(LRC Revised)

Number 33 of 2015

URBAN REGENERATION AND HOUSING ACT 2015

REVISED

Updated to 31 December 2025

Changes to legislation

as of 10 July 2026, this Act is up to date with all changes known to be in force.

This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the

Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015

. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under

the

Law Reform Commission Act 1975

(3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation

of statute law.

All Acts up to and including the

National Training Fund (Amendment) Act 2025

(21/2025), enacted 23 December 2025, and all statutory instruments up to and including

the

European Union (Restrictive Measures concerning Iraq) Regulations 2026

(S.I. No. 1 of 2025), made 6 January 2026, were considered in the preparation of

this Revised Act.

Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act,

the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees,

undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature

of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from

any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email

to

revisedacts@lawreform.ie.

Number

33

of

2015

URBAN REGENERATION AND HOUSING ACT 2015

REVISED

Updated to 31 December 2025

CONTENTS

PART 1

Preliminary and General

Section

1. Short title, collective citation, construction and commencement

2. Definitions

PART 2

Vacant Site Levy

3. Definitions (Part 2)

4. Application

5. Vacant site

6. Register of vacant sites

7. Procedure for entry on register

8. Entry on register

9. Appeal against entry on register

10. Obligation to owners to notify

11. Notice to owners of sites on register

12. Market value of vacant site

13. Appeal of market value determination

14. Determination of zero market value

15. Vacant site levy

16. Amount of levy

17. Death or change of ownership

18. Appeal against demand for payment of levy

19. Vacant site levy to be charge on land

20. False or misleading evidence

21. Receipts, certificates and requirements on sale of vacant site

22. Forged and altered documents

23. Proceeds of vacant site levy

24. Service of notices

25. Regulations

26. Prosecutions

PART 3

Amendment of section 23 of Derelict Sites Act 1990

27. Derelict sites levy not payable where vacant site levy payable

PART 4

Amendment of Parts II and III of Act of 2000

Development Plans and Development Contributions

28. Amendment of section 10(2) of Act of 2000 - content of development plans

29. Amendment of section 48 of Act of 2000 - development contributions

30. Amendment of section 49 of Act of 2000 - supplementary development contribution

schemes

PART 5

Amendment of Part V of Act of 2000

Housing Supply

31. Amendment of section 94 of Act of 2000 - housing strategies

32. Amendment of section 95(1) (a) of Act of 2000 - housing strategies and development

plans

33. Amendment of section 96 of Act of 2000 - provision of social and affordable housing,

etc.

34. Amendment of section 96 of Act of 2000 - rental accommodation availability agreements

35. Repeal

36. Amendment of section 97 of Act of 2000 - development to which section 96 shall

not apply

PART 6

Amendment of Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009

37. Amendment of section 31 of Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009

Acts Referred to

Companies Act 2014

(No. 38)

Derelict Sites Act 1990

(No. 14)

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992

(No. 18)

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009

(No. 22)

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014

(No. 21)

Housing Acts 1966 to 2014

Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009

(No. 27)

Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2002

(No. 32)

Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010

(No. 30)

Planning and Development Act 2000

(No. 30)

Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2014

Registration of Title Act 1964

(No. 16)

Valuation Act 2001

(No. 13)

Number

33

of

2015

URBAN REGENERATION AND HOUSING ACT 2015

REVISED

Updated to 31 December 2025

An Act to make provision with respect to land in areas in which housing is required

and in areas which are in need of renewal to prevent it lying idle or remaining vacant,

to establish a register of vacant sites in those areas, to provide for a vacant sites

levy, to amend the

Derelict Sites Act 1990

, to amend Parts II, III and V of the

Planning and Development Act 2000

, to amend the

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009

and to provide for related matters.

[28

th July

, 2015]

Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows

Annotations

Modifications (not altering text)

C1

Application of collectively cited

Planning and Development Acts

restricted (3.07.2017 for specified period to 31.12.2019 or up to 31.12.2021 if extended)

by

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016

(17/2016), s. 4(1), S.I. No. 270 of 2017.

