Frequently Asked Questions

The main changes are as follows:

• A new allocations scheme replaces the Scheme of Letting Priorities. This is available on our website. Housing Allocations Scheme 2011 (pdf -68kb)    pdf 123kb             
• To be eligible for Social Housing Support in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council area you must either live in the County Council area or have a connection to the area.
• You may apply to one Local Authority only. Please see point 6 below in relation to your choice of areas.
• You must have a legal right to remain in the State on a long term basis.
• You must not own alternative accommodation which could be occupied or sold and the proceeds used to secure other suitable accommodation.
• Your net income must be below the thresholds below;

The Council are now obliged to begin the process of reassessing all applicants for Social Housing. The process of reassessment may take some time.

You will only be removed from the Social Housing Support list if you are not eligible under the new regulations, or if it is established that you do not have a housing need.

Complaints of anti-social behaviour can be made by contacting the section on Tel: 012054700 ext. 4112 or ext. 4183, or 24hr voicemail -2054807, or in writing to,

Anti-social Section, Housing Department, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Marine Rd., Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. 

The Acquisitions section will establish the suitability of the property and the Council's social housing need in that area. All properties must also meet the Council's Acquisitions Cost Guidelines in order to be progressed.

Tenants of Grouped housing and Halting site bays may contact the Traveller Accommodation Unit at 01 2054838 or email travellers@dlrcoco.ie.  Tenants are advised to consult their Tenant Handbook prior to contacting the Traveller Accommodation Unit.

Notify the Traveller Accommodation Unit at 01 2054838 or email travellers@dlrcoco.ie

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council does not have the remit to remove illegal encampments from private property.  Illegal encampments on private property are a matter for the landowner.

You may apply to one Local Authority only. If you are applying to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council you can choose up to three housing areas in the Dublin region, at least one of which must be in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Your other two areas may be in Dublin City, South Dublin County or Fingal County. If you opt for an area in any other county, we will forward your information to the housing authorities chosen. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will manage your application.  Changes of areas of choice may be made once in any twelve month period by completing Area Of Choice Form.

Criteria for eligibility for Council housing are included in the Council's Allocation Scheme. 

Eligibility criteria include:

• Need-You must be in genuine need of housing and be unable to provide accommodation from your own resources
• Right to live in Ireland-You must have a legal right to remain in the State on a long term basis
• Age-You must be 18 years of age or older
• Income – your net income must be below the thresholds below:-
• Single Adult: €35,000
• 2 Adults No Children: €36,750
• 1 Adult & 1 Child: €35,875
• 1 Adult & 2 Children: €36,750
• 2 Adults & 1 Child: €37,625
• 2 Adults & 2 Children: €38,500
• 2 Adults & 3 Children: €39,375
• 2 Adults & 4 or more Children: €40,250
• 3 Adults & 4 or more Children: €42,000

All rent payments to the landlord are made electronically on the last Wednesday of every month.

The above are the contribution amounts Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council will pay to the landlord on your behalf. Should the rent your landlord requires exceed these figures, you can add the difference yourself to meet the monthly rent. Please note this is subject to the monthly difference you pay to the landlord added to the monthly rent contribution you pay to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council being less than 30% of your households total monthly net income. Payments in excess of 30% of the households net monthly income will be deemed by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to be unaffordable to the household.

Should your current circumstances not equate to any of the above, please call us to discuss your situation on 01-2054399

For landlords/agents:

• The landlord or their agent will receive prompt payments directly from the local authority on a monthly basis, subject to the HAP recipient paying the local authority their rent contribution.  All payments will be made electronically; there will be no need for rent collection from tenants who are HAP recipients leading to administrative savings for landlords
• Landlords who rent to tenants in receipt of social housing supports like the housing assistance payment (HAP) may avail of increased tax relief under a new scheme from 1 January 2016.  The new scheme will allow property owners to claim 100 per cent relief on their mortgage interest, as an expense against rental income. Further information is also available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie

The high levels of demand for a limited supply of rented accommodation, which is driving high rates of rent price inflation in some parts of the country, also constitutes a threat to the quality of rented accommodation as tenants may feel obliged to accept substandard dwellings, due to the lack of affordable alternatives. In this context, the role of Housing Authorities have a critical public role and duty in ensuring compliance with the standards for rental accommodation through effective inspections.

The tenant is responsible for paying any security deposit a landlord may require. The local authority will not pay the security deposit for you. 

