Chapter 2 of 10 · Schemes and grants · 14 of 14
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant: up to €70,000 for an empty home
Checked 21 Oct 2026the Central Bank's mortgage measures, Revenue's rules and the scheme operators' published terms.
Croí Cónaithe grant for vacant homes: up to €50,000, plus €20,000 if derelict. Eligibility, proof of vacancy, quotes, inspection and payment.
Check before you hire: a surveyor or engineer should be on the register kept by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland or Engineers Ireland. SCSI: find a chartered surveyor
Written in plain English for the person buying, selling or switching. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant pays up to €50,000 towards doing up a home that has been empty for two years. If the home is derelict, a further €20,000 is available. That is up to €70,000 in all.
This guide takes the grant end to end: who qualifies, how to prove the home was vacant, the quotes, the inspection, the payment and the years you must stay. The cost of buying calculator works out the cash you need to buy the home in the first place, because the grant is paid after the works.
A worked example first
Órla buys a cottage in Mayo for €140,000. It has been empty since 2019 and was built in the 1950s. The council agrees it is derelict.
Her builder's quotes come to €95,000 for the works: a new roof, rewiring, plumbing, insulation, windows and a kitchen.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cost of the works | €95,000 |
| Grant for a vacant home | €50,000 |
| Top-up for a derelict home | €20,000 |
| Total grant | €70,000 |
| Órla pays | €25,000 |
The grant is paid after the works are done and the council has inspected them. So Órla needs the €95,000 to pay the builder first, from savings, a loan or stage payments the builder agrees to. The €70,000 comes back to her at the end.
What the grant is
The grant is part of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund, run by the Department of Housing and administered by each council. It is for bringing empty homes back into use. It runs to 31 December 2030 on the Department's latest extension, which is to be confirmed in the current scheme outline. The changes page tracks it.
The grant is not a loan. You do not pay it back if you keep to the conditions.
Who and what qualifies
All of these must be true:
- The home was built before 2008.
- The home has been vacant for at least two years.
- You own the home, or you are buying it.
- You will live in it as your main home, or you will let it to a tenant. A holiday home does not qualify.
- You apply before the works start.
- The works are done by a tax-compliant contractor, against quotes the council has seen.
- You stay for five years, or ten years for the full amount, or repay part of the grant.
The home can be a house, a flat above a shop, or a building being converted to a home. Ask your council about anything unusual.
Proving the home was vacant
The council needs evidence that the home was empty for two years. What it accepts varies, but common proof includes:
- Electricity or gas bills showing little or no use.
- A statutory declaration, which is a sworn written statement, from you or the seller.
- Records from the council's own vacant homes officer.
- Letters from neighbours or the former owner, in some councils.
Ask your council's vacant homes officer what they want before you gather it. Every council has one.
Proving the home is derelict
For the extra €20,000, the home must be derelict. That means it is in a poor and unsafe condition. The council confirms it in one of two ways:
- The home is on the council's Derelict Sites Register.
- An independent report confirms it is derelict. The report comes from an engineer or building surveyor (Engineers Ireland or the SCSI). The house survey page explains what a survey covers.
A derelict home needs a survey in any case before you buy it. The survey tells you what the works really cost, which sets your grant and your budget.
The quotes
You send the council quotes for the works from a tax-compliant contractor. Tax-compliant means the contractor has a tax clearance certificate from Revenue. The council can ask for more than one quote, and it checks the quotes against its own view of reasonable costs.
The works can include structural repairs, the roof, rewiring, plumbing, insulation, windows and doors, a kitchen and bathroom, and work to make the home safe. Furniture and loose fittings are not covered. The council's guidance lists what is in and what is out.
The steps in order
- Find a home built before 2008 and empty for two years.
- Get a survey from an engineer or building surveyor (Engineers Ireland or the SCSI).
- Get quotes from a tax-compliant contractor.
- Apply to the council with proof of vacancy, proof of ownership or a contract to buy, the quotes and the survey.
- The council inspects the home before approval.
- The council sends a letter of approval with the grant amount.
- Do the works. Keep every invoice and receipt.
- Tell the council the works are done.
- The council inspects again.
- The council pays the grant into your bank account.
The grant is paid once, at the end. Plan to fund the works in full before it arrives.
Funding the works before the grant
The grant comes after the works, so you need the money first. People use:
- Savings.
- A mortgage top-up or a renovation mortgage from their lender.
- A personal loan from a credit union or bank.
- Stage payments to the builder, agreed in writing.
Your lender may lend on the value of the finished home rather than the price of the derelict one. Ask before you commit. If you are buying with a mortgage, your solicitor (check the Law Society's register) handles the purchase; a conveyancing solicitor is needed whether or not there is a grant.
The years you must stay
The grant comes with a charge on the home. If you sell or stop living there within the period, you repay part of the grant.
| Time from the grant | What happens if you sell or leave |
|---|---|
| Within five years | Repay some or all of the grant, as the grant agreement sets out |
| Five to ten years | A smaller repayment, which applies to the full amount; check the agreement |
| After ten years | Nothing to repay |
The exact scale is in the grant agreement the council gives you. Read it before you sign.
SEAI grants alongside
SEAI's home energy grants can be claimed for the energy works: insulation, windows, a heat pump, solar panels. The same cost cannot be paid twice. The SEAI grant is taken off those items, and the vacant grant covers the rest. The SEAI grants guide explains what SEAI covers.
A BER is needed at the end of the works for most SEAI grants. A BER is a Building Energy Rating, a certificate that grades a home from A1 to G. A BER assessor (on SEAI's register) issues it, at a typical cost of €225 to €400.
Help to Buy does not apply
Help to Buy is for new builds and self-builds only. A refurbished older home does not qualify, even with a full renovation. The Help to Buy guide explains the rules.
Where this leaves you
Work out the cash you need for the purchase and the works on the cost of buying calculator, remembering that the grant arrives last. The vacant home journey lays out the steps from finding the home to the final inspection. Before you buy, get quotes for a survey.
Questions people ask
How much is the vacant property grant?
Up to €50,000 to refurbish a home that has been empty for two years. If the home is derelict, a further €20,000 is available, so up to €70,000 in all. The grant cannot be more than the cost of the works.
Who qualifies for the vacant property refurbishment grant?
Anyone who owns, or is buying, a home that was built before 2008 and has been vacant for at least two years. You must live in it as your home or let it to a tenant. You apply before the works start.
How do I prove a property is vacant?
The council accepts evidence such as utility bills showing no use, a statutory declaration, or other records that show the home was empty for two years. Ask your council what it accepts before you apply.
Do I have to pay the vacant property grant back?
Not if you keep the home as your home, or let it, for the required period. Sell or stop living there within five years and you repay part. The full amount needs ten years. The council sets the clawback terms in the grant agreement.
Can I get the vacant property grant and SEAI grants together?
Yes. SEAI energy grants can be claimed for the energy works they cover. The same cost cannot be paid twice, so the SEAI grant is taken off before the vacant grant is worked out on those items.