Vacant Homes Office

The process is as follows:

1. Submit your completed application with all required documentation.
2. Longford County Council will review the application to ensure the correct scheme has been selected and that the required documents have been submitted.
3. A initial site inspection may be arranged.
4. If the application is in order, an Approval in Principle or Approval Letter may issue.
5. The approval period for full refurbishments is 13 months for domestic buildings and 18 months for commercial buildings.
6. Once works are completed, the applicant must contact Longford County Council to arrange a final inspection.
7. The applicant must submit all invoices, receipts and outstanding documentation.
8. Where rental units are created, RTB registration must be provided before final inspection.
9. Longford County Council will issue final approval where all requirements are satisfied.
10. The clawback/charge document must be signed, where applicable.
11. Payment will issue when final approval, legal checks and all documentation checks are complete.

Please note: Works must not commence before grant approval has been issued.

The following works may be eligible where they are necessary to bring the building or vacant space into residential use and are approved by Longford County Council.

Demolition / Strip-Out / Site Clearance: Removal of internal fittings, unsafe structures, hazardous materials and site clearance as part of an overall refurbishment project.

Substructure Works: Foundations, rising walls, floor slabs, damp-proofing, underpinning and structural stabilisation works.

Superstructure Works: Internal and external walls, chimneys, upper floors, stairs, roof structures, structural timbers and associated structural repairs.

Completions: External and internal doors, windows, frames, architraves, ironmongery, balustrades, skirting, roof lights, fascia, soffits, gutters and downpipes.

Finishes: External and internal wall finishes, ceiling finishes, tiling, waterproofing, painting, decorating and roof finishes.

Services: Plumbing, heating, ventilation, electrical installations, lighting, telecommunications, smoke and carbon monoxide detection, fire alarm systems and compliance works for building and fire safety standards.

Fittings: Kitchen units, sanitary ware, bathroom fittings and essential residential fittings required to make the property habitable.

External Works: Necessary site and external works within the property curtilage associated with the approved refurbishment or conversion.

Extensions: Construction of extensions as part of a wider refurbishment project, subject to planning compliance requirements.

Professional Services: Surveys, engineering reports, architectural services, building control documentation, fire safety advice and other professional services directly related to approved works.

Applicants may be able to combine these schemes with other supports, provided the same works are not claimed under more than one grant.

Other supports may include:

Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grants; SEAI-funded works cannot also be claimed under the vacancy grant.

• Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan (where applicable);
• Living City Initiative tax relief, where applicable;
• Conservation advice or conservation grants, where relevant;
• Local Enterprise Office supports for the commercial element, where applicable.