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  4. Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)
Intro Text 

Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) replaces the Short Term Rent Supplement for those with a long-term housing need. 

You do not need to be in receipt of Rent Supplement to be eligible for Housing Assistance Payment. 

The Short Term rent supplement will continue to be managed by the Department of Social Protection.

If you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, please call 01 2054804 to arrange an appointment.

How does HAP work?

  • You must be qualified for social housing support.
  • You must qualify to go on our housing waiting list.
  • You must submit a HAP Eligibility Assessment Form to be approved for HAP.  Approval lasts for 6 months.
  • HAP tenants must find their own home in the private rented market (this is the same as the current Rent Supplement Scheme).
  • The landlord must agree to rent their property to you.
  • We will pay the landlord on the last Wednesday of each month.  This payment is subject to terms and conditions.
  • You will pay a weekly HAP rent contribution to us, based on your weekly income.
  • Rent contributions are generally made through An Post’s Household Budget Scheme, by Bank Standing Order or online.
  • If you do not pay this rent contribution, our payment to your landlord will be suspended and eventually stopped. You are then responsible for paying the rent in full.
  • You are obliged to notify us of any changes in your income or household size immediately.
  • If you take up a job or increase your working hours, you will still be eligible for HAP if you fulfil the other conditions of the scheme.  

Tenant HAP Process:

Step 1. You must first ensure you are on our Housing Waiting List.

Submit all information requested on the HAP Checklist including all requested documentation and a HPL1 Revenue Consent Form. Incomplete HAP Eligibility Applications will not be accepted.

Step 2:  Once approved, we will post a letter explaining the rent band you will be placed in and a HAP Application Form.

  • You fill out "Part A" of the HAP Application Form.
  • "Part B" of the HAP Application Form is to be filled out by the Landlord.

Step 3:  Once you receive your eligibility confirmation from us, you can approach a landlord regarding your preferred home.

You need to ensure you have all sections of the HAP Application Form filled in and have all documents before submitting the application to our HAP Section. Incomplete HAP Application Forms will not be accepted.

(Note. Section B of the HAP Application Form must to be filled out and can be submitted by your landlord should they wish to do so.)

Step 4:  When we receive your HAP Application Form (Sections A+B), your application will be validated and processed.

Step 5:  You will be asked to attend a meeting with us to sign a Rent Contribution Form and a Letter of Transfer Form.

The Letter of Transfer Form is your agreement to be moved to the HAP transfer list. Your priority on this list will take account of the time you have already spent on our housing waiting list before entering HAP. You do not lose your time by moving to the HAP transfer list.

Please note before being considered for the HAP scheme, existing housing applicants must have their files reviewed by HAP eligibility to ensure they still qualify for social housing.

A list of the documentation needed for a file to be reviewed can be found under Related Documents on this page.

HAP Discrimination complaints https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/

There is law that applies to lettings and accommodation that states landlords cannot discriminate against potential tenants on the following grounds: 

• gender,
• civil or family status,
• sexual orientation,
• religion,
• age,
• disability,
• race or
• membership of the Traveller community

Since 1st January 2016, you cannot be discriminated against when renting because you are getting one of certain payments, which include HAP. Landlords can no longer state when advertising homes that HAP is not accepted. If you feel you have been discriminated against by a landlord or their agent, you can make a complaint under this act. 

Please find a list of frequently asked questions relating to HAP below.

FAQS

Am I eligible to apply for HAP?

Persons applying for HAP must be a qualified housing applicant(s) before they can apply. For more information on applying for social housing please click here.

As a Landlord will HAP affect my relationship with the tenant?

No. The contract will be a private contract between the tenant and the landlord. The HAP tenant is the landlords tenant and not a tenant of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

Do I have to sign my property over to the Local Authority when I take in a tenant in receipt of the HAP scheme

No. Your property will remain your property and will not be signed over to the Local Authority when you take in a tenant in receipt of the HAP scheme. The agreement between the landlord, tenant and the property will not differ from how the private rental market currently operates. 

Issuing Notice to Quit

In the event of Notice to Quit being served the guidelines are on the RTB website https://www.rtb.ie . They must be issued in writing and according to the time outlined according to length of tenancy. This applies to Landlords and Tenants.

