Rent allowance with existing tenancy

samfarrell

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I have recently become unemployed and plan on signing on next week as i have not been able to secure new employment. I am currently renting in Dublin 6 and have been in the same apartment for just over 2 years. I am also considering applying for rent allowance but i am not sure my landlord would accept this, plus with the housing shortage my chances of finding alternative accommodation are slim. How does the welfare deal with existing tenancies in this regard ?
 
I would make an informal approach to your existing landlord first, to see what their attitude to this would be.

While a landlord cannot discriminate against a tenant on the basis of the rent being funded by a social welfare payment, there are certain hurdles that must be crossed for a HAP tenancy to come into effect. For example the landlord must have a tax clearance cert. If they do not they cannot be forced to get one.

In practice if the landlord does not want to accept HAP, it is difficult to force them to do so.
 
I have had now 4 of my properties go onto the HAP, two with existing tenants in place. I have to admit that I was shocked my two existing tenants were able to claim this as they both had reasonable jobs, but its not my job to query this.
The only negative is the HAP pay in areas where as tenants usually pay in advance, which will seem like you are missing a months rent, but you will get an extra one when they move out.
If you have filled out the paperwork once it's really not a big deal. The tax clearance cert is easy to print out from ROS, send them a screen shot of your online LPT local property tax page to show you own the property and a bank statement showing the IBAN of the selected bank for the standing order has the landlords address on it. You can then claim 100% of the mortgage interest instead of 80%, although you have to wait three years before you can claim it all back.
What's important here is that it shouldn't matter how you get paid by your tenant. The personality, honesty and integrity of you tenant has not changed. They will hopefully be just as likely to leave your property in a respectable condition regardless of how their rent is being paid.
But both my existing tenants asked me if going on to the HAP was possible. They certainly did not go on the assumption that I had no choice. To be honest they absolutely LOVE ME NOW
 
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The landlord has to accept you if you move into HAP. Your only problem may be that the HAP will not be enough as they do have ceilings. Though it's pretty difficult to figure out what those ceilings are.

There are a few hoops the landlord has to go through to be eligible for HAP. Proof of ownership, LPT paid, tax clearance certificate. But once it's up and running it's great. Also in my case as non resident they take 20% tax off me. But advantage is that I'll not have to fork out for tax in November, or not a big lump sum.

Landlord- I solved the month in arrears by getting my tenants to pay a second month's deposit. Not upfront but over a few weeks to make it easier on them. I'm wondering now if I can get an extra 4% rent and what the procedure for that is - would you know? I never used to bother with rent increases but have been driven mad by all the rules restricting me. Especially when I had a lower rent then the norm from long term tenants.
 
If you wish to increase the rent on your property by 4% assuming you are in a rent pressure zone, then I believe you need to give at least three months notice (could be more?), you will have to show evidence of the average market rent for your property. This is difficult because there are so so few properties for rent on daft. The trick here is over the course of the year take screenshots of any similar properties on daft with high rents, so you are armed with the required evidence when the rent renewal process comes up.
 
I believe that properties let under HAP are not covered by the 4% limit. This is something I have been meaning to research properly.
 
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