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Vacant / Derelict Property Grant

Up to €50,000 to do up a vacant property, or up to €70,000 if it is derelict. On offshore islands those figures rise to €60,000 and €84,000. Converting a vacant or derelict commercial or public building into 2 or more homes gets a top-up on top of these figures, taking the total to €70,000-€90,000 (vacant) or €90,000-€110,000 (derelict), with its own application form.

Last checked October 2026

What it is

Also called Croí Cónaithe, which is the name the government campaigns under. Up to €50,000 to refurbish a vacant home, or up to €70,000 if it is confirmed derelict. Once your application is approved you have 18 months to complete the works. The council can extend that only in exceptional circumstances. Two conditions catch nearly everyone. The building must have been built before 2008 and it must have been vacant for at least two years when you apply. Agricultural buildings such as sheds and barns are NOT eligible, no matter what they are being turned into. It is for named individuals, sole traders included, who own the property or are actively buying it, including people living abroad. The grant has been extended to 2030. Works can only start once you have the council's letter of approval or approval in principle. It is never for a company or developer. It covers rural areas as well as cities, towns and villages. For the derelict top-up, check first whether the property is on your council's Derelict Sites Register, because if it is you do not need a report. If it is not, you need an independent report from a registered building surveyor, registered engineer or registered architect confirming it is structurally unsound and dangerous. Converting a whole former commercial or public building into two or more homes pays more: up to €70,000 for two units and €90,000 for three or more, rising to €90,000 and €110,000 if that building is derelict. Converting one into a single home gets the normal €50,000 or €70,000. The conversion top-up is only for new applications made on or after 31 March 2026 and has a separate application form. Apply to the local authority where the building is, and their vacant homes officer is the person to ask for. One more thing to know if you own a derelict property: a Derelict Property Tax of 7% of the market value of the property, collected by Revenue, was announced in Budget 2026 to replace the Derelict Sites Levy. It is in the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026, published on 19 October 2026, so it is a Bill and not law yet. From January 2027 councils will identify derelict properties in towns with a population of 4,000 or more and send the details to Revenue. Preliminary registers are due on 1 September 2027. Owners will have to pay the tax by June 2028 unless they take action to fix up the property. The Bill says the tax can be deferred in some cases, including after a recent change of ownership and while remediation works are under way. The details could still change as the Bill goes through the Oireachtas. Found more work needed after approval? Tell your local authority before you do it, because the grant is based on the works they approved. It is paid after the council's final inspection, on detailed invoices, or receipts if you are only claiming for materials. Any cost above the grant is yours to cover. If you do the work yourself, the grant covers materials only, not your labour.

Who can get it

The property has been vacant for at least two years when you apply
It was built before 2008
You own it, you have a signed contract to buy it, or you can show you're actively negotiating to buy it (a local authority can give 'approval in principle')
You will live in it as your home, or rent it out with a tenancy registered with the RTB
You are a named individual (sole traders included). You can apply from abroad if you are buying the property. The grant is not available to registered companies or developers

