Irish Mortgage Jargon Buster

The principal is the actual amount of money you've borrowed from the lender, separate from the interest you pay on top of it.

Every mortgage repayment is split between principal (reducing what you owe) and interest (the cost of borrowing). In the early years of an Irish mortgage, the bulk of each repayment goes on interest; only over time does the principal reduction accelerate. Your annual mortgage statement from the lender shows opening balance, capital repaid and interest charged.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland; Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)

The term is the total length of time over which you've agreed to repay the mortgage in full, typically between 20 and 35 years for Irish residential loans.

Most Irish lenders offer terms of up to 35 years and want the loan repaid by around age 70; a few will go to age 75 or 80 where the income supports it. A longer term lowers monthly repayments but increases the total interest paid over the life of the loan. Lenders must assess affordability over the chosen term at a stressed interest rate.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland Consumer Protection Code 2025; lenders' published criteria. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: Consumer Protection Code

Amortisation is the schedule by which a mortgage is gradually paid down through regular repayments of principal and interest until the balance reaches zero at the end of the term.

Standard Irish residential mortgages use a level-repayment amortisation: the monthly payment stays roughly constant, but the split between interest and capital changes month by month. Front-loaded interest is a feature of all amortising loans because interest is calculated on the outstanding balance. Lenders provide an ESIS document showing the full amortisation profile for any new mortgage.

Source: EU (Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements) Regulations 2016; CCPC

Equity is the portion of your property's value that you actually own outright — the current market value minus any mortgage balance still owed.

Equity grows two ways: through capital repayments reducing the mortgage balance, and through property price increases lifting the market value. Releasing equity for a deposit on a new home is the standard mechanic for Irish movers, but lenders will only count the realised cash from sale, not paper equity. A current valuation, not a Property Price Register figure, is what counts when switching or topping up.

Source: CCPC; Property Services Regulatory Authority

Negative equity is when the mortgage balance owed on a property is greater than the property's current market value — a position a large share of Irish borrowers found themselves in after the 2008–2013 property crash.

Negative equity matters most when you want to sell, switch lender or trade up, because a sale won't clear the loan. The Central Bank's loan-to-value limit does not apply to borrowers in negative equity who are selling to buy a new home (the loan-to-income limit still does), so a lender is allowed to carry the shortfall onto a new mortgage. Several banks offered 'negative equity mover' products in the post-crash years; few do now, and most movers must clear the deficit from savings before transacting.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland mortgage measures. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgage measures

An interest-only mortgage is one where you pay only the interest each month for an agreed period, leaving the full principal still owing at the end of that period.

Interest-only is rare on Irish home loans since the 2008 crash; today it is mainly seen on buy-to-let loans, as a temporary arrangement for borrowers in arrears under MARP, or during the construction phase of a self-build. Where a mortgage is interest-only for its full term, the Consumer Protection Code requires the lender to assess separately whether the borrower can repay the principal at the end, and the loan documents must carry a warning about that.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland Consumer Protection Code 2025. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: Consumer Protection Code

Loan-to-value is the size of your mortgage expressed as a percentage of the property's value, and it's one of the two main Central Bank lending limits in Ireland.

Under the Central Bank's mortgage measures, first-time buyers and second and subsequent buyers can both borrow up to 90% of the value of a home (the limit for second and subsequent buyers was 80% until the end of 2022). Buy-to-let loans are limited to 70%. The lower your LTV, the better the rate most lenders offer, though each lender sets its own bands. Lenders have a limited allowance to lend above these limits.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland macroprudential mortgage measures. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgage measures

Loan-to-income is the size of your mortgage expressed as a multiple of your gross annual income, capped by the Central Bank at 4 times income for first-time buyers and 3.5 times for second and subsequent buyers.

The first-time buyer limit was raised from 3.5 to 4 times income in January 2023; the limit for second and subsequent buyers stayed at 3.5 times. Since then 'first-time buyer' also covers some 'fresh start' applicants: people who are divorced or separated, or who have been through bankruptcy or insolvency, and no longer have an interest in a previous home. Lenders have a limited allowance to lend above the limit. What counts as income is each lender's call: base salary is taken in full, while bonuses, commission and overtime are usually only partly counted.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland macroprudential mortgage measures. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgage measures

The stress test is the lender's calculation of whether you could still afford your mortgage repayments if interest rates rose, done by adding at least 2 percentage points to the rate you are offered.

Under the Central Bank's Consumer Protection Code, a lender must check that a borrower could still afford repayments at a rate at least 2 percentage points above the rate offered, not just at the headline rate. The one exception is a rate fixed for five years or more, where the regulatory test does not apply, although lenders generally run their own. The lender then compares what is left of your net income after the stressed repayment with its own household expenditure thresholds, which rise with each dependant.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland Consumer Protection Code 2025. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: Consumer Protection Code

An exemption (the Central Bank's own word is 'allowance') lets a lender approve a mortgage above the standard LTI or LTV limit — for example lending a first-time buyer 4.5 times income instead of 4. It is granted at the lender's discretion, within an annual quota.

Each calendar year a lender may write up to 15% of its first-time buyer lending, 15% of its second and subsequent buyer lending and 10% of its buy-to-let lending above the limits. Each is a single pool: a loan counts against it whether it exceeds the income limit, the value limit or both. Lenders decide how to use their own allowance and tend to favour stronger profiles, so availability varies between lenders and through the year. A broker can tell you which lenders currently have room.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland macroprudential mortgage measures. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgage measures

A mortgage broker is a regulated intermediary, authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland, who advises on and arranges mortgages with multiple lenders on behalf of the borrower.

Brokers hold appointments with a panel of lenders. In practice that means AIB Group through its broker brand Haven, Bank of Ireland through its broker channel, PTSB, and other lenders such as Avant Money, ICS Mortgages, MoCo and Núa. Under the Consumer Protection Code a broker must tell you what commission it receives, publish a summary of its commission arrangements on its website, and give you a written statement of suitability setting out why the recommended mortgage suits you. Most are paid a commission by the lender, typically up to 1% of the loan, so many charge the borrower no fee.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland Consumer Protection Code 2025; Brokers Ireland. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: Consumer Protection Code

Approval in Principle is a written statement from a lender confirming, in principle, the maximum amount they would lend you, subject to satisfactory valuation, full underwriting and no material change in your circumstances.

AIP is not a formal loan offer and carries no legal weight. It is typically valid for six to twelve months depending on the lender; several of the main lenders now give twelve. After that, payslips and bank statements must be refreshed. Estate agents almost always require sight of an AIP letter before accepting a bid, and a strong AIP from a known lender often strengthens an offer in a competitive market.

