Croí Cónaithe
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a payment you can get if you are turning a vacant house or building into your permanent home or a rental property
A grant of up to €50,000 is available. If the refurbishment costs exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available.
Cavan County Council continues to receive a high volume of applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme. The strong uptake of the scheme is welcome, and the team is working as quickly as possible to process applications, respond to email and phone queries, and to arrange first and final inspections.
We are dealing with new applications in date order of receipt, and we appreciate applicants' patience as we process these. The average processing time for validating new applications is seven weeks. After the application is validated, the average wait time for a first inspection and to issue an approval letter is seven weeks
When works have been completed, the average time for final inspection is seven weeks.
There is no current closing date for applications, and the scheme is included in the Programme for Government 2030.
To date, Cavan County Council has paid out over €3.4 million in vacant property refurbishment grants.
How to qualify
To qualify for the grant, you must:
- have proof of ownership or evidence of active negotiations to buy the property (that is, confirmation of engagement from the estate agent or owner of the property) where you are seeking approval in principle for a grant
- live in the property as your principal private residence or make it available for rent
- have proof that the property has been vacant for at least 2 years and that it was built up to and including 2007
How to know if the property is eligible for the scheme
The grant applies to qualifying vacant properties in cities, towns, villages and rural parts of the country.
PLEASE NOTE: In order to comply with Article 17(15) of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU/2024/1275), the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant will no longer provide funding for the installation of a standalone fossil fuel boiler for new applications from 1st December 2024.
Other evidence and documentation you need to provide
- a quotation(s) in respect of the works proposed
- an independent report confirming the property is structurally unsound and dangerous (if seeking top up grant for works to a derelict property) or confirmation that it is on the Derelict Sites Register, where applicable
- any other supporting documentation that your local authority may request to support your application
Rates of payment
Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant
- A grant of up to €50,000 is available. This is subject to upper limits for different types of work, having regard to a reasonable cost assessment by the local authority. The grant is inclusive of the VAT cost of the works.
Derelict Property Top-up Grant
- If the refurbishment costs exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available. To get this top-up grant, you must confirm that the property is derelict. This means that the property is structurally unsound and dangerous. The total grant available for a derelict property is therefore €70,000.
- You must submit an independent report prepared by a qualified professional, along with the application confirming that the property is derelict.
How to Apply
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Us
For further information, contact the Vacant Homes Officer at vacanthomes@cavancoco.ie