Vacant home ownership scheme

A Guide to the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a government scheme for funding the refurbishment of vacant and derelict homes. These include previously non-residential properties, like shops or farm buildings, that are being refurbished as homes (and have the correct planning permission). Once the work is complete, you must either live in the refurbished property as your primary home or make it available to rent.

You can receive a grant of up to €50,000 to renovate a vacant property, or up to €70,000 if the property is derelict. Larger grants are available to renovate properties on off-shore islands (up to €60,000 for a vacant property or up to €84,000 for a derelict building). If you’re planning to renovate a traditional farmhouse, there’s an additional grant of up to €7,500 for expert conservation advice. The grant must be approved before any work begins and, if your renovation costs more than the grant, you’ll have to pay it yourself.

Here are the qualifying criteria. The property must have been left vacant for 2 years or more, built before 2008, and you must either own it or be in the process of buying it. You’ll also need tax clearance and to be up to date with Local Property Tax. You can get the grant twice: once to refurbish a home to live in and again for another home you’re going to rent out.

There’s a maximum amount allowed for various types of work including: demolition work and site clearances; work to foundations; walls and floors, chimneys, stairs, and roof; doors, windows and windowsills; gutters and downpipes; tiling and waterproofing; painting and decorating; kitchen units; bathrooms; plumbing, heating and professional services (all including VAT). These limits are based on a two-storey, three-bedroom semi-detached home.

The grant is not available to developers and it doesn’t cover completely demolishing a property and rebuilding a new one. It also doesn’t cover work to make your home more energy efficient which is already covered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for the Better Energy Homes Grant Scheme. You can apply for both grants for different aspects of the same renovation project.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage through the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund. Application is through your local authority. You’ll find the application form on gov.ie but there’s also a link on citizensinformation.ie.

To apply, you’ll also need supporting documents including proof that the property is vacant; proof that you own the property or are trying to buy it; proof of planning permission (if required); proof that the property is derelict (if applying for the top-up grant); and a quote for the work. You must also agree to repay the local authority if you sell the home within ten years of getting the grant or if you rent it out when you’d agreed to live there. If you plan to rent it out, you’ll need to sign a declaration that the property will meet the minimum standards for rental accommodation.

The local authority will then review your application and may arrange for a qualified person to visit the property. If your application is approved, you’ll receive a letter of approval (or approval in principle if you haven’t bought the property yet). Then you have 13 months to complete the work.

The next step is to let the local authority know who is doing the work, and pass on their tax reference number. The local authority will also need your bank details, along with invoices for the completed work. If the grant is more than €10,000 it will require tax clearance from Revenue. When the work is complete, the local authority will inspect the home. You’ll be required to sign a charge document, which gives the local authority rights over the property as security for the grant. This is to ensure that you live in the home as agreed, or rent it out for at least five years. When the work has been completed and checked, the grant will be paid.

To find out about suitable properties that might meet the criteria for the grant, speak to your local Sherry FitzGerald agent.

For more information, and to see if you meet the qualifying criteria, see gov.ie and citizensinformation.ie.