FAQ s

Homely enables you to rent your new home today, and buy it later.

Here’s how it works. Say you find a home for sale at €350,000. Homely (with our property partners) buys it and rents it to you for up to five years. You pay a one time setup fee of €10,000, and a monthly rent of say €2,000, with market-level increases each year.

Alongside your rent, you also pay about €500 per month for the legal right to buy your home at the end of the term.

When the time comes to buy, you’ll unlock two powerful purchase price discounts:

• Up to 20% of everything you’ve paid monthly and 
• Up to 20% of the increase in your home’s value over the tenancy period.

At the end of your programme term, your final purchase price (i.e. the then market value) is defined by your mortgage provider’s valuation surveyor, not by us, ensuring everything is fair, transparent and based on true market value at that point in time.

Together, these two discounts could add up to a saving of 8 to 12% off the final valuation, which can effectively count toward your mortgage deposit.

Take a look at how this works now with our easy to use Budget Calculator tool. 

Homely was created to help people who can afford rent but can’t yet access a mortgage. You will receive secure, long-term tenancy rights, combined with the legal right to buy at the end – and the time and support to get mortgage-ready. You’ll build value through rent discounts, get time to improve your credit, and work with us and our mortgage coaching partners to prepare for traditional ownership.

We focus on good-quality homes in well-connected cities, towns and villages across Ireland.

Our typical homes include:

• 2, 3 and 4-bedroom family houses, and duplexes in cities or commuter towns.
• Modern apartments or newly refurbished homes in areas close to schools, transport, and local amenities.

We’re currently active in Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Limerick, and Laois, and are expanding nationwide as new development partnerships come online.

If you already have a new or secondhand home in mind, just share it with us – we’ll assess if it fits the Homely model.

What if I don’t want to buy at the end?

That’s completely fine. You can:

• Walk away at the end of your programme with no penalties
• Request to extend your tenancy if you’re not quite mortgage-ready
• Talk to us about moving to another Homely home if your needs change

You can also leave mid-term with standard notice (usually two or three months). We’ll always try to work with you to find a fair solution.

If you reach the end of your Homely term and decide not to buy, or you’re not yet able to secure a mortgage — there are always options.

In most cases, we can look at extending your term for a short period to give you more time to get mortgage ready. We can also connect you with mortgage advisors who understand the Homely model and can guide you through what’s needed to qualify for a traditional mortgage.

If buying still isn’t possible after that, you can simply continue renting until your agreement ends or decide to move on.

Homely is designed to help people become homeowners, but we know that life changes. We’ll always do our best to stay flexible and to work with you based on your personal circumstances.

Homely is for people who can afford rent but have not yet been able to get a mortgage. Most of our customers are between 22 and 45, earning a steady income but without a large deposit or family support.

You might be:
•  An employee, freelancer, or small business owner
•  Recently self-employed or changing job
•  Moving to Ireland for the first time, or returning after time abroad
•  Going through a divorce or separation
•  Temporarily unemployed but with enough savings to cover rent and living costs

While people receiving HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) are not excluded, we only proceed with customers who are highly likely to be mortgage ready before their Homely term ends. Most lenders do not consider HAP payments when assessing your mortgage affordability, which can affect your application.

We have had everything from single applicants to married couples, siblings, and parent and adult child applications. Life is rarely straightforward, and we are always happy to chat through individual situations.

It’s simple. Apply Now. 

We’ll review your details, arrange a quick call to explain the process, and guide you through what’s needed. Once approved, you’ll be added to our waitlist. Once we’re all ready, we’ll start looking for your Homely home – or work to purchase one you’ve found and brought to us.

But please bear with us – we’re a small (but committed!) team and we’ll always do our best to get back to you as soon as possible. 

Your monthly rent is based on the market rent for the property at the start of your tenancy and programme term. It’s formally registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), just like any standard tenancy.

Rent is reviewed once a year and always kept fully in line with Irish rent cap laws and local rent pressure zone limits. In other words, everything stays transparent, regulated, and fair.

It’s a fair question, and it’s something we’ve fully accounted for.

If anything were to happen to Homely as a company, your tenancy rights remain completely protected. Your tenancy is formally registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), so you keep the same legal protections as any other renter in Ireland.

We’ve also ensured that your right to buy via your Homely option agreement is secured directly on the property’s title. This means that even if Homely ceased trading, your option to purchase the home would still stand, and could be exercised when the time comes.

In short, your tenancy, your home, and your right to buy are all safeguarded – no matter what happens to Homely as a business.

Homely earns in a few ways.

Most of your initial payment covers the real costs of buying the home; things like legal fees, surveys, stamp duty, insurance, and related expenses. Homely is paid what’s left over. So there’s no extra fee to pay.

Next, a small portion of your monthly rent helps us run the programme and support you and manage the admin throughout your term. This doesn’t affect your rent discounts or credits at the end.

We also share in a part of any future value growth in the home. With you, we’re investing in your journey to ownership, so our success is tied to yours.

The real figures will vary from home to home, but this never affects you. Everything is set out clearly before you start and stays the same for the full duration of your programme.

Homely (or our insurer) covers major issues like storm damage or burst pipes.

You’re responsible for normal upkeep and any isolated damage you might cause, just like a tenant would be. We make sure all homes meet safety standards before you move in.

Remember – you can make the home your own, so can paint the walls, hang pictures and have a pet. You can make it your home from day one!

Yes, absolutely. Your home should feel like home.

We know pets are part of the family, so in most cases you can have them in your Homely home. We just ask that you let us know in advance and that your pets don’t cause damage or disturbance.

If the property is part of a managed development or apartment block, we’ll need to follow any rules set by the building management company. Otherwise, we’re pet-friendly and happy to accommodate responsible owners.

Yes, in most cases you can — as long as you get our approval first.

We understand that renting a room can help with monthly costs or make good use of extra space. We’re generally happy to allow it, provided that:

• You let us know in advance and get our written consent
• The person renting the room agrees to normal house rules and doesn’t sublet further
• The arrangement complies with insurance and local regulations

As long as everything stays transparent and responsible, we’ll always try to support it.

No. We don’t expect perfection.

We’ll review your income, financial history, and general spending to make sure the payments you agree with Homely are affordable and realistic. Our goal is to help you get mortgage-ready, not exclude you.

You can bring a home you’ve found yourself or choose from the growing number of properties available through our partner developers and agents.

We’ll review each property for suitability, budget, and location before proceeding with purchase.

Yes. Homely pays all the legal, purchase, and transaction costs when we buy the home. Your only upfront payment is the pre-agreed setup fee.

We do require that you obtain independent legal advice before signing up to the Homely programme. This ensures that you fully understand the agreements and that everything is clear, fair, and in your best interests.

We’d love to help. Email us at info@ownhomely.com or join the waitlist to start your journey toward home ownership.