Retention Application Advice

Retention application advice in Ireland helps owners of property with unauthorised works understand whether retention permission is realistic. We tell you whether retention is realistic, the cost and the timeline. Unauthorised works can stop a sale, mortgage or insurance until they are regularised.

You can upload your folio, deeds, contract, photos or other documents through our secure link; a solicitor would then typically review everything before preparing advice. There is no hourly billing: the price is fixed for the service described. Property and land issues are usually easier and cheaper to resolve early, before a sale, mortgage or family transfer is held up. The advice is based on Irish law and practice and on the documents you provide, so the more complete your documents, the more precise the advice can be. If the advice shows that further work is needed, such as correspondence, a Land Registry application or a planning or court process, a solicitor would explain the options and any further cost before anything else is done.

What’s included

• Folio and planning history check
• Retention prospects opinion
• Cost and timeline view
• Recommended team
• Written summary
• Work of this kind is carried out by a solicitor regulated by the Law Society of Ireland. We are not a solicitor’s practice and do not provide it — to instruct a solicitor, use the Law Society of Ireland’s Find a Solicitor directory.

Who this is for

• Owners who built an extension without permission
• Sellers whose buyer has raised planning queries
• Owners of older property with unclear planning history
• Buyers considering a property with unauthorised works

How it works

1. Find a solicitor through the Law Society of Ireland’s Find a Solicitor directory and send them the basic details and any existing documents or correspondence.
2. Complete a short questionnaire about your circumstances.
3. A solicitor would then typically review the documents and prepare written advice.
4. You receive your written advice by email and, where included, a follow-up call to ask questions.

Frequently asked questions

How much does retention permission advice cost in Ireland?

This page is a free guide — nothing on it is for sale. Solicitors set their own fees for this work and must give you a written costs estimate (a section 150 letter) before starting. Get quotes through the Law Society of Ireland’s Find a Solicitor directory.

What is retention permission?

It is planning permission applied for after development has been carried out without permission, to regularise it.

Is retention always granted?

No. The planning authority assesses the development on its merits, and retention can be refused.

For more on property, land and conveyancing, see our Property & Conveyancing in Ireland guide.

If you would like to be told when solicitor services are available again on this site, you can join our no-fee waiting list. To instruct a solicitor now, use the Law Society of Ireland’s Find a Solicitor directory.