Strategic housing developments and planning applications

4. (1) Subject to

subsection (4)

, during the specified period and notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained

in any other provision of the

Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2016

—

(a) an application for

permission for a strategic housing development shall—

(i) be made to the Board under this section and not to a planning authority, other

than an application for permission, the purpose of which is as set out in section

34(3A) of the Act of 2000,

(ii) be so made only where

section 6 (7)(b)

applies or, in the case that a request is made under

section 7 (1)

, when the Board has complied with the request pursuant to

section 7 (2)

,

(iii) be so made only where the applicant for permission has fulfilled the requirements

set out in

section 8

,

(iv) be in such form and contain such information as is prescribed, and

(v) be accompanied by the appropriate fee, and

(b) a copy of the

application, shall be sent by the applicant to the planning authority or

authorities in whose area or areas the proposed strategic housing development

would be situated.

...

Annotations

Modifications (not altering text)

C1

Application of collectively cited

Planning and Development Acts

restricted (3.07.2017 for specified period to 31.12.2019 or up to 31.12.2021 if extended)

by

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016

(17/2016), s. 4(1), S.I. No. 270 of 2017.

Strategic housing developments and planning applications

4. (1) Subject to

subsection (4)

, during the specified period and notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained

in any other provision of the

Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2016

—

(a) an application for

permission for a strategic housing development shall—

(i) be made to the Board under this section and not to a planning authority, other

than an application for permission, the purpose of which is as set out in section

34(3A) of the Act of 2000,

(ii) be so made only where

section 6 (7)(b)

applies or, in the case that a request is made under

section 7 (1)

, when the Board has complied with the request pursuant to

section 7 (2)

,

(iii) be so made only where the applicant for permission has fulfilled the requirements

set out in

section 8

,

(iv) be in such form and contain such information as is prescribed, and

(v) be accompanied by the appropriate fee, and

(b) a copy of the

application, shall be sent by the applicant to the planning authority or

authorities in whose area or areas the proposed strategic housing development

would be situated.

...

CONTENTS

PART 1

Preliminary and General

Section

1. Short title, collective citation, construction and commencement

2. Definitions

PART 2

Vacant Site Levy

3. Definitions (Part 2)

4. Application

5. Vacant site

6. Register of vacant sites

7. Procedure for entry on register

8. Entry on register

9. Appeal against entry on register

10. Obligation to owners to notify

11. Notice to owners of sites on register

12. Market value of vacant site

13. Appeal of market value determination

14. Determination of zero market value

15. Vacant site levy

16. Amount of levy

17. Death or change of ownership

18. Appeal against demand for payment of levy

19. Vacant site levy to be charge on land

20. False or misleading evidence

21. Receipts, certificates and requirements on sale of vacant site

22. Forged and altered documents

23. Proceeds of vacant site levy

24. Service of notices

25. Regulations

26. Prosecutions

PART 3

Amendment of section 23 of Derelict Sites Act 1990

27. Derelict sites levy not payable where vacant site levy payable

PART 4

Amendment of Parts II and III of Act of 2000

Development Plans and Development Contributions

28. Amendment of section 10(2) of Act of 2000 - content of development plans

29. Amendment of section 48 of Act of 2000 - development contributions

30. Amendment of section 49 of Act of 2000 - supplementary development contribution

schemes

PART 5

Amendment of Part V of Act of 2000

Housing Supply

31. Amendment of section 94 of Act of 2000 - housing strategies

32. Amendment of section 95(1) (a) of Act of 2000 - housing strategies and development

plans

33. Amendment of section 96 of Act of 2000 - provision of social and affordable housing,

etc.

34. Amendment of section 96 of Act of 2000 - rental accommodation availability agreements

35. Repeal

36. Amendment of section 97 of Act of 2000 - development to which section 96 shall

not apply

PART 6

Amendment of Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009

37. Amendment of section 31 of Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009

Number

33

of

2015