Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a payment you can get if you are turning a vacant house or building into your permanent home or rental property. It is also available if you are converting an entire former commercial or public use building into residential units.

To qualify for the Grant you must:

• Have proof of ownership of the building or evidence of active negotiations to buy the property.
• Have proof that the property has been vacant for at least two years at time of application and that it was build prior to 2008.
• Applications can only be made by named owners. It is not available to registered companies.

The Grant applies to qualifying properties in cities, towns, villages and rural areas.

Documents required to support the application form include;

1. proof of vacancy
2. proof of ownership
3. a quotation in respect of the works proposed
4. an independent report confirming the property is structurally unsound and dangerous (if seeking the grant for works to a derelict property) or confirmation that it is on the Derelict Sites Register
5. any other supporting documentation that your local authority requests to support you application

The above list is not exhaustive so please refer to the application forms for full details.

Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

A grant of up to €50,000 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.

Derelict Property Top-up Grant

If the property is confirmed to be derelict, a top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to €70,000.

Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant - Conversion of former Commercial / Public Use Building

Additional support on these maximum grant levels is available in cases where more than one residential unit is being created in a vacant former commercial/public use building. A top-up on existing grant levels of up to €20,000 is available where two residential units are being created and up to €40,000 where three or more residential units are created in the former commercial/public use building. This will bring the maximum grant levels to:-

- €70,000 in the case of a vacant former commercial/ public use building where two residential units are created and €90,000 where three or more residential units are created and

- €90,000 in the case of a derelict former commercial or public use building where two residential units are created and €110,000 where three or more residential units are created.

Local authorities administer the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. You can apply to the local authority where the building is located.

Note - Applicants applying for the Grant need to ensure that they complete the correct application form:

i) Application form entitled ‘Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant’ - for the refurbishment of a vacant or derelict single dwelling OR

ii) Application for form entitled ‘Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant - Conversion of former Commercial/Public Use Building’ - where the entire building is being converted into two or more residential units