachments. A single report may carry more than one attachment when a recipient needs both to report and to make a request under the same award.

Attachment	Purpose	Use it when
A: General Reporting	Report the status of real property	You hold real property covered by the award and must report on it
B: Request to Acquire, Improve or Furnish	Ask for authority to acquire, improve or be furnished real property	The program authority or budget allows acquiring, improving or furnishing real property
C: Disposition or Encumbrance Request	Ask for disposition or encumbrance instructions, or release from the duty to report	You want to transfer, reuse, sell, encumber or stop reporting on the property

A request on Attachment C is limited by the award: the instructions say the award document indicates the disposition options available, and the recipient may not request a disposition preference that the award does not already allow.

Completing it step by step

Cover page

The cover page asks for the agency and organizational element, the award number or numbers (list every contributing award if later funding supplemented the original investment), the recipient organization, its UEI and EIN, a contact person, and the Report End Date. Two details catch filers out. The Report End Date (block 7) applies only when Attachment A is completed. The recipient account number (block 5) is strictly for the recipient’s own use and is not required by the agency.

Attachment A, parcel by parcel

Attachment A is completed on a separate sheet for each parcel, and any item that does not apply is marked “N/A”. The main items are:

Item 13, period of Federal Interest: the From and To dates set in the award document, in MM/DD/YYYY format. The period can run past the award’s performance period. If the end is undefined, enter the start date and a statement such as “Expiration of Federal Interest”.
Items 14a to 14e, identification: description, legal description and address with zoning, land size, gross and usable building area, and ownership type (check “J. Other” for arrangements such as a conservation easement). Where coordinates are needed, use a GPS reading on the NAD 83 or WGS 84 datum, either as a United States National Grid reference with at least eight digits or as decimal degrees with at least six decimal places.
Item 14f, property cost: purchase price only for an acquisition, split into Federal and non-Federal amounts and percentages. The percentages must total 100%.
Item 14g, recorded Federal interest: whether a deed, lien, covenant or similar instrument has been recorded, with the instrument, date and jurisdiction. Check “NA” if the awarding agency did not impose the requirement.
Items 14h to 14k, compliance: required insurance, Uniform Relocation Act applicability, environmental compliance, and National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 historic significance. The recipient must keep records for each and make them available on request.
Item 15, significant change: a major renovation or damage from a flood, hurricane or earthquake, for example. If a significant change has occurred, recalculate item 14f to reflect the change in Federal interest, if any.
Item 16, disposition status: the status type, amounts owed, and any net sale proceeds and their distribution.
Item 17, energy use: cumulative energy consumption for the previous 12 months, which can come from utility bills.
Item 18, remarks.

Negative reports

If nothing has changed for any parcel, enter “Negative” in the Comments block (block 9). If only some parcels are unchanged, list them under “Negative status for the following Properties:” and attach the relevant attachment for each parcel that changed.

Attachments B and C

Attachment B is used only where the program authority or budget allows real property to be acquired, improved or furnished. All sections except item 15 (remarks) are required, and item 14a asks for the intended use and the benefit to the program in quantifiable terms, such as lower cost than renting. Attachment C asks for the request type and, as applicable, the receiving award or entity, a third-party appraised value, the parties to an encumbrance, or the reasons for a release from the obligation to report. Examples of acceptable reasons in the instructions include expiration of Federal interest and disposal in accordance with agency direction.

Certification

Signing block 11b certifies that the information is true, correct and accurate and is a material representation of fact on which the Federal government may rely. A false statement may violate 18 U.S.C. 1001. A copy of the governing body’s authorization for the certifying official to sign on behalf of the organization must be on file in the recipient’s office.

Typical timeline phases

The instructions do not set one calendar, so read these as phases tied to what happens to the property rather than as deadlines.

Before acquiring or improving: if the award permits it, a request on Attachment B asks for authority to acquire, improve or be furnished the property.
After acquisition, improvement or donation: record the Federal interest if the agency requires it, and report the recordation no later than the next scheduled reporting date, or as the award document directs.
During the period of Federal Interest: file Attachment A on the schedule the award sets, using a negative report where nothing has changed, and recalculate cost shares after any significant change.
When the property’s future is decided: an Attachment C request for disposition, encumbrance or release from reporting, answered by the agency by letter, email or other appropriate means.
At the end of the award: property reporting can continue after the performance period because the Federal Interest can outlast it; see the federal grant closeout process for the wider closeout picture.

Common mistakes

Entering a Report End Date on a request-only filing. Block 7 applies only to Attachment A.
Putting the recipient’s internal account number where the agency expects the Federal award number. Block 5 is for the recipient’s use only.
Cost shares that do not total 100%, or an item 14f left unchanged after a significant change.
Reporting the recordation of Federal interest late. The instructions set the next scheduled reporting date as the limit unless the award says otherwise.
Filing for a disposition option the award does not allow on Attachment C.
Signing without authorization on file for the certifying official.

Related forms and pages

Topic	Where it fits	CASRAI page
Federal grant rules in 2 CFR 200	The Uniform Guidance is the general framework for Federal awards	Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)
Equipment, as opposed to real property	Equipment is handled outside the SF-429	Equipment under 2 CFR 200.313
Property the government supplies	GFP is within the SF-429’s scope	Government furnished property

FAQ

Is the SF-429 used for equipment?

No. The instructions describe it as a report on real property such as land and buildings. Equipment follows separate property rules.

Do I file an SF-429 if nothing has changed?

If the award requires a report, you submit a negative report by entering “Negative” in the Comments block when there is no change for any parcel.

Can one SF-429 include both a report and a request?

Yes. The instructions state that each attachment may be submitted on a single RPSR when a recipient needs to both report and request instructions under the same award.