Source: CCPC; lenders' published terms

The ESIS is a standardised, EU-mandated information sheet that every Irish lender must issue with a mortgage offer, setting out the rate, repayments, total cost of credit and key warnings in a fixed format.

Introduced under the EU Mortgage Credit Directive (in force in Ireland since 2016), the ESIS allows direct comparison between lenders. It includes the APRC, the total amount payable over the term, an illustrative repayment table, how any early repayment charge is worked out, and statutory warnings about rate changes. In Ireland the loan offer that comes with it stays binding on the lender for a 30-day reflection period, during which you can compare offers and accept at any point.

Source: EU Mortgage Credit Directive (2014/17/EU); European Union (Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements) Regulations 2016. Read more: Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements Regulations 2016

The loan offer is the formal, contractually binding document a lender issues once a property has been valued and the file fully underwritten — the legal commitment to advance funds, subject to listed conditions.

A loan offer typically remains valid for six months from issue, sometimes extendable. It comes with the ESIS and is binding on the lender for at least 30 days. It lists special conditions (life cover assignment, home insurance, planning compliance and so on) that must be satisfied before drawdown. The borrower signs acceptance, usually with their solicitor, and the solicitor draws funds on the agreed completion date.

Source: European Union (Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements) Regulations 2016; Central Bank of Ireland mortgage measures. Read more: Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements Regulations 2016

Drawdown is the moment the lender actually transfers the mortgage funds to your solicitor — completing the legal purchase and starting the clock on your repayments.

The solicitor requests the funds from the lender once all special conditions are met. Funds typically reach the solicitor's client account a day or two before completion. Your first mortgage repayment is usually due about a month after drawdown. If you are using Help to Buy on a new build, Revenue will already have paid it to the developer as part of your deposit; on a self-build it is paid into your loan account after the first stage is drawn. Either way, you must live in the home for five years or repay some or all of it.

Source: Law Society of Ireland; BPFI. Read more: Revenue: Help to Buy

First-time buyers and second or subsequent buyers both need a minimum 10% deposit under Central Bank rules (some lenders ask movers for more), and buy-to-let investors need 30%. The deposit must come from genuine savings or a properly documented gift.

On top of the deposit, buyers must fund stamp duty (1% of the price up to €1 million), legal fees (typically €2,000–€3,500 plus VAT), Land Registry fees, a valuation (about €150–€250) and usually a survey. Lenders verify where the deposit came from: regular savings, a sale of shares, an inheritance or a written gift letter. On a qualifying new build, Help to Buy can be used towards the deposit and, subject to the lender, can cover most of it. The First Home Scheme works differently: it takes an equity share alongside your 10% deposit.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland; CCPC. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgage measures · Revenue: Help to Buy

A booking deposit is a refundable holding payment, often €5,000–€10,000 on a second-hand home, paid to the estate agent once your offer is accepted to take the property off the market while contracts are prepared.

Booking deposits are held by the estate agent in a client account and remain fully refundable until contracts are signed by both buyer and seller. They reduce the contract deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) on signing. The Property Services Regulatory Authority requires estate agents to handle these funds under strict client-account rules.

Source: Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA); Law Society of Ireland

Switching is moving your existing mortgage from one lender to another, usually to secure a lower interest rate, longer fixed period, or a cashback offer.

An Irish switch typically takes six to eight weeks, sometimes longer, and requires a fresh approval, valuation, mortgage protection and legal work — but it is simpler than a purchase because no chain or estate agent is involved. Most lenders offer switchers an incentive, either a flat sum (often €1,500–€3,000) or cashback of around 2% of the loan. Under the Consumer Protection Code your existing lender must write to you 60 days before a fixed rate ends, setting out the rate you will move to and what its alternatives would save you.

Source: CCPC; Central Bank of Ireland Consumer Protection Code 2025. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgage switching · CCPC: switching your mortgage

A top-up is additional borrowing secured against your existing home, advanced by your current lender on top of the existing mortgage balance — commonly used to fund extensions, retrofits or college fees.

Top-ups are subject to the same Central Bank LTI and LTV rules as a fresh mortgage, plus the lender's own affordability assessment. The Central Bank limit on the combined borrowing is 90% of the home's current value, though many lenders apply a lower cap of their own for top-ups. Lenders often price the top-up separately from the existing loan, at their current new-business rates, and some offer lower green rates where the money funds an energy upgrade.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland mortgage measures. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgage measures

The Central Credit Register is the national database of loans, run by the Central Bank of Ireland. It has recorded mortgages, personal loans, credit cards and overdrafts of €500 or more since mid-2017, and lenders have been checking it since 2018.

Lenders are required under the Credit Reporting Act 2013 to report on their loans, and must check the register before approving any loan of €2,000 or more. Your record shows balances, missed payments and restructures, and stays on the register for five years after a loan is closed. You can request your own credit report free of charge at centralcreditregister.ie.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland (Central Credit Register). Read more: Central Credit Register · Citizens Information: your credit history

The Irish Credit Bureau was a privately run credit reference agency, owned by its member lenders, that held Irish consumer credit histories from the 1960s until it closed on 1 October 2021.

For decades an 'ICB check' was a standard step in every Irish loan application. The State-run Central Credit Register began collecting data in 2017 and made the ICB redundant. The ICB stopped providing credit reports after 30 September 2021 and deleted its records afterwards, so nothing it held can affect a mortgage application today. You may still hear brokers, solicitors and older bank forms refer to an 'ICB record'; what they mean now is your Central Credit Register report.

Source: Citizens Information; Central Credit Register. Read more: Citizens Information: your credit history

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of property from seller to buyer — handled by solicitors on both sides under Law Society of Ireland rules.

An Irish residential conveyance typically takes three to four months from sale agreed to closing; a CCPC study put the 2024 average at 17 weeks. The seller's solicitor issues contracts and title documents, the buyer's solicitor raises enquiries and checks title and planning, contracts are signed with the deposit, and funds are transferred on closing. There is no e-conveyancing system in Ireland yet: a Government expert group has recommended one by the end of 2027, with a target of completing sales in eight weeks. Registration of the new owner at Tailte Éireann's Land Registry follows closing and can take months.

Source: Law Society of Ireland; Tailte Éireann (Land Registry). Read more: Tailte Éireann: Land Registry fees

Title is the legal proof of ownership of a property — the bundle of documents and registrations that show the seller has the right to transfer it to you.

