No. You must be a first-time buyer to apply for a Local Authority Home Loan unless you are availing of the Fresh Start Principle.
You are eligible to apply for a Local Authority Home Loan under the Fresh Start Principle if you:
Previously purchased or self-built a residential property, and
Are divorced/separated or otherwise no longer in a relationship with your co-owning partner, and
Have left the family home and divested yourself of your interest in the property or
Previously purchased or self-built a residential property and
Have been divested of this through insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings
The Fresh Start Principle does not allow a Local Authority Home Loan to be used to buy out a former partner’s share of a family home.
Am I eligible if I have inherited a property?
Yes. You are eligible to apply for the Local Authority Home Loan Scheme even if you inherited a property, i.e., if you own a house that you did not purchase.
Am I eligible to apply if I am from a country outside the Republic of Ireland?
Yes, you are eligible to apply if you are habitually resident in the Republic of Ireland and are from:
the United Kingdom, or
a country within the European Union or EEA, and after three months of residence in the Republic of Ireland, or
a non-EEA country with a legal right to remain and habitually reside in the Republic of Ireland for a period of 5 years; or have leave to remain extending to potentially permit 5 years reckonable residence in the Republic of Ireland; or have indefinite leave to remain in the Republic of Ireland.
What does it mean for me to be habitually resident in the Republic of Ireland?
To be habitually resident in the Republic of Ireland, you must be able to show:
Length and continuity of residence in Ireland
Length and purpose of any absence from Ireland
Nature and pattern of employment
Your main centre of interest
Your future intentions to live in Ireland
I am married/in a civil partnership/in a committed relationship – can we apply as two single applicants?
If you are married, in a civil partnership or in an intimate and committed relationship with a partner with whom you intend to reside within the property that you wish to purchase, you must apply for a Local Authority Home Loan together with your spouse, civil partner or partner, either as a joint income applicant or a one earner joint applicant.
What evidence of insufficient mortgage offers do I need?
You must have received insufficient mortgage offers from two regulated mortgage providers to be eligible to apply for the Local Authority Home Loan. Evidence must be dated within six months of your application, and the amount you have been offered must be equal to or less than the Local Authority Home Loan amount sought.
Examples of acceptable evidence are:
A letter from a regulated mortgage provider showing the amount you requested and were offered, and/or
A letter from a regulated mortgage provider stating that your application is outside their lending criteria, and/or
An on-line calculator output sheet from a regulated mortgage provider website, showing that you have insufficient borrowing capacity for the amount sought under your Local Authority Home Loan application.
A letter from a mortgage broker firm confirming that you have been unable to secure sufficient mortgage finance from two regulated mortgage providers, with supporting screenshots or print outs of the attempts made.
A regulated mortgage provider is a company that is regulated and permitted by the Central Bank of Ireland to provide monies to borrowers who wish to purchase a property, such as banks, building societies and credit unions.