Should you have difficulty in paying the security deposit, you may qualify for an "Exceptional Needs Payment" from The Department of Social Protection at http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Exceptional-Needs-Payments.aspx

Should you find a private rental property in the jurisdiction of any other Local Authority in Ireland, you can receive a HAP payment for that property through Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. This will only apply should your total annual net income not exceed the income limit set out in that jurisdiction.

If you are unsure what the income limits in any Local Authority are, you can contact that Local Authority directly for clarification.

You apply using the RPZ calculator on WWW.RTB.IE and then post or email the resulting calculations to the RAS section. A 90 day notice must be given before the new rent takes effect.

The accommodation must be in accordance with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017.

1. Online at https://payments.limerick.ie/hap/
2. By phone with Hap Limerick on 061 556 600
3. Get a Hap Bill Pay Card. HAP Bill Pay Card (issued within 10 days of start day) in any Post Office or any shop displaying the sign to pay your weekly rent. Your local PostPoint shop can be located on www.postpoint.ie.

If you are already a Homeless HAP tenant and your income has changed, you will need to send proof of your new income (new payslips or confirmation of social welfare payment) and proof of the date that your income changed in order to adjust your differential rent. If you have lost employment or your hours have been reduced, please contact your local Intreo office to avail of a social welfare payment. Once you have proof of your new income please post the documentation to Park Gate Hall, 6-9 Conyngham Road, Dublin 8 or email homelesshap@dublincity.ie.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) will help you if you’re under 18 years. If you’re homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless go to your local Area Health Office and a social worker will help you. If that office is closed, for example it’s after 17.00, go to the local Garda Station and they’ll contact the on-duty social worker who will arrange emergency accommodation for you.

You will need to bring a form of photo identification i.e. passport; driver’s license etc., proof of income and proof of homelessness (i.e: a sworn affidavit, NTQ verified by Threshold, etc.)

No one can move into a property without notifying and receiving permission from the Housing Department (Allocations). If anyone is planning to move into a Council property they should contact Housing Allocations on 01 2054828 to obtain a Permission to Reside form. Please be aware that the weekly rent may increase with the addition of an extra person and this additional rent will be back-dated to when the person moved in.

•  A balance can be given over the phone or via email to the tenant of the property only. Please phone 01-2054841 or email rents@dlrcoco.ie
•  Please note that we can only discuss tenancy matters with the named tenant of the property, unless an agreement is in place for a third party to act/speak on the tenant’s behalf
• A statement is issued to tenants every three months. Tenants can check their receipts/payments against this statement.

• It is possible to pay your rent through the Household Budget deduction scheme for those on Social Welfare payments. Deductions may  not exceed  25% of income (contact Housing Rents on 01 2054841 or email rents@dlrcoco.ie  for further details)
• By using a DLR payment card, which is accepted in all Post Offices and shops which display the PostPoint sign, or online at http://www.mybills.ie/. Please note that when paying online you must enter the 6 digit number on your rent card when asked for a reference.
• By using a standing order through your bank. Standing order letters are available from Housing Rents by contacting 01 2054841
• By cheque, postal order or bank draft

Council Housing rents are based on a system called ‘differential rents.’ This means that the amount of rent you pay depends on the amount of your total household income. If your income increases then so does the rent and if your income decreases then the weekly rent decreases accordingly. Rent is calculated based on the current Differential Rent Scheme.

The person in receipt of the highest income is the principal earner. All other persons in the household with an income are subsidiary earners. Rent is calculated as follows:- principal earner’s income less €35 multiplied by 16%. Subsidiary earners income is calculated the same way, but is capped at €18 per earner. A €1 rent deduction is applied to all children and students in the household. An additional service charge may also apply, such as boiler maintenance or heating charge.

• It is possible to pay your rent through the Household Budget deduction scheme for those on Social Welfare payments. Deductions may  not exceed  25% of income (contact Housing Rents on 01-2054841 or email rents@dlrcoco.ie  for further details)
• By using a DLR payment card which is accepted in all Post Offices and shops which display the PostPoint sign.
• By using a standing order through your bank- standing order letters are available from Housing Rents, please contact 01-2054841
• By cheque, postal order or bank draft

• A balance can be given over the phone or via email to the tenant of the property only. Please phone 01 2054841 or email rents@dlrcoco.ie
• Please note that we can only discuss tenancy matters with the named tenant of the property, unless an agreement is in place for a third party to act/speak on the tenant’s behalf
• A statement is issued to tenants every three months. Tenants can check their receipts/payments against this statement. Copies of rent statements can be issued on request.