Irish title comes in two forms: registered title, recorded on a Folio at Tailte Éireann's Land Registry (about 90% of the land in the State and roughly 85% of titles); and unregistered title, evidenced by historic title deeds recorded in the Registry of Deeds. Registered title is faster to deal with — the Folio is conclusive evidence of ownership. Lenders require 'good and marketable title' as a condition of every loan offer, certified by the borrower's solicitor.

Source: Law Society of Ireland; Tailte Éireann

A Folio is the official Land Registry record of a registered property, showing the owner, the property's boundaries, and any burdens such as the bank's mortgage charge.

Folios are kept by Tailte Éireann, the State body formed in 2023 by merging the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland. Each Folio has a unique number and is split into three parts: Part 1 describes the property and gives the map reference; Part 2 names the registered owner; Part 3 lists burdens (mortgages, rights of way, charges). A folio can be viewed online at landdirect.ie for €5; a certified copy costs €40.

Source: Tailte Éireann (Land Registry). Read more: Tailte Éireann: Land Registry fees

A certificate of compliance is written confirmation from a registered architect, engineer or building surveyor that a property — or any extension or alteration to it — complies with planning permission and the Building Regulations.

Lenders rely on the borrower's solicitor to confirm that the property complies with planning and building control. For homes built since March 2014 the evidence is usually the statutory Certificate of Compliance on Completion under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (BCAR), signed by the builder and the assigned certifier. For older homes it is an architect's or engineer's opinion on compliance. Any extension or alteration since 1 October 1964, when planning control began, needs either evidence of planning permission and compliance or an opinion that it was exempt. A rear extension is generally exempt up to 45 square metres (40 before July 2026), subject to conditions. Without the paperwork, title is not 'good and marketable' and the lender can refuse to release funds.

Source: Law Society of Ireland; Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014; Citizens Information. Read more: Citizens Information: planning permission for altering a house

An easement is a right that one piece of land has over another — most commonly a right of way, a wayleave for services, or a right to light — and it transfers automatically with the property.

Easements created by deed are recorded as burdens on the Folio for registered land, but some, such as long-established rights of way, can bind a property without appearing there. Common Irish examples include rear-access laneways shared between terraced houses, ESB or gas wayleaves crossing a garden, and water-pipe rights through neighbouring land. A solicitor will check during conveyancing that the easements the property needs (access, for example) exist, and that no surprise burdens (such as a neighbour's right of way through your garden) sit on the title.

Source: Law Society of Ireland; Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009

Under the Family Home Protection Act 1976, a spouse cannot sell or mortgage the family home without the prior written consent of the other spouse, even if only one is on the title deeds.

Civil partners have the same protection for their 'shared home' under the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. It does not extend to couples who live together without being married or in a civil partnership. Every Irish sale or mortgage involves a family law declaration: a sworn statement confirming whether the property is a family home and that any consent needed has been given. The protection applies even where the non-owning spouse contributed nothing financially.

Source: Family Home Protection Act 1976; Law Society of Ireland

Help to Buy is a Revenue scheme for first-time buyers of new-build and self-build homes, giving a refund of income tax and DIRT paid over the previous four years, up to a maximum of €35,000 (raised from €30,000 in Budget 2027).

The refund is the lowest of three figures: €35,000, 10% of the purchase price (or the approved valuation for a self-build), or the income tax and DIRT you paid in the four tax years before you apply. The €35,000 cap applies where the contract is signed, or the first self-build stage is drawn down, from 7 October 2026; before that it was €30,000. The home must cost €500,000 or less, you must borrow at least 70% of its price or value, and you must live there for five years or repay some or all of the refund. On a new build Revenue pays the money to the developer as part of your deposit; on a self-build it goes into your mortgage loan account. The scheme runs to the end of 2029.

Source: Revenue Commissioners; Department of Finance. Read more: Revenue: Help to Buy

The First Home Scheme is a State-backed shared-equity scheme: it pays up to 30% of the price of your home in return for an equity share of the same percentage. It is open to first-time buyers of new-build homes, self-builders, and tenants buying the home they rent.

FHS launched in July 2022 and is funded by the State together with AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB. The maximum share is 30%, or 20% if you are also using Help to Buy. You must take the maximum mortgage available to you from a participating lender (up to four times income) and still have a 10% deposit. Price ceilings vary by area, from €375,000 in some counties to €500,000 in Dublin, Wicklow and Cork city. There is no charge for the first five years; from year six an annual service charge of 1.75% of the amount provided applies, rising to 2.15% from year 16 and 2.85% from year 30. You can buy back the share in stages or in full, at the property's value at the time, and must do so if you sell.

Source: First Home Scheme Ireland; Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Read more: First Home Scheme

The Local Authority Home Loan is a State-backed mortgage offered through local authorities to first-time buyers (and 'fresh start' applicants) who cannot get sufficient finance from a commercial bank.

LAHL replaced the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan in January 2022. You can borrow up to 90% of the property's value, and the property must not cost more than a set limit: since April 2026, €415,000 in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow; €375,000 in Cork, Galway city and Meath; and €345,000 or €310,000 elsewhere. Gross income must not exceed €80,000 for a single applicant or €85,000 for joint applicants. You must show that two regulated lenders have offered you too little (or nothing) within the past 12 months. The interest rate, about 4% at the time of writing, is fixed for the whole term of up to 30 years.

Source: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Read more: Local Authority Home Loan

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant offers up to €50,000 toward refurbishing a vacant property, or up to €70,000 if it is derelict, to live in as your main home or to rent out. It is funded through the Government's Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund.

Up to €50,000 is available for a property that has been vacant for two years or more and was built up to and including 2007, with a further €20,000 where it is confirmed derelict. Higher amounts apply on certain offshore islands and, since 2026, to some conversions of former commercial buildings and spaces over shops. The grant is paid by the local authority after the works are completed and inspected. You must own the property or be buying it, and then live in it or rent it out; if you sell within five years the full grant is repayable, and 75% of it between five and ten years.

Source: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Read more: gov.ie: Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

Croí Cónaithe (roughly 'heart of dwelling' in Irish) is a Government housing programme launched in 2022 with two strands: Croí Cónaithe (Towns), which funds the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, and Croí Cónaithe (Cities), which subsidises the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers.

The Towns Fund pays grants of up to €50,000, or €70,000 for derelict properties, to bring vacant homes built up to 2007 back into use, and also supports serviced sites for people building their own home. It is delivered by local authorities. The Cities scheme is run by the Housing Agency: it pays developers a subsidy to cover the gap between the cost of building apartments and their market price, in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

Source: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; The Housing Agency. Read more: gov.ie: Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

SEAI grants are State-funded financial supports administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to help homeowners pay for energy upgrades — insulation, heat pumps, solar PV, and full deep retrofits.

