Vacant Homes Refurbishment Grant Scheme - Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund

Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme

What the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is

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, and if the property is derelict  (see below for more details), a top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available.

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.

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 Kilkenny County Council may request to support your application for example Tax Clearance from Revenue, proof of Local Property Tax compliance, Planning Permission where applicable

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 Kilkenny County Council. 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, and stating that it is structurally unsound and dangerous.  The qualified profession can be an Architect or Chartered Engineer and must be affiliated with one of the two bodies listed below.

Architect: www.riai.ie/work-with-an-architect/register-of-architects

Chartered Engineer: www.engineersireland.ie/Professionals/Membership/Members/Find-a-member/Search-members/

Apply

Kilkenny County Council administers the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. You can contact the office via email on vacanthomes@kilkennycoco.ie or post your applications to

Vacant Homes Section

Town Regeneration Office,

Kilkenny County Council

Patricks Court,

Patrick Street,

Kilkenny City. R95 N28F

Documents

Application-form-Vacant-Property-Refurbishment-grant-town-fund-September-2024.pdf (size 10 MB)

Scheme-Outline-Vacant-Property-Refurbishment-Grant-Town-funds-Scheme-Sep-2024.pdf (size 216.4 KB)

Frequently-asked-Questions-Vacant-Property-Refurbishment-grant-town-fund-September-2024.pdf (size 226.7 KB)

Check-List-Vacant-Property-Refurbishment-grant-town-fund-September-2024.pdf (size 115.8 KB)