Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

Have you ever dreamed of owning your own home but found that the cost of buying a property was just too high? Or perhaps you have inherited a property that has been vacant for some time and want to bring it back to life? If so, then you may be interested in the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a payment offered by the Irish government to individuals who are looking to refurbish a vacant property and make it their permanent home. With a grant of up to €30,000 available, this scheme aims to encourage individuals to renovate and revitalise vacant properties across the country.

Qualifying for the grant
To qualify for the grant, you must be able to provide proof of ownership or evidence of active negotiations to buy the property. In addition, you must live in the property as your principal private residence, and the property must have been vacant for at least two years and built before 1993. It's worth noting that the grant is not available to developers/undertakings or applicants who want to rent out the property.

How to know if your property is eligible
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant now applies to qualifying vacant properties in cities, towns, villages, and rural parts of Ireland. To be eligible, you must also fall under one of the categories outlined in the Framework of Priorities, which can be found on the application form.

Evidence and documentation you need to provide
When applying for the grant, you will need to provide a quotation for the proposed works, as well as any other supporting documentation that your local authority may request. If you are seeking a top-up grant for works to a derelict property, you will need to provide an independent report confirming that the property is structurally unsound and dangerous or confirmation that it is on the Derelict Sites Register.

Rates of payment
A grant of up to €30,000 is available. This is subject to upper limits for different types of work, having regard to a reasonable cost assessment by the local authority. The grant is inclusive of the VAT cost of the works.  If the refurbishment costs exceed the standard grant of up to €30,000, a top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available.

​To get this top-up grant, you must confirm that the property is derelict. This means that the property is structurally unsound and dangerous. The total grant available for a derelict property is therefore €50,000.  You must submit an independent report prepared by a qualified professional, along with the application confirming that the property is derelict.