There are three main routes. Individual energy upgrade grants (the Better Energy Homes scheme) let you manage the works yourself and claim per measure. The One Stop Shop service (the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme) is a managed whole-house upgrade to at least a B rating; SEAI's own figures show a typical grant of €20,000–€26,000 for a house. Fully funded upgrades are available to households on certain welfare payments. In 2026 a heat pump attracts a grant of up to €12,500 and solar panels up to €1,800. Eligibility depends on when the home was built and occupied: before 2011 for insulation and heating controls, before 2021 for heat pumps and before 2025 for solar. With individual grants you pay first and claim afterwards; a One Stop Shop deducts the grant from the price upfront.

Source: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Read more: SEAI: One Stop Shop home upgrades

The Mortgage Interest Tax Credit is a temporary Revenue tax credit, introduced in Budget 2024, for homeowners whose mortgage interest rose after 2022. It is worth up to €1,250 a year for 2023 to 2025 and up to €625 for 2026.

The credit is 20% of the increase in the interest you paid in the year over the interest you paid in 2022, capped at €1,250. For 2026 only half of the increase counts, which caps the credit at €625. The mortgage must be on your principal private residence and have had a balance of between €80,000 and €500,000 on 31 December 2022. PAYE taxpayers claim after the year ends through their Income Tax Return in Revenue's myAccount; the self-employed claim on their Form 11. As things stand, 2026 is the last year the credit applies.

Source: Revenue Commissioners; Department of Finance. Read more: Revenue: Mortgage Interest Tax Credit

Tax Relief at Source was the legacy income tax relief on mortgage interest paid on a principal private residence in Ireland — fully phased out by 31 December 2020.

TRS applied to qualifying mortgages taken out between 2004 and the end of 2012, with relief paid by Revenue to the lender, who reduced the borrower's monthly repayment. It was phased out between 2018 and 2020 and ended on 31 December 2020. The term still appears on older statements and in conversation; the temporary Mortgage Interest Tax Credit for 2023 to 2026 is a different and much narrower relief.

Source: Revenue Commissioners. Read more: Revenue: Mortgage Interest Tax Credit

A fixed-rate mortgage locks your interest rate for an agreed period — typically anything from 1 to 10 years in Ireland, with a few products fixed for longer — during which your monthly repayment cannot rise even if market rates do.

Fixed rates dominate Irish lending: in mid-2026 more than nine in ten new mortgages were fixed. At the end of the fixed period the loan moves to the lender's follow-on variable rate unless you fix again or switch. Repaying or switching during the fixed period can trigger an early repayment charge (often called a break fee). There is no set formula: the law limits the charge to the lender's actual loss, and each lender publishes its own method. Fixed rates protect you if rates rise but mean you don't benefit if they fall.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland retail interest rate statistics; European Union (Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements) Regulations 2016. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: retail interest rates · Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements Regulations 2016

A variable rate is a mortgage interest rate that the lender can change at its discretion, typically in response to ECB moves and competitive conditions, without any fixed end date.

Irish variable rates are not contractually tied to ECB rates; the lender sets them at its discretion (the exception is a tracker-style product, such as a rate linked to Euribor). Many lenders offer LTV-banded variable rates, where a lower loan-to-value earns a lower rate, alongside a higher 'standard' variable rate. By law there is no early repayment charge on a variable-rate home loan, so you can overpay or clear the mortgage at any time. Lenders must publish a statement explaining how they set their variable rates.

Source: Consumer Credit Act 1995; Central Bank of Ireland Consumer Protection Code 2025. Read more: Consumer Credit Act 1995, section 121 · Central Bank of Ireland: Consumer Protection Code

A tracker mortgage is a variable-rate loan whose interest rate is contractually fixed at a set margin above the ECB main refinancing rate — meaning it moves automatically and exactly in step with ECB rate changes.

Trackers were sold widely in Ireland from the early 2000s until lenders withdrew them in 2008, commonly at margins of between 0.5 and 1.5 percentage points. Existing tracker customers keep their contractual margin for the life of the loan, which makes holding on to a low-margin tracker a key consideration before switching. The Central Bank's Tracker Mortgage Examination found that lenders had wrongly denied trackers to, or overcharged, about 40,000 customers, who were paid €683 million in redress and compensation by 2019. No lender sells a new ECB tracker today; the nearest equivalent is Avant Money's Flex Mortgage, a variable rate that follows the 12-month Euribor with a fixed margin.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland Tracker Mortgage Examination Report. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: final Tracker Mortgage Examination report · European Central Bank: key interest rates

The ECB rate is the policy interest rate set by the European Central Bank for the euro area, which directly drives tracker mortgage rates and indirectly influences fixed and variable rates across Irish lenders.

The ECB sets three policy rates: the main refinancing rate (the headline 'ECB rate'), the deposit facility rate, and the marginal lending rate. Irish trackers are pegged to the main refinancing rate. Fixed and variable rates are set by individual lenders and respond to the ECB cycle alongside their own funding costs and competitive position. The ECB Governing Council meets every six weeks to set policy.

Source: European Central Bank. Read more: European Central Bank: key interest rates

A green mortgage is a home loan with a discounted interest rate for an energy-efficient property — usually one with a BER of B or better.

AIB, Bank of Ireland, EBS, Haven and PTSB all offer green or BER-linked rates on some of their fixed-rate products. Most require a rating of B3 or better on an older certificate, or A or B on certificates issued under the simplified scale introduced in May 2026; a few products are for A-rated homes only, and Bank of Ireland scales its discount by rating. The discount varies by lender and product, from about 0.2 to 0.5 of a percentage point. You need a valid BER certificate, and it doesn't matter whether you did the upgrade yourself or bought the home already rated.

Source: Lenders' published rates; SEAI. Read more: SEAI: the simplified BER scale

Cashback is a lump sum the lender pays the borrower after drawdown — typically 1–3% of the loan, or a flat amount — as an incentive to choose that lender. Some products also pay cashback on monthly repayments.

Most Irish lenders now offer some form of cashback: commonly 2% of the loan at drawdown, sometimes with a further 1% after five years or a percentage back on monthly repayments, or a flat sum of a few thousand euro, particularly for switchers. Offers change often, usually apply only to certain rates, and can be clawed back if you leave within a set period. Because the rates that carry cashback are often higher, compare the total cost over the fixed period, not the cashback alone.

Source: CCPC; lenders' published terms

The APRC is the legally required comparison rate on Irish mortgage advertising and offers, expressing the total cost of credit (interest plus compulsory charges, over the full term) as a single annual percentage.

