Tenant Home Purchase First Home Scheme Ireland

The Tenant Home Purchase route is a First Home Scheme path for an eligible tenant who wants to buy the home they are already renting because the landlord is selling. It is different from the standard new-build route and should not be treated as a general second-hand home support.

The core idea is still the same as FHS: the scheme may help bridge the gap between your deposit, mortgage and the agreed purchase price, in return for an equity share in the home. The difference is the property route. Instead of buying a new home from a developer, you are trying to buy the rental property you already live in.

• It is for a tenant purchase situation, not ordinary open-market second-hand buying.
• You still need mortgage approval from a participating lender.
• You still need to meet FHS buyer rules, affordability rules and property-price rules.
• You should keep the official Notice of Termination and sale documentation safe, because those documents explain why this route is being used.

Use this guide for planning only. Before making legal or mortgage decisions, check the official First Home Scheme Tenant Home Purchase product page and speak with your lender/solicitor.

If you are simply browsing second-hand homes on the open market, this is not the same route. In that case, FHS normally will not support the purchase unless the official scheme criteria create a specific eligible product route.

The long-term obligations are still important. If FHS supports the purchase, you need to understand the equity share, service charges, redemption and what happens if you later sell or stop living in the property.

1. Mortgage Approval in Principle — the lender needs to show how much you can borrow under its own rules.
2. Valid tenant documentation — keep the Notice of Termination, landlord sale correspondence and proof that you are the tenant.
3. Agreed or expected purchase price — FHS support depends on the gap between price and your available funding.
4. Deposit evidence — savings, gifts or other funds that will form your contribution.
5. Buyer-status documents — first-time buyer or Fresh Start documents, depending on your position.
6. Solicitor details — your solicitor will need to handle the property purchase and FHS legal documents.

Do not rely on the landlord’s asking price alone. Your lender may need valuation, title and affordability checks before mortgage approval becomes usable for a purchase.

Ahmed and Niamh rent a house in Kildare. Their landlord says the property will be sold and they want to buy it if they can keep the monthly cost under control. The agreed price is €365,000.

If they meet the Tenant Home Purchase criteria and the property is within the relevant ceiling, FHS may bridge the €35,000 gap. The equity share would be €35,000 ÷ €365,000 = about 9.6%.

That percentage matters later. If they redeem the FHS share in the future, the buy-back value will be based on the FHS equity percentage and the property value at that time, plus any service charges due.

• Assuming every second-hand home qualifies. Tenant Home Purchase is a specific route. It is not a general second-hand home scheme.
• Ignoring the funding gap test. If your mortgage and deposit already cover the price, FHS is not needed for that property.
• Forgetting the price ceiling. The local authority ceiling can still block a property even when your mortgage looks affordable.
• Leaving the solicitor too late. Title, contract and FHS legal documents need proper checking before completion.
• Thinking FHS is free money. It is shared equity. You are giving the scheme a percentage stake that may need to be redeemed later.

Before relying on this route, check the FHS Price Ceiling Lookup, estimate your gap with the First Home Scheme Calculator, and read the FHS Equity Share guide.