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Getting help with home improvement costs

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s (NIHE or Housing Executive) Grants scheme is designed to provide help for the improvement and repair of privately owned homes. However in the current economic climate with a funding shortfall, the Housing Executive has had to review how it manages these grants.

What help is available?

There are several types of grants, depending on the kind of work that needs done,  that may be available:

  • Disabled Facilities Grant scheme - to provide adaptations to make it easier for a person with a disability to continue living in their home
  • Mandatory Repair Grants - available to landlords, agents and tenants towards the cost of repairing houses following the issue of statutory notices by the local council
  • Houses in Multiple Occupation Grants in declared Town Centre Living Initiative Areas, for the improvement and/or repair of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). A grant may also be available for the conversion of buildings into HMOs in these areas
  • Householders who live in targeted Group Repair Schemes may be invited to apply to have the outside of their houses improved

There is also a Discretionary Grants scheme for repairs, renovations and replacements. However, due to the current economic climate, NIHE will not be accepting new Preliminary Enquiry forms as it does not wish to raise expectations about the availability of these grant types. You can find more information on all the grants you can apply for and their availability in the link below:

Group Repair Scheme

This scheme allows us to help owners improve the exterior structures of their properties. It is a grant targeted to terraced houses where it has been agreed that an area based approach to improvement is appropriate. However, all Group Repair Schemes are currently being put on hold until further notice.

Latest News on Grants

The Housing Executive is currently facing a funding shortfall and has had to prioritise its workload. As providing new homes for rent is its main priority, other housing programmes, including grants, have been affected by this shortfall. In the absence of more funding, NIHE has had to significantly curtail grants.

As NIHE does not want to raise expectations about the availability of grants or have people incur costs unnecessarily, you should check with them for more information about availability and eligibility for these grants.Please use the link below to find out the latest information on grants:

Landlord's Energy Saving Allowance

If you are a landlord and make energy saving improvements to your property, you could reduce the tax you pay. You can do this by claiming the ‘Landlord’s Energy Saving Allowance’ (LESA). Find out if you are eligible, what the allowance covers and how to apply for it by using the link below:

More useful links