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Croí Conaithe

The Croí Conaithe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant 

The Croí Conaithe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant has recently been announced by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The Croí Cónaithe grant, to be delivered by local authorities, will provide new choices for people to live in towns, villages and rural parts of the country, initially through the provision of a grant to support the refurbishment of vacant properties, with priority given to areas where the level of vacancy or dereliction is high.

Some of the main conditions of the grant are as follows. 

  • The grant is for properties located in towns, villages and rural parts of the country.
  • There is a max grant of €50,000 to refurbish a vacant property, there is also a maximum top up grant of €20,000.  
  • In the case of a top-up grant in respect of a derelict property not on the derelict sites register, a report from a qualified Chartered Engineer, Registered Architect, Registered Building Surveyor along with their PI Insurance is required to be submitted. This must confirm that the property is derelict, structurally unsound and dangerous.
  • The building has to have been vacant for two years and have been built before 2007, proof of vacancy is required to support grant applications.

From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for:

  • the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence, and
  • for properties which will be made available for rent,
  • A person who is actively negotiating to buy a property that falls within the remit of the scheme can apply.

Full details of the grant can be found in the information below:

Designed FAQ’s – Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

Scheme Outline – Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

Application Form – Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

Checklist:

Application form filled out in full and signed by the applicant(s).
Evidence property has been vacant for 2 years or more.
Proof of Ownership (Folio).
Evidence property was built up to and including 2007.
Quotation for works.
Tax Clearance for all applicants.
Building report if derelict from qualified Chartered Engineer, Registered Architect, Registered Building Surveyor along with their PI Insurance.
Evidence of planning or Cert of Exemption (section 5).
Local Property Tax- Summary
Declaration that owner intend to live in property/rent the property.
Tax clearance certificate of builder / contractors if quotes are over €10,000.
BER assessment

We require Planning Permission or a Section 5 for every application. This is applied through our Planning Department.  

A-Guide-to-Planning-Permission-.pdf-size-844.1-KB.pdf (offaly.ie)

A-Guide-to-Doing-Work-Around-the-House.pdf-size-713-KB.pdf (offaly.ie)

Please see the link below for the RTB standards.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting-a-home/tenants-rights-and-responsibilities/minimum-standards-for-rented-homes

If you have any queries, please email vacanthomes@offalycoco.ie