Under the EU Mortgage Credit Directive, in force in Ireland since 2016, any advertised mortgage rate must be accompanied by the APRC, calculated to a standard formula. It includes the interest and the lender's compulsory charges, such as the valuation fee. For a fixed-rate product it assumes the fixed rate applies for the fixed period and the lender's current follow-on variable rate applies for the rest of the term, which is why the APRC on a short fix is usually higher than the headline rate. Cashback is not included.

Source: EU Mortgage Credit Directive (2014/17/EU); European Union (Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements) Regulations 2016. Read more: Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements Regulations 2016

A long-term fixed mortgage is one with a fixed interest rate of 10 years or more — sometimes for the entire life of the loan — providing exceptional repayment certainty at the cost of restricted flexibility.

Avant Money's One Mortgage, launched in 2021, lets borrowers fix for the whole term, up to 30 years. Elsewhere the longest fixed terms on sale in 2026 are 10 years at AIB and Bank of Ireland, and 7 years at PTSB. Finance Ireland offered 10- to 20-year fixed rates from 2021 but no longer takes new home-loan applications. Long fixes usually allow limited overpayments, commonly 10% of the balance a year, and an early repayment charge can apply if you break the fix.

Source: Lenders' published rates

A break funding fee, which lenders usually call an early repayment charge, is what a lender can charge when a borrower repays or switches a fixed-rate mortgage before the fixed period ends, to cover the lender's own loss on the funding it arranged.

There is no single legal formula. Irish law limits the charge to the lender's actual financial loss and forbids any penalty on top, and each lender publishes its own method. In broad terms the charge is the amount repaid early, multiplied by the fall in the relevant interest rate since you fixed, multiplied by the time left on the fix. If rates have risen or stayed level since you fixed, the charge is usually nil; if they have fallen, it can be substantial. Lenders must give you the figure on request, and it can change from day to day with market rates.

Source: European Union (Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements) Regulations 2016; Consumer Credit Act 1995. Read more: Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements Regulations 2016 · Consumer Credit Act 1995, section 121

The reversion rate is the interest rate your mortgage automatically moves to when a fixed-rate period ends — usually the lender's follow-on or LTV-banded variable rate at that time.

The follow-on rate is usually higher than the best fixed rates on offer, from your own lender or elsewhere, so letting a mortgage roll onto it tends to cost money. Under the Consumer Protection Code a lender must write to you 60 days before a fixed period ends, setting out the rate you will move to, the alternatives it offers and an estimate of what each would save you, and must send a reminder if you do nothing. That letter is the natural trigger for a switching review.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland Consumer Protection Code 2025. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgage switching

'Pillar banks' was the Government's term for the two banks, AIB and Bank of Ireland, around which Irish banking was rebuilt after the 2008 crisis. It is now used loosely for the three main retail banks: AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB.

Since KBC Bank Ireland and Ulster Bank left the market, these three banks have written the great bulk of new mortgages: Central Bank research in 2026 put the domestic banks' share at close to 90%. AIB also lends through EBS and its broker brand Haven. Competing with them are Avant Money (part of Spain's Bankinter), MoCo (part of Austria's BAWAG) and non-bank lenders such as ICS Mortgages and Núa. The State has sold its shares in AIB and Bank of Ireland, and in 2026 BAWAG agreed to buy PTSB, including the State's majority holding; at the time of writing that sale had not completed.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland; Department of Finance

Haven is a mortgage lender that deals only through brokers. It is part of AIB Group and gives brokers and their clients access to AIB Group mortgages.

Haven was set up by EBS in late 2007 as its broker channel and became part of AIB Group when AIB acquired EBS in 2011. It has its own product range, rates and incentives, which are similar to AIB's but not identical, and it takes part in the Help to Buy and First Home schemes. You cannot apply to Haven directly: applications go through a mortgage broker.

Source: AIB Group; Haven Mortgages

EBS is a mortgage and savings provider, owned by AIB Group since 2011, with its own brand, products and nationwide network of local offices.

Founded in 1935 as the Educational Building Society, EBS was a member-owned building society until it was acquired by AIB in 2011 during the post-crash restructuring. Today it operates with its own product set and a network of offices run by tied agents — a separate brand from AIB and Haven, though part of the same group. Its cashback and fixed-rate options differ from AIB's.

Source: EBS dac; AIB Group plc

Avant Money is the Irish arm of Spanish bank Bankinter. It began offering mortgages in 2020 and built market share quickly with low fixed rates and long-term fixed products.

Bankinter bought Avant Money in 2019, and since April 2025 Avant Money has been Bankinter's Irish branch rather than a separate company. It introduced Ireland's first mortgage with a rate fixed for up to 30 years (the One Mortgage) and also offers a variable rate linked to the 12-month Euribor (the Flex Mortgage). You can apply directly online or through a broker; it has no high-street branches. Bankinter now also takes savings deposits in Ireland, so Avant Money is no longer a 'non-bank' lender.

Source: Avant Money; Bankinter

ICS Mortgages is a non-bank mortgage lender, the trading name of Dilosk DAC, lending to owner-occupiers and buy-to-let investors both directly and through brokers.

The ICS name goes back to the Irish Civil Service Building Society, founded in 1864 and later owned by Bank of Ireland. Dilosk bought the brand in 2014, began buy-to-let lending in 2016 and home loans in 2019. ICS funds its lending through the wholesale markets rather than deposits, so its rates can move differently from the banks'. Its particular strengths are buy-to-let and bridging finance. In July 2026 Dilosk agreed to be sold to Pepper Advantage, with the ICS Mortgages brand to continue.

Source: ICS Mortgages; Dilosk DAC

Finance Ireland is an Irish non-bank lender that offered home loans through brokers from 2018 until it stopped taking new residential mortgage applications in March 2025. It continues to look after existing mortgage customers and to lend in other areas.

Finance Ireland entered the home-loan market in 2018 and in 2021 launched some of Ireland's first long-term fixed rates, of up to 20 years. As a non-bank it funded its lending through the wholesale markets, and it scaled back as interest rates rose. Since 25 March 2025 it no longer accepts new residential mortgage applications, though it still lends on commercial property and motor finance and to businesses and farmers. If you already have a Finance Ireland mortgage, your loan and its terms continue unchanged.

Source: Finance Ireland

MoCo is a mortgage lender that deals only through brokers. It is the Irish arm of Austrian bank BAWAG and began lending in late 2023.

