Ukranian €800 Payment Scheme - Anyone Availing of It?

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justme

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I have a place that would be suitable, I like the idea of helping a Ukranian family and I like the idea of €800 tax free. Everyone's a winner, right?
My only concern is that when the government eventually stops paying €800 per month for their accommodation and the tenant can't afford to pay the rent every month, what happens then?

Will I be stuck in a horrible situation of having a Ukranian family refusing to leave and me being the stereotype evil landlord wanting to evict them so I can get paid rent from someone else?

Has anyone here been through the process?
 
I was under the impression that the scheme was more for those taking Ukrainians into their own home.
 
I have an empty apartment and am planning on doing it.

I think the minimum commitment is six months which I am happy to sign up to.

However, I have no interest in becoming a full-time landlord and so don't feel bound to do it for any longer or whenever the government stops the recognition payment.

I will just be clear about this from the outset.
 
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I am currently doing this. The house is in Fair deal and I was volunteering with the Ukrainian refugees so offered it and we are now in receipt of the ARP.
  • The idea was this would help a family to get on its feet in Ireland as they couldn't afford to rent a house here (think HAP is still not available to Ukrainians but open to correction).
  • It is exempt from being counted as income under the Fair deal scheme so doesnt affect my mothers assessment for what we pay in the nursing home.
  • The house had been empty for quite some time before that which I didn't want either so this was a good solution (and I never realised how much it costs per year to leave a house lying empty - there is an annual maintenance charge and house insurance etc to still be paid).
However, I do find myself now in a quandary.
  • The Fair deal rules now allow us to keep 60% of rental income without it affecting the fair deal payment. Does this make renting in the normal way a better financial option? Assuming a rent of 2k per month, 900e would be taken by fair deal. Of the remaining 1100, what would be taxable - my mother only has the state pension, all of which except 50e per week is taken by fair deal. I know nothing about being a landlord so not sure.
  • My plan was to hopefully rent to the existing tenants long term however they are still on social welfare payments so hard to see how they could afford it.
  • If I charge below the going rate for rent, this will affect the rate I can charge new tenants if they do leave - once the war is over they plan to go back. I don't want to be left with a longer term problem in that respect.
Its not easy to ask them to leave as mentioned in the original post. Particularly not if the only choice is back to a country at war so would definitely advise anyone considering it to think it through fully beforehand.
 
Purple said:
Who is going to rent out a full unit for €800 a month?
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I have a 3 bed apartment in a RPZ with a rent cap of 780. It Wouk definitely be an option however I have a tenant in situ.

800 tax free and the option to lift the RPZ cap as I would in a free market realise 1200 - 1400 per month.
 
It's never clear to me who's on the hook for the utilities, gas electricity etc. Did searches a few months ago and couldn't find anything solid.
 
Knuttell said:
It's never clear to me who's on the hook for the utilities, gas electricity etc. Did searches a few months ago and couldn't find anything solid.
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I asked and was advised by the lady over the phone that's an arrangement between you and the person living there. I am availing of the ARP and the tenant pays the utilities.
 
Knuttell said:
Thanks and do you get to vet the people or is you take who you get?
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There's two ways to go about it. I vet the people myself and can choose who I take in because I know a Ukranian couple living here and they are friends with another couple who needed a place, so they put me in contact. I met them and was happy to offer them the place and then I applied for the ARP and it was approved. So when you are arranging it yourself, you obviously get to vet the people yourself.

The other route is to go to offerahome.ie , give them your details and they source a Ukranian tenant for you. In this case, I don't know how it works because I haven't done it. I'd be inclined to say you still get to vet the people beforehand and make sure you are happy with them first. I can't imagine they would get too many offers if you were obliged to offer up your place and had no right to chose who you accept. But I don't know for sure, that's just a guess.

It can be quite a lucrative scheme, I get €800 tax free which is equivalent to about €1,500 which is more than I would get for the place. Additionally, at the end of it all I will be able to reset the rent at whatever the going rate is at that time. Also, the couple staying there are just so thankful that they are constantly doing little bits and bobs around the house. I'm not in any way asking them to do this, I'm not trying to take advantage or anything but they insist and the place is looking better than it ever was. They have even invited us over and cooked dinner for myself and the wife a few times. It's been a good experience all around.
 
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justme said:
Additionally, at the end of it all I will be able to reset the rent at whatever the going rate is at that time.
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I wouldn't be so certain about this. Legislation could change at any time and this is something that is being targeted by opposition politicians at present.
 
justme said:
No worries, feel free to message me if you need any more info.
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Great to hear your thoughts on the matter @justme,

Might be a dumb question from me, but hypothetically in the case of renting to Ukrainians, let's say I house 3 individuals (each unrelated to one another) in an non occupied apartment i own would I get 800 for each of them or is it 800 total for hosting them regardless of the number of tenants ?

P.s. I don't own a property atm :D im just interested in learning more about these topics
 
I now see that the rules have changed and owners in fair deal can now keep 100% of rental income and it is exempt from fair deal assessment. As my mother would now get approx 2100pm for her house,would this make more financial sense than 800 tax free? She has only a basic income of social welfare old age pension, most of which is taken by fair deal to pay nursing home. How much of the 2100e per month would she lose in tax?
 
So if a landlord say rents out 3 rooms to ordinary tenants and the 4th room to a Ukanian do they get €800.
I they rented out all four rooms to Ukranians they would get only €800?
Is it correct this €800 is tax free, even if landlord not living in the property?
 
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