What is the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant?

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant provides funding so you can refurbish a vacant or derelict home.

It can also be used to renovate vacant and derelict properties that have not been used as residential properties before. However, this only applies if the non-residential properties were used for commercial or public use before and now have the correct planning permission.

You can get the grant if you are refurbishing the vacant property either to live in yourself or to rent the property out

Do I qualify for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant?

To qualify for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, you must meet the following criteria.

The property must have been vacant for at least two years immediately before the date you apply for the grant. You will not qualify if the property has been left unreasonably or purposely vacant so you can get the grant. Furthermore, the property must have been built before 2008, the property must be in the State, and you must own the property or be in the process of buying it.

You must live in the property as your principal private residence when the work is completed or make it available for rent. If you are going to rent the property when the work is done, you must register the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board.

You must have tax clearance from Revenue and your tax affairs must be in order. You must have paid your Local Property Tax, if applicable, and you must not be a registered company or developer.

You can only get the grant twice. You can get one grant to refurbish a home to live in, and another for a home you are going to rent out.

How much is the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant?

You can get a grant of up to €50,000 to renovate a vacant property, and €70,000 if the property is derelict.

The grant is inclusive of the VAT cost of the works. If the renovation costs more than the grant, you will have to pay for this.

If you are living on an off-shore island, you can get up to €84,000 to renovate a derelict building or up to €60,000 for a vacant property. The limits for how much you can get for each type of work are also increased by 20% if you live on one of these islands.

Is there a grant for conservation advice?

If you have a vacant traditional house and want to apply for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, you can get an additional grant of up to €5,000 for expert conservation advice on how to refurbish it. The grant must be approved before any work begins.

What work is covered?

The grant covers works such as demolition work, roof completions, substructure works including foundation work, and external work.Funding limits apply for each type of work funded, which are available on the Citizens Information website. If you live on an off-shore island, you can get up to 20% above these funding limits.

What work is not covered by the grant?

The grant does not cover completely demolishing a property and rebuilding a new one. It also does not cover work to make your home more energy efficient which is already covered by an SEAI grant. You can apply to the SEAI for a grant for this work as well as getting the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.

How do I apply for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant?

Complete the application form and send it to the local authority with your supporting documents. You will need proof that the property is vacant and proof that you own the property, or you are trying to buy it.

You will also need proof of planning permission, if it is needed and proof that the property is derelict, if you are applying for the top-up grant. If the property is not already on the Derelict Sites Register, you will need a report from a qualified professional saying the property is derelict.

A quote for the work must be included. You will be required to sign that you agree to repay the local authority all or part of the grant, if you sell the home within 10 years of getting the grant, or if you rent it out when you had agreed to live there. If you are going to rent the property, you must  sign a declaration saying that the property will meet minimum standards for rental accommodation .

A signed affidavit confirming that you haven’t got the grant before to refurbish a property to rent out will also be required.

The local authority will review your application and documents. They may ask for further information or documents in certain cases. They will arrange for a qualified person to visit the property to check that it is possible to do the work and to assess the cost.

The local authority will send you a letter of approval if your application is successful. This letter will tell you how much your grant will be. If you haven’t bought the property yet, you will get a ‘letter of approval in principle’ for the grant. You must sign and return this letter to the local authority, as it forms part of your agreement with the local authority.

You have 13 months to complete the works once your application has been approved

What happens if my application is not successful?

If your application is not successful, you can appeal the decision with the local authority. You should write to them within three weeks of the decision, giving the reasons why you are
appealing.

Your appeal will be reviewed by someone in the local authority who was not involved in assessing your application. The local authority will contact you with the outcome of this review. This can take up to six weeks.

What happens if I don’t want to live in the property or rent it out?

If you got the grant to refurbish a property to live in and then you decide to sell or rent it out within 10 years of getting the grant, you will have to pay the local authority back. You will have to pay them back for any reason that you are no longer living in the property as your main home within 10 years of getting the grant.

If you got the grant to refurbish a property to rent and you decide to sell the property, or it is no longer available to rent within 10 years of getting the grant, you will also have to pay the local authority back.

The amount you will have to repay depends on how long you’ve lived in the property or rented it out. If you live or rent out your property for less than five years, you have to repay the full amount. If you live or rent out your property for over five years but less than 10, you have to repay 75% of the grant. If it is more than 10 years, you don’t have to pay back anything

What is the grant for conservation advice for refurbishing vacant traditional houses?

If you have a vacant traditional house and want to apply for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, you can get an additional grant of up to €5,000 for expert conservation advice on how to refurbish it.

The scheme provides grants for vacant traditional houses in towns and vacant traditional farmhouses

To qualify, your property must be either a vacant traditional house in a village, town or city, and the property must be a protected structure or a historic structure in an architectural conservation
area.

You may also qualify if the property is a vacant traditional farmhouse. It must be a protected structure, a historic farmhouse in an architectural conservation area, or a vernacular farmhouse with no statutory protection. A vernacular farmhouse is a modest house, built using traditional techniques and local materials, such as thatch, stone, slate, earth, wattle and un-sawn timber.

How do I apply for the Conservation Advice Grant Scheme for Vacant Traditional Houses?

Complete the application form and email it to
[email protected]. You should send any relevant documents and photographs of the building with your application.

Has the grant been extended to include above the shop spaces?

The Government has announced it will extend the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant in early 2026 to include a Vacant Above the Shop Grant.
You will be able to use this grant to convert vacant spaces above shops, so they can be used as homes. The Vacant Above the Shop Grant is not yet available but is expected in early 2026.