MoCo is the trading name of BAWAG's Irish branch. BAWAG is a large European banking group with about €72 billion in assets, which gives MoCo strong funding. Its mortgages are available only through selected brokers, with a digital application process, and it also offers savings accounts in Ireland. In 2026 BAWAG agreed to buy PTSB; at the time of writing that deal had not completed and BAWAG had not said what it would mean for the MoCo brand.

Source: MoCo; BAWAG Group

Núa Mortgages (also known as Núa Money) is a digital, non-bank Irish mortgage lender that began lending in 2024 and distributes mainly through mortgage brokers.

Núa presents itself as a modern alternative to traditional bank processes, with online document uploads and fast decisions. It was founded in Ireland in 2021, is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland, and funds its lending through international investment banks and the wholesale markets rather than deposits, so its rates can move differently from the banks'.

Source: Núa Mortgages; Central Bank of Ireland

A non-bank mortgage lender is one that doesn't take retail deposits but instead funds its mortgage book through wholesale funding — typically securitisation, parent-bank funding, or institutional debt facilities.

In the Irish mortgage market today the main non-bank lenders are ICS Mortgages (Dilosk) and Núa; Finance Ireland was one until it closed to new home loans in 2025. Avant Money and MoCo are sometimes grouped with them as newer entrants, but both are branches of European banks (Bankinter and BAWAG). Because non-banks rely on wholesale funding, their pricing can move faster than deposit-funded banks': quicker to fall when funding is cheap, quicker to rise when it is not.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland register; BPFI

A broker-only lender is a mortgage provider whose products are distributed exclusively through regulated mortgage intermediaries — meaning you cannot apply directly to the lender as a consumer.

In Ireland today the broker-only lenders are Haven (AIB Group's broker brand) and MoCo; Núa also distributes mainly through brokers. Avant Money and ICS Mortgages started out broker-only but now take applications directly as well. The model lets a lender operate without a branch network while relying on brokers' advice and paperwork. To reach these lenders you need to go through a regulated broker.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland register; Brokers Ireland

Ulster Bank and KBC Bank Ireland both left the Irish market after announcing their exits in 2021, with their mortgages transferred to AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB between 2022 and 2024.

Ulster Bank announced its withdrawal in February 2021. Its performing tracker mortgages went to AIB and its performing non-tracker mortgages to PTSB, which also took over 25 branches. KBC announced its exit in April 2021, and its mortgages moved to Bank of Ireland in February 2023. The transfers left tens of thousands of borrowers with a new lender. KBC handed back its banking licence in 2024 and Ulster Bank in 2025.

Source: AIB Group; PTSB; KBC Group; Central Bank of Ireland

Stamp duty on Irish residential property is 1% of the price up to €1 million, 2% on the portion between €1 million and €1.5 million, and 6% on anything above €1.5 million. The buyer pays it to Revenue, in practice within 44 days of closing.

Stamp duty is filed by the buyer's solicitor through Revenue's online system. On a new home it is charged on the price excluding VAT. Non-residential property is charged at 7.5%. There is no first-time-buyer exemption from stamp duty in Ireland — every buyer pays. A 15% rate applies to anyone buying ten or more houses within twelve months, a measure introduced at 10% in 2021 and raised in 2024 to deter bulk purchases by investment funds.

Source: Revenue Commissioners; Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999. Read more: Revenue: stamp duty rates

Irish solicitor fees for a residential conveyance typically run €2,000–€3,500 plus VAT at 23%, plus outlays for searches and Land Registry charges, with switching usually at the lower end.

Solicitors set their own fees, and quotes can differ by €1,500 between firms. Outlays on a purchase typically include Land Registry fees (€400–€800 to register the transfer, depending on the price, plus up to €175 to register the mortgage), searches (€100–€200) and commissioner for oaths fees. Many lenders' switcher offers are designed to cover legal costs. It is your own solicitor, not the lender's, who handles the file.

Source: Law Society of Ireland; CCPC. Read more: Tailte Éireann: Land Registry fees

A mortgage valuation is a brief inspection of the property carried out by a valuer on the lender's panel, confirming the market value and basic condition for the lender's lending decision.

Valuations typically cost €150–€250, paid by the borrower. The valuer must be on the lender's approved panel. Most lenders treat a report as valid for four months, and Central Bank rules require the valuation to be no more than four months old when the loan is drawn down. A valuation is not a structural survey: it is a short inspection to support the loan, not a full assessment of condition.

Source: Lenders' published fees; Central Bank of Ireland mortgage measures

A structural survey is a detailed inspection by a chartered building surveyor or engineer to assess the condition of the property — identifying defects, dampness, roof issues and structural concerns before purchase.

Unlike the lender's valuation, a structural survey is commissioned by the buyer for their own protection. Costs typically range from €400 to €800 for a standard home, more for larger or older properties. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland publishes guidance on the different levels of residential survey. Findings can be used to renegotiate the price or to require remedial work before closing.

Source: Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI); Engineers Ireland

The Land Registry, now part of Tailte Éireann since 2023, is the State authority that maintains the Folio register of property ownership in Ireland — the public record of who owns each registered piece of land.

Tailte Éireann was formed in March 2023 by merging the Property Registration Authority, Ordnance Survey Ireland and the Valuation Office. About 90% of the land in the State, and around 85% of titles, is now registered on Folios; the rest is unregistered and dealt with through the older Registry of Deeds. Registering a change of ownership after a sale can take several months. The fee depends on the price: €400 up to €50,000, €600 up to €200,000, €700 up to €400,000 and €800 above that. Registering a mortgage costs €175, waived until the end of 2026 where the solicitor lodges it electronically.

Source: Tailte Éireann. Read more: Tailte Éireann: Land Registry fees

Local Property Tax is an annual self-assessed tax on the market value of residential property in Ireland, administered by Revenue and used to fund local authority services.

LPT was introduced in 2013. Owners value their own home into one of 19 bands (properties above €2.1 million are valued individually) and pay the charge for that band. The current valuation period runs from 2026 to 2030, based on the property's value on 1 November 2025, with the next revaluation due in November 2030. The basic charge runs from €95 a year for homes worth up to €240,000 to over €3,000 in the top band. Each local authority can vary the basic rate: by up to 15% either way for 2026, and by up to 25% upwards from 2027. You can pay in one sum, by monthly direct debit or through Revenue's online services.

Source: Revenue Commissioners; Department of Housing. Read more: Revenue: LPT valuation bands and rates

Capital Acquisitions Tax is the Irish tax on gifts and inheritances, charged at 33% on the value above the recipient's lifetime threshold — most commonly relevant when parents help a first-time buyer with a deposit.

