The Irish Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a government initiative that provides financial assistance to property owners who renovate vacant buildings and bring them back into use as homes. The grant is intended to encourage the revitalisation of derelict properties, promote sustainable development, and address the housing shortage in Ireland. The grant provides funding so you can refurbish vacant and derelict homes. It can also be used to renovate properties that have not been used as residential properties before.

You can get the grant if you are refurbishing the vacant property so you can live there, or so you can rent the property out. The grant was originally for people who were refurbishing vacant properties to live in them, but on 1 May 2023, it was extended to people who want to refurbish vacant properties to rent them out.

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

The grant is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage through the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund and you apply to your local authority. If you have questions about the grant, you can contact the Vacant Homes Officer in your local authority.

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

• The property must have been vacant for 2 years or more.
• The property must have been built before 2008. (Before 1 May 2023, only homes built before 1993 qualified.)
• 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.
• 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.
• You must not have already got funding under the grant.

More information on the grant is avaiable here.