Derelict homes Ireland: every registered property, on one map

Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, every Irish local authority must keep a public register of derelict sites in its area. The law prescribes what it contains: the location, the name and address of the owner, what the council has done about it, and the current market value. This map brings together 2,858 entries from the 29 councils that publish their register online.

Yes — register properties have owners, and the register names them. Many owners face a mounting annual levy (7% of the market value) that becomes a charge on the property until paid, which can make them motivated sellers. Some sites are also acquired by councils and resold. The usual route is to contact the owner or the council’s derelict sites section.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant pays up to €50,000 to renovate a vacant home, with a €20,000 top-up when the property is derelict — up to €70,000 in total. It applies to homes you will live in or rent out, and every entry on a derelict sites register comfortably meets the dereliction test.

Owners of urban land on a register owe their council 7% of the property’s market value every year (3% before 2020), with 1.25% monthly interest on unpaid amounts. Unpaid levies become a registered charge on the property that must be cleared before it can be sold. Nationally, €35.6M of levies were outstanding at the end of 2025, and from 2028 collection moves to the Revenue Commissioners.

Two councils — Kerry and Longford — keep their registers offline (inspection at the council offices only), so their sites cannot be mapped yet. And the registers everywhere understate true dereliction: roughly 20,000 Irish properties are estimated to be derelict, but only about a tenth have been formally registered. New, fuller registers are being compiled ahead of the 2028 Derelict Property Tax.