• No one can move into a property without notifying and receiving permission from the Housing Department (Allocations). Please be aware that the weekly rent may increase with the addition of an extra person. 

• Some older accounts that use a payment card can pay in the post office or make a payment in shops using the “Post Point” sign
• By standing order through the bank
• Using online banking
• By cheque made payable to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

You can write to the Housing Loans Section requesting a redemption quotation.  A written quotation will be posted out to you.

You can ring any member of the Housing Revenue Loans section on 01 2054836.

Yes, you can make a lump sum payment off your mortgage.  You should send your request in writing together with your payment to the Housing Revenue Loans Section.

Please contact Housing Loans Section, on 01 2054836.

The Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) was introduced to Local Authorities in October 2012 to help borrowers who are In arrears.

For all loan applications gross earnings for a single-person application must not exceed €50,000 and for joint applications combined gross earnings must not exceed €75,000.

The works covered include grab rails, access ramps, level access showers, stair-lifts, and other minor works deemed reasonably necessary to make a house more suitable for a person with mobility problems to live in. 

The only works available under this scheme are re-wiring, re-roofing and the provision of central heating (where none exists).

N.B.  Central Heating – There is no grant available under this scheme for upgrading an existing central heating system.  These grants are available from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland at 1850 927000 or www.seai.ie

The income limits differ depending on which grant you are applying for. If your household income from the previous tax year exceeds the below amounts after the applicable disregards and deductions are applied, you will not be considered eligible to receive a grant:

The following payments from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection are not considered in assessing your household income:

• Carer’s Allowance/Benefit
• Carer’s Support Grant
• Child Benefit
• Domiciliary Care Allowance
• Foster Care Grant
• Fuel Allowance
• Household Benefits Package
• Living Alone Allowance
• Working Family Payment

There are also two types of deductions that reduce the amount of household income considered:

• A deduction of €5,000 applies for each member of the household who is under 18 years of age or under 23 years of age and in full time education or engaged in a SOLAS apprenticeship;
• A deduction of €5,000 applies where the person for whom the grant aid is sought is being cared for by a relative on a full-time basis if a relative is caring full-time for the person who the grant is for.

The Council will endeavour to decide on each application as soon as possible and will make every effort to issue a provisional approval of a grant within six weeks following receipt of a fully completed and valid application.

Delays in issuing provisional approval can occur due to incomplete applications, incorrect or insufficient documentation being submitted or if major works are being carried out which require evidence of planning permission or a certificate of exemption under the Planning Acts.

Please note that applications which are missing key information will be returned.

If the grant application is for the sum of €10,000 or over, you will be required to provide evidence of tax clearance from Revenue. Information on how to apply for tax clearance can be found at https://www.revenue.ie/en/starting-a-business/tax-clearance/index.aspx.

The grant covers some of the cost of the work required, however, the amount of the grant depends on your household income for the previous year. The maximum grants available are as follows:

The following payments from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection are not considered in assessing your household income:

• Carer’s Allowance/Benefit
• Carer’s Support Grant
• Child Benefit
• Domiciliary Care Allowance
• Foster Care Grant
• Fuel Allowance
• Household Benefits Package
• Living Alone Allowance
• Working Family Payment

There are also two types of deductions that reduce the amount of household income considered:

• A deduction of €5,000 applies for each member of the household who is under 18 years of age or under 23 years of age and in full time education or engaged in a SOLAS apprenticeship;
• A deduction of €5,000 applies where the person for whom the grant aid is sought is being cared for by a relative on a full-time basis if a relative is caring full-time for the person who the grant is for.

The Council will endeavour to decide on each application as soon as possible and will make every effort to issue a provisional approval of a grant within six weeks following receipt of a fully completed and valid application.

Delays in issuing provisional approval can occur due to incomplete applications, incorrect or insufficient documentation being submitted or if major works are being carried out which require evidence of planning permission or a certificate of exemption under the Planning Acts.

Please note that applications which are missing key information will be returned.

If the grant application is for the sum of €10,000 or over, you will be required to provide evidence of tax clearance from Revenue. Information on how to apply for tax clearance can be found at https://www.revenue.ie/en/starting-a-business/tax-clearance/index.aspx.

The grant covers some of the cost of the work required, however, the amount of the grant depends on your household income for the previous year. The maximum grants available are as follows:

Yes, please see list below.