Good to know

The derelict top-up of up to €20,000 (bringing it to up to €70,000) is for works expected to cost more than €50,000. It needs the property on your council's Derelict Sites Register, OR an independent report from a registered building surveyor, registered engineer or registered architect confirming it is structurally unsound and dangerous. Check the Register first, because if it is already listed you do not need the report.
On offshore islands the amounts are 20% higher: up to €60,000 vacant and up to €84,000 derelict.
Converting a whole vacant or derelict COMMERCIAL or public building into 2 or more homes gets an extra top-up: up to €20,000 for 2 units and up to €40,000 for 3 or more, taking the total to €70,000-€90,000 (vacant) or €90,000-€110,000 (derelict). It is only for new applications made on or after 31 March 2026. This needs its own separate application form, and a separate Expert Advice Grant of up to €5,000 is available beforehand for professional advice.
Apply to your local council and do not start the works until you have its letter of approval or approval in principle. Approved works must be completed within 18 months of the approval letter (a council can extend this only in exceptional circumstances). The grant has been extended to 2030.
Maximum of 2 grants per person for single dwellings, one for your own home and one for a property you rent out.
The grant is secured by a charge on the property for 10 years from payment. For a single home, you repay 100% of the grant if you sell or stop living in it or renting it within 5 years, 75% between years 5 and 10 and nothing after year 10. A building converted into two or more homes has its own clawback table.
If a rental tenancy ends during the clawback period, there's no clawback as long as you find a new tenant in a reasonable time.
Rental units cannot be used for Airbnb or short-term or holiday lettings.
Where the works need planning permission, you must send evidence of it, or a declaration of exemption under the Planning Acts. If a planning decision is still pending the council can give approval in principle, but it is not confirmed in full until the final planning decision has issued and you own the property. If the building is a protected structure or a traditional building, talk to your council's Architectural Conservation Officer.
Proof of vacancy can be, for example, utility bills showing very low or no electricity use or a disconnection over the two years or other proof the council accepts. For a former commercial or public building it can be commercial rates records. The council checks it before approval. A property must not be left empty unreasonably and on purpose to qualify.
If you rent it out, the home must meet the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019, the grant is paid once the tenancy is registered with the RTB and you send the council evidence of annual RTB registration every year for ten years after payment. If it will be your own home, you also sign an affidavit that you have not had this grant for a principal private residence before.
Tax clearance is needed if your grant payment is over €10,000, and for any contractor whose works are worth over €650.
Can be combined with an SEAI energy grant (claim separately for the different works) and the Living City Initiative tax relief (the grant amount is deducted from what you can claim tax relief on), and can run alongside the Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan.
You can move into the property once the council has checked your proof of vacancy. If you also have a Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan, the grant is paid to the section of the council that manages the loan and that loan is not available if you intend to convert a former commercial or public building into several homes. All owners of a building being converted must apply together on one application and splitting a building into separate folios to get more than one grant is not permitted.
Agricultural buildings such as sheds and barns are not eligible.
The grant will not pay for a stand-alone boiler powered by fossil fuels. That rule has applied since 1 December 2024.
If planning permission is granted to demolish and rebuild, the property counts as a new build and is not eligible. Some demolition and extension work can be part of a wider refurbishment of the existing home and the council decides each case.
The grant amounts include VAT on the works.
Something to know about the Derelict Property Tax: it is a tax, not a grant. It was announced in Budget 2026 to replace the Derelict Sites Levy, at a rate of 7% of the market value of the property and collected by Revenue. It is in the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026, published on 19 October 2026, so it is a Bill and not law yet. From January 2027 councils will identify derelict properties in towns with a population of 4,000 or more and send the details to Revenue. Preliminary registers are due on 1 September 2027. Owners will have to pay the tax by June 2028 unless they take action to fix up the property. The Bill says the tax can be deferred in some cases, including after a recent change of ownership and while remediation works are under way. The details could still change as the Bill goes through the Oireachtas.

How to apply

Applications go through Croí Cónaithe. The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.

Go to the official page →

Checked against the official source on 20 October 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.

Questions people ask

How much is the vacant property grant in 2026?

Up to €50,000 to refurbish a vacant home and up to €70,000 if the property is derelict. A higher amount applies for homes on certain offshore islands. Converting a whole vacant or derelict commercial or public building into two or more homes gets an extra top-up. Converting one into a single home gets the normal €50,000 or €70,000.

Who can apply?

It is for refurbishing a vacant or derelict home that you will live in or rent out. It is for named individuals, sole traders included, who own the property or are actively buying it. That includes people living abroad who plan to live in Ireland permanently and are actively buying a vacant property, as long as it will be their principal private residence or available to rent with a tenancy registered with the Residential Tenancies Board. Registered companies and developers cannot apply. You apply to your local authority under the scheme. The official page has the conditions.

What happens if I sell or move out early?

There is a 10-year clawback charge registered on the property: For a single home, 100% of the grant is clawed back if you sell it or stop living in it or renting it within 5 years, dropping to 75% between years 5 and 10 with nothing after 10 years. A building converted into two or more homes has its own clawback table.

What if I find more work is needed after the grant is approved?

Contact your local authority before you do the extra work. The grant is based on the works they approved, it is paid after their final inspection on detailed invoices or receipts, and any cost above the grant amount is yours to cover.

Is there a tax on derelict property?

There is already a Derelict Sites Levy, currently charged at 7%. A new Derelict Property Tax of 7% of the market value of the property, collected by Revenue, was announced in Budget 2026 to replace the Derelict Sites Levy. It is in the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026, published on 19 October 2026, so it is not law yet. From January 2027 councils will identify derelict properties in towns with a population of 4,000 or more. Preliminary registers are due on 1 September 2027 and the tax is payable by June 2028 unless the owner takes action to fix up the property. The Bill says the tax can be deferred in some cases, including after a recent change of ownership and while remediation works are under way. The details could still change as the Bill goes through the Oireachtas.

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