GUIDES · SHEET 03 · BUYING AND SELLING · UPDATED 2 OCTOBER 2026

Vacant Property Grant for derelict homes — who qualifies for the higher grant, and how to check the derelict sites register

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant pays up to €50,000 to bring an empty home back into use, and up to €70,000 when the home is derelict. A home on the council's derelict sites register counts as derelict without an engineer's report. Who qualifies, how to check the register, and a live count of register entries and homes for sale on one.

KEY FACTS

Grant: €50,000 vacant · €70,000 derelict (islands €60,000 · €84,000)
Home: Built before 2008, empty 2+ years
Then: Live in it or rent it (RTB) for 10 years
Apply: Your council, before work starts

Who qualifies	How much	Proving it's derelict
Owners or buyers who will live in it or rent it. Built before 2008, empty 2+ years.	Up to €50,000. Up to €70,000 if derelict. Islands: €60,000 / €84,000.	On the council's derelict sites register: enough. Otherwise an engineer's, architect's or surveyor's report.

Derelict sites registers today

Live from the store · computed 22 Oct 2026

623 sites on the registers of 8 councils we hold · 3 homes for sale on one.

Council	On the register	Homes for sale on one
Roscommon County Council	183	1
Cork City Council	155	2
Dublin City Council	148	0
Kildare County Council	63	0
Fingal County Council	28	0
South Dublin County Council	26	0
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council	16	0
Wicklow County Council	4	0

Show the query

select d.la, count(*) as entries from derelict_site d where coalesce(d.on_register, true) and d.removed_at is null and d.publishable and coalesce(d.register, 'derelict') = 'derelict' group by d.la order by entries desc -- plus homes for sale within 25 m of an entry whose house number and street, or Eircode, match

Source: council planning registers, An Coimisiún Pleanála, BCMS and RZLT maps as held in the Planning Register store; coverage and fetch times on Sources & freshness. Endpoint /guides/stats/derelict-registers. Decision text is classified as granted or refused by keyword; invalid, withdrawn and undecided files are not in the denominator.

We say a home is on the register only when the address matches (same house number and street, or same Eircode) and the entry is within 25 m. Other councils keep a register we can't read yet; ask yours directly.

Who qualifies

The home: built before 2008, empty two years or more. Prove it with electricity bills or a sworn statement.
You: the owner, or actively buying. Not investors or developers.
After: live in it, or rent it with the tenancy registered with the RTB, for 10 years. Sell or stop sooner and you repay part.
Old shops and pubs can qualify too, with extra money since 31 March 2026 when one building becomes two or more homes.

Apply to your council before work starts. It pays after the work is done, against receipts.

Before you buy a derelict home

Get the register entry in writing, with the date it was added.
Ask about the derelict sites levy. An unpaid levy stays with the property.
Check the planning history on the home's page.
Price the work. Anything over the grant is yours to pay.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant?

Up to €50,000 for a vacant home and €70,000 for a derelict one. €60,000 and €84,000 on the offshore islands.

Does the derelict sites register count as proof?

Yes. The Department's March 2026 FAQ says a home on the council's register counts as derelict for the higher grant.

Can I apply before I've bought it?

Yes, if you can show you are actively buying it.

Where is the register?

On your council's website. Each home page on Planning Register shows the nearest entry within 500 m.

Sources

01Department of Housing — Vacant Property Refurbishment Granthttps://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/vacant-property-refurbishment-grant11/
02Department of Housing — Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant FAQs (March 2026)https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/5e07c773/VPRG_Publin_FAQs.pdf
03Citizens Information — Vacant Property Refurbishment Granthttps://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/housing-grants-and-schemes/local-authority-housing-grants-and-supports/vacant-property-refurbishment-grant/
04Derelict Sites Act 1990https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1990/act/14/enacted/en/html

General information about the Irish planning system, not legal advice. Published 2 October 2026, updated 2 October 2026. Live figures are computed from the Planning Register database when the page is built (at most an hour old); everything else is cited to the statute or the official page. Check with the council or a planning consultant before acting on a deadline.