Three group thresholds apply. For gifts and inheritances received from 7 October 2026 they are: Group A (broadly, from a parent to a child) €420,000; Group B (from a grandparent, brother, sister, aunt or uncle) €44,000; Group C (anyone else) €22,000. The thresholds are lifetime totals, so earlier gifts and inheritances in the same group count against them. Separately, the first €3,000 received from any one person in a calendar year is exempt under the small gift exemption. Where tax or a return is due, the recipient files Form IT38 online — by 31 October for benefits received in the twelve months to 31 August.

Source: Revenue Commissioners. Read more: Revenue: CAT thresholds

Principal Private Residence Relief is a Capital Gains Tax exemption that means you pay no CGT on the gain from selling your main home, provided it has been your principal residence throughout the period of ownership.

Relief is full where the property has been your only or main residence for the whole time you owned it. Where it was let or left unoccupied for part of the time, the relief is reduced proportionately. The last 12 months of ownership always count as occupied, and certain absences for work are ignored. The relief covers the house and up to one acre of garden, but not any part of the gain that reflects development value.

Source: Revenue Commissioners. Read more: Revenue: Principal Private Residence Relief

Capital Gains Tax is the tax on the profit made when you dispose of an asset for more than it cost you. The rate is 31% for disposals from 7 October 2026 (previously 33%). It is relevant when selling a second or investment property but not, normally, your own home.

The gain is the sale price less what the property cost you (purchase price, stamp duty and legal fees), money spent improving it and the costs of selling, less the €1,270 annual personal exemption. Tax on disposals between 1 January and 30 November is due by 15 December of the same year; on December disposals, by 31 January. Development land is still taxed at 33%. Principal Private Residence Relief removes CGT on your main home.

Source: Revenue Commissioners. Read more: Revenue: how to calculate CGT

A Building Energy Rating is the official energy-efficiency rating for Irish homes. Certificates issued since 24 May 2026 use a simplified scale from A0 (best) through A, B, C, D, E and F to G; older certificates run from A1 to G.

BER certificates are issued by SEAI-registered assessors and are valid for 10 years, so certificates on the old scale remain valid until they expire. A BER has been legally required when a home is offered for sale or rent since 2009, and must be shown in property advertisements. It also affects mortgage pricing: most green mortgage rates require a B or better (B3 or better on an older certificate). The rating is based on the home's calculated energy use (kWh/m²/year), not actual bills, taking account of insulation, heating, ventilation and renewables.

Source: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI); EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Read more: SEAI: the simplified BER scale

A retrofit is the upgrade of an existing home's energy efficiency — insulation, glazing, heating system, ventilation and renewable energy — typically targeting a BER of B or better (B2 on the pre-2026 scale) under the State's National Retrofit Plan.

Ireland's National Retrofit Plan aims to upgrade 500,000 homes to B2 by 2030. SEAI offers three main routes: individual grants for single measures; the One Stop Shop service for a managed whole-house upgrade, with typical grants of €20,000–€26,000 for a house; and fully funded upgrades under the Warmer Homes Scheme for older homes whose owners receive certain welfare payments. Some lenders offer green rates on a top-up that pays for a retrofit.

Source: SEAI; Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. Read more: SEAI: One Stop Shop home upgrades

A new build is a home that has never been lived in, being sold for the first time. New builds and self-builds are the homes that Help to Buy and, in the main, the First Home Scheme are designed for.

New homes must comply with the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (BCAR), with an assigned certifier signing a Certificate of Compliance on Completion. They normally come with a structural warranty from a provider such as HomeBond, typically giving 10 years' cover for major structural defects, plus a shorter defects period set by the warranty and the building contract. The price includes VAT (13.5% on houses and, until the end of 2030, 9% on apartments), and stamp duty is charged on the price before VAT.

Source: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Revenue Commissioners; HomeBond

A self-build mortgage funds the construction of a new home on a site you own (or are buying), released in stages as the build progresses rather than as a single drawdown.

Self-build loans are released in stages, usually four to six — such as foundations, walls and roof, internal works and completion — each certified by your architect or engineer. First-time buyers can typically borrow up to 90% of the site value plus building costs, though limits differ between lenders. Help to Buy applies, calculated on the lender's approved valuation and paid into your loan account once the first stage has been drawn down, and the First Home Scheme has a self-build option. The finished house must comply with the Building Regulations and will need a BER.

Source: Lenders' self-build criteria; Revenue Commissioners. Read more: Revenue: Help to Buy

A snag list is the documented list of minor defects, finishing issues and incomplete items in a new-build home — identified by the buyer (often via a snagging surveyor) before closing and remedied by the developer.

Snagging happens shortly before legal completion, typically when the developer says the house is ready. A snagging surveyor (€350–€500) walks the property looking for paint defects, ill-fitting doors, plumbing issues and unfinished work. The developer then has a defined window to put things right. After closing, a defects period set out in the building contract and warranty covers problems that emerge once you are living there.

Source: Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI); HomeBond

Mortgage protection is a life insurance policy that pays off the outstanding mortgage if the borrower dies before the loan is repaid, and is legally required for most Irish residential mortgages under the Consumer Credit Act 1995.

The standard cover is decreasing term assurance, where the sum insured falls broadly in line with the mortgage. The law requires the lender to make sure cover is in place, with four exceptions: the property is not your main home; you are over 50; you cannot get cover, or can only get it at a much higher premium than normal; or you already have enough life cover. A lender can still insist on cover as a condition of its own. You don't have to buy the policy from your lender. Mortgage protection only clears the loan — it leaves nothing extra for the family.

Source: Consumer Credit Act 1995; Central Bank of Ireland. Read more: Consumer Credit Act 1995, section 126

A joint life policy covers two people but pays out once, on the first death, and then ends. A dual life policy also covers two people but insures each separately, so it can pay out on each death.

Joint life is cheaper but stops after the first claim. Dual life costs a little more and keeps cover in place for the survivor, which matters most for couples with children. Many advisers recommend dual life for that reason.

Source: CCPC; insurers' policy documents

Specified illness cover is optional insurance, bought on its own or added to another policy, that pays a lump sum on diagnosis of one of a list of defined serious illnesses — typically cancer, heart attack, stroke and around 50 other conditions, with smaller partial payments for a further list of less serious ones.

Cover can be added to mortgage protection (usually the cheapest route) or bought as a standalone policy (more flexible). The lump sum can be used for any purpose — clearing the mortgage, replacing lost income, paying for treatment, or adapting the home. Definitions of qualifying illnesses are tightly drafted; a condition must meet the policy's specific severity criteria. Specified illness cover is not required by lenders.