 

On what dates are payments made to the Landlord?

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

Standard of Accommodation

The accommodation must be in accordance with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.

 

What are the rent caps for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)?

 

One Adult in Shared Accommodation

A Couple in Shared Accommodation

One Adult

A Couple

One Adult or Couple with one child

One Adult or Couple with two children

One Adult or Couple with three children

DLR HAP rent Limits

€430

€500

€660

€900

€1,250

€1,275

€1,300

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

What areas can HAP tenants be HAP'd into from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council?

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.

What do I do when there is a problem with my property?

If you have a maintenance issue in your property, you must contact your landlord in the first instance. It is the responsibility of the landlord as owner of the property to carry out any repairs to the property. It is the responsibility of the Tenant to maintain the property in a responsible manner and the Landlord should be notified of any issues that may require attention.

 

What is the HAP Transfer List?

HAP recipients move off the councils main Social Housing Waiting list onto the HAP Transfer List, retaining their time built up while on the original list. 

The HAP transfer list runs side by side with the Social Housing Waiting list and will receive a precentage of dwelling allocations provided by the councl.

What is the Housing Differentiated Rent Scheme?

https://www.dlrcoco.ie/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2020_rent_scheme_0.pdf

What proof of ownership do landlords need to supply?

In order for a HAP payment to be paid into a landlords bank account. HAP need to ensure the landlord receiving the payment is in fact the owner of the property being rented.

There are a number of ways to prove ownership of a property. Listed below are the documents we are allowed to accept as proof of ownership any one of the following.

  • Title deed or similar legal instrument proving ownership of the property                  
  • Current registration letter from the RTB showing the landlords name and the property address. If the house is sub-divided into self-contained flats, each individual flat will need to be registered with the RTB
  • Insurance policy/schedule for the property. (Must be current and in date. We can not accept renewal notices)
  • Mortgage Statement dated within the last 12 months indicating landlord as the owner of the property and indicating the property being rented is in fact the same property on the mortgage statement.
  • Local Property Tax (LPT) statement showing payment, If the house is sub-divided into self-contained flats, LPT must be paid for each individual flat.

Landlords need only provide one of the documents listed above as proof of ownership.

From our experience we have found landlords tend to find the RTB letter or insurance schedule as the easiest to attain

What should a tenant do if they miss a rent payment to HAP?

If for whatever reason, when HAP apply to your bank account for payment and you have insufficient funds in your account to meet the payment.

Don't panic! HAP will retry in three days to collect the monies from your account. (Do not use your payment card in the Post Office to pay until after HAP try a second time to collect the money from your account)

(Should you use your payments card before the second attempt for payment from your bank account, you may double pay for that week.

To avoid disappointment, please ensure you have sufficient funds in your account to meet your payment. 

What size of property can I rent on the HAP Scheme?

The property size in which HAP will pay rent to your landlord (on your behalf) depends soley on your current housing need.

Example:

If your current housing need is for a one bedroom property. HAP will only pay rent to your landlord if the property you have found is a one bedroom property.

HAP will not pay rent to a landlord of a three bedroom property on your behalf if your current housing need is for a one bedroom property

If you are unsure about your current housing need, you can contact our Allocations Department on 01 2054828

Who will pay the security deposit to the landlord?

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

Why become a HAP landlord?

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
Why become a HAP tenant?
  • HAP allows recipients to take up full-time employment, while still receiving housing support
  • The rent contribution payable by the HAP recipient will be based on the differential rent scheme for their local authority. This scheme links the rent contribution a household must pay to the household income and the ability to pay
  • HAP will help to regulate the private rental sector and improve standards of accommodation. Properties will be inspected to make sure that they meet the required standards
  • HAP recipients will be able to avail of other social housing supports and options, if they so choose
  • Local authorities will be responsible for all housing supports in their area.
Why does my property need to be inspected by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council?
Residential rental properties must provide safe, efficient, durable, comfortable and environmentally sustainable homes for those who live in them. They must also be solid, stable and secure investments for those who own them.
 

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.

Will HAP tenants be able to access other housing supports?

Yes.

HAP reciepients have access to other social housing supports offered by local authorities, such as local authority housing.

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