Rural housing eligibility
Who can build a house in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown countryside?
Building a new one-off house in the countryside of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is strictly restricted to those with a genuine local need. Eligible applicants include individuals employed full-time in agriculture, hill farming, or local rural enterprises, and native local residents with close family ties who have lived in the rural community for substantial periods of their lives.
Who may qualify
Farmer / Agricultural Worker(95)
Individuals whose principal employment is in agriculture, hill farming, or a local enterprise directly related to the High Amenity area's amenity potential (applicable under Zoning Objective 'G').
Working locally(95, 260)
Applicants who can establish a genuine need to reside in proximity to their employment, where such employment is related to the rural community (applicable under Zoning Objective 'B'). This requires full-time employment or a commitment to operate a full-time business from their proposed home in a rural area.
Native / Local Connection(95)
Applicants native to the area who have spent substantial periods of their lives living in the area as members of the rural community and have close family ties with the rural community (applicable under Zoning Objective 'B').
Green Belt Need(96)
Applicants who can demonstrate a genuine need to reside in the green belt area, provided the individual dwelling is on lands comprising at least 4 hectares per dwelling.
Rules by rural area type
The county is split into area types with different rules.
High Amenity Zone Objective 'G'
Dwellings are only permitted on suitable sites where the applicant has a genuine requirement for housing because their principal employment is in agriculture, hill farming, or a local enterprise directly related to the area's amenity potential, and the development has no potential negative impacts on visual prominence, views, or heritage.
Rural Amenity Zone Objective 'B'
Dwellings are permitted where the applicant establishes a genuine need to reside close to their rural-related employment, or is native to the area with substantial residence history and close family ties in the rural community.
Green Belt Areas
Residential development is highly restricted. Applicants must demonstrate a genuine need to reside in the green belt area, the individual dwelling must be on land comprising at least 4 hectares, and the development must maintain the open character of the lands.
Conditions attached
- Occupancy clause: A condition under Section 47 of the Planning and Development Act restricting occupation of the dwelling for a period of 7 years to the applicant (or other such persons as agreed by the Planning Authority).
- Minimum road frontage: Individual new houses should generally have a road frontage of at least 60 metres in order to preserve the rural or high amenity quality of the area.
- Green belt parcels must comprise at least 4 hectares per individual dwelling.
- For replacement dwellings in currently or recently occupied structures, applicants will be expected to be the owner and occupier.
Who typically does not qualify
- Urban-generated housing demand.
- Applicants whose business is not location-dependent (e.g. telesales or telemarketing).
- Suburban-type and/or ribbon development in rural areas.
- Developments on ridgelines or in elevated positions on a site.
- Green belt developments on land parcels of less than 4 hectares.