Source: Insurance Ireland; CCPC

Income protection is a regular-payout insurance that replaces a percentage of your salary — typically up to 75% less State illness benefit — if you cannot work for an extended period due to illness or injury, paying until you can return to work or retire.

Premiums qualify for income tax relief at your highest rate, up to a limit of 10% of your income, which makes income protection unusually cost-effective in Ireland; any benefit paid out is taxed as income. Policies have a deferred period (commonly 4, 13, 26 or 52 weeks) before payments start. Claims can run for years if needed. It is not required for a mortgage, but it is the cover that keeps the repayments going if illness stops you working.

Source: Revenue Commissioners; Department of Social Protection; CCPC. Read more: Revenue: income protection (permanent health) relief · Citizens Information: Illness Benefit

Buildings insurance is a mandatory condition of every Irish residential mortgage and must be in place from the date of drawdown, with the lender's interest noted on the policy.

Lenders require cover for the rebuild value of the property, not the market value — a critical distinction. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland publishes annual rebuild cost guides for Irish homes. Most policies bundle buildings and contents cover; the lender's interest is noted so the insurer is aware of the bank's security. Flood-prone properties may face restricted cover or excesses.

Source: Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI); Insurance Ireland. Read more: SCSI: house rebuild calculator

Self-employed applicants can absolutely get an Irish mortgage. Lenders typically require two years of certified accounts (sometimes three), confirmation that your tax affairs are up to date, and business bank statements, to assess sustainable income.

The main banks' published standard is two years of accounts certified by an accountant, with the matching Revenue Form 11s and six to twelve months of business bank statements; a third year may be requested. Lenders differ in how they turn those accounts into an income figure — for example whether they average the years or lean on the most recent one, and how they treat a year that dips. Brokers play an outsize role for self-employed borrowers because these policies vary and are not published.

Source: Lenders' published application checklists

Contractors can get Irish mortgages. Some lenders treat steady day-rate income — particularly in IT, finance and engineering — much like a salary rather than as self-employment.

Policies are set lender by lender and are not published, which is why broker knowledge matters here. Contractor-friendly lenders often annualise the day rate over about 46 working weeks and look for a track record of contracting, time already served on the current contract and evidence of renewals. Contractors paid through an umbrella company are generally treated as PAYE employees; those working through their own limited company or as sole traders are more likely to be assessed as self-employed.

Source: Lender policy (varies; not published)

Non-residents can get an Irish mortgage, but usually need a larger deposit — often 30% or more — must meet stricter income-evidence requirements, and have fewer lenders to choose from than Irish residents.

Irish citizens abroad who plan to return are usually treated more favourably than applicants with no connection to Ireland. Only some lenders consider non-resident applications, and some lend to Irish residents only. Income earned in another currency is commonly discounted to allow for exchange-rate risk, lenders will want a credit report from the country you live in, and documents usually need to be in English. Buy-to-let purchases are limited to 70% loan-to-value for everyone.

Source: Lender policy (varies; not published)

A returning emigrant mortgage is a product or policy concession offered by certain Irish lenders to Irish citizens planning to return home, typically allowing AIP based on overseas income and confirmation of an Irish-based job offer.

Policies differ by lender and are not published in detail. Typical requirements include a confirmed return date, a signed contract with an Irish employer (or a transfer within a multinational), a larger deposit while you are still abroad, a credit report from the country you have been living in, and full documentation of your overseas income. Drawdown often depends on your having returned and started the Irish job.

Source: Lender policy (varies; not published)

Yes — Irish lenders accept gifted deposits from family members provided the gift is properly documented with a signed letter confirming it is a gift (not a loan) and that no repayment or charge over the property is intended.

The standard 'gift letter' is required by every Irish lender. The donor must sign confirming the funds are a non-repayable gift, are not borrowed, and that no claim will be made against the property. Lenders increasingly ask where the gift came from, to show it wasn't funded by a loan to the donor. Capital Acquisitions Tax can apply to gifts, but a gift from parents to a child falls within the Group A lifetime threshold of €420,000, so tax rarely arises.

Source: BPFI; Revenue Commissioners; Central Bank of Ireland. Read more: Revenue: CAT thresholds

A buy-to-let mortgage funds the purchase of a residential property to be let to tenants — capped under Central Bank rules at 70% LTV, priced at higher rates than owner-occupier loans, and with affordability assessed primarily on rental income.

Lenders typically require an independent estimate of the market rent, then check that the rent, tested at a higher interest rate, covers the mortgage with a margin. Rental profit is taxed at your marginal income tax rate, with USC and PRSI. Mortgage interest has been fully deductible since 2019, provided the tenancy is registered with the Residential Tenancies Board, and a tax relief worth up to €1,000 a year is available to landlords for 2026 and 2027. Fewer lenders offer buy-to-let than home loans, and criteria vary widely.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland; Revenue Commissioners. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgage measures

Bridging loans — short-term borrowing to buy a new home before selling the existing one — largely disappeared from Ireland after 2008 but have begun to return. A small number of lenders now offer them, and in April 2026 the Central Bank exempted home bridging loans from its loan-to-income limit.

The banks withdrew from bridging after the crash, leaving movers to sell first and rent, or to line up both transactions for the same day. ICS Mortgages reintroduced housing bridging loans in 2024, and Bank of Ireland offers a product for people trading down from a mortgage-free home. Under the Central Bank's 2026 change, a bridging loan on your principal home of up to 18 months, with no capital repayments during the term, is outside the loan-to-income limit, though the 90% loan-to-value limit still applies. Bridging is priced well above standard mortgage rates, so it suits cases where the sale is close and reasonably certain.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland; lenders' published terms. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: home bridging loans

MARP is the four-step Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process that every lender must follow, under the Central Bank's Consumer Protection Code, when a borrower is in or facing arrears on the mortgage on their home.

The four steps are: (1) communication with the borrower; (2) financial information, gathered through a Standard Financial Statement; (3) assessment of the case; and (4) resolution, where the lender proposes an alternative repayment arrangement — such as interest-only, a longer term, adding the arrears to the loan or a split mortgage — or explains why it cannot. A borrower who co-operates cannot be taken to court until at least eight months after the arrears arose, or three months after being told no arrangement is possible, whichever is later. The rules were set out in the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) until March 2026 and now sit in the Consumer Protection Code. MABS, and the State's Abhaile scheme, provide free advice.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland Consumer Protection Code 2025; MABS. Read more: Central Bank of Ireland: mortgages and financial difficulty · MABS: Abhaile