Appeal to landlords…consider homeless HAP

Just wondering if anyone has gone down the homeless HAP route lately ?
Are the rules unchanged ?
Person in question is happy to rent out an apt long term, but no PETs or crazy demands.
 
In the last 2 weeks I have just rented 2 more of my properties on the homeless HAP scheme at TOP market rents. A very positive experience again. Also regarding previous Homeless HAPP deposits….for both of those properties I didn’t return any of the deposits. Let me explain…
The previous Homeless HAPP tenants had their deposits paid for by Dublin City Council, so stood to loose nothing personally. When they moved out I claimed everything I could from their deposits (99% of issues would be just wear and tear after 10-15 years) knowing that the “Placefinder’s officers ” don’t quibble over the little things, otherwise landlords wouldn’t return their properties into the homeless HAPP ecosystem….
“Placefinder’s” is the body responsible for assisting homeless HAPP tenants find accommodation and also deal with deposits.
The most important features of this scheme for me were;
1. I was able to achieve TOP market rents (previous tenants had left voluntarily.
2. I choose my own tenants, and very very carefully!!
Any other specific questions about the scheme… please ask….
 
I have posted my experience with leasing to the council if you care to look it up. I wouldnt do it again to be honest.
 
Any landlord is able to obtain top market rent via daft or an agent these days. Likewise, you get to pick your own tenant.

Plus based on what has happened to @JamieB_ and other posters on here, it's hard to see why you would involve yourself with the Council. You can go to market anyway now and select the tenant of your choice from a much wider range of applicants.

If you are a large landlord, tenants have life long tenancies now. That is another very important factor to keep in mind.
 
Article here in the Irish Examiner about energy efficiency grants. There is a mention of a pilot grant scheme for HAP landlords. Is this the usual slippery slope in the PRS and improving energy efficiency will become mandatory once the 6 year/permanent tenancies bed in.

Another question is how saleable is a property with a homeless HAP tenant. If the landlord is large, then the tenant is there for life. The only way to sell is with him in situ. Is there any market for such properties?
 
DannyBoyD said:
Surely this is a contradiction in terms?
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I agree, but that is what it is called. It is homeless HAP because if you are homeless and can get a landlord to take you, the HAP rate is higher than normal HAP, that is my understanding anyway.
 

Homeless HAP - Housing Assistance Payments

What is Homeless HAP? The Homeless HAP scheme helps people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It gives more supports to tenants than the regular HAP scheme. These extra supports include deposits and upfront rent payments to help homeless households find a suitable HAP tenancy. The...
www.hap.ie www.hap.ie
 
Interesting.

Suspect some of the rise in reported numbers might be an unintended consequence of this policy.
 
jman0war said:
The unintended consequence is that the Homeless HAP policy provides incentives for people to present as homeless in order to get onto the scheme. Thus the numbers of "homeless" will rise.
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I wonder though as landlords are unwilling to take HAP tenants.

The latest advice to HAP tenants via Threshold apparently is to assure the prospective landlord that you are not looking for HAP, struggle with the rent yourself for a couple of months and then announce that you are claiming HAP. Landlord will be penalised if he refuses. If you tell the landlord upfront and at the start that you need HAP, you won't get the tenancy.
 
jman0war said:
The unintended consequence is that the Homeless HAP policy provides incentives for people to present as homeless in order to get onto the scheme. Thus the numbers of "homeless" will rise
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Well if it is worth it and a safer option for landlords the homeless well get housed faster which should keep the number of homeless down and keep more landlords in this sector going forward,
Not an area I am into but I know some landlords who are and no sign of them leaving the sector if anything it is going in the other direction,
One problem I see is providers of homeless hap are not close to employment around where I live which results in high unemployment levels which I don't like to see,
 
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galway said:
Not an area I am into but I know some landlords who are and no sign of them leaving the sector if anything it is going in the other direction,
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@galway is this true or made up? What data do you have to show HAP tenancies are increasing? Everything I see shows continued decline (along with the rest of the PRS).

Q4 2020 there was 59,821 HAP tenancies. Source
Q3 2025 there was 51,756 HAP tenancies. Source
 
stormy said:
is this true or made up? What data do you have to show HAP tenancies are increasing? Everything I see shows continued decline (along with the rest of the PRS).
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I am not really sure to be honest But I know of 2 landlords who are big into homeless HAP both operating out of 2 different rural towns about 20 miles apart, both have been doing up buildings for the last few years and are into homeless HAP I see no sign of them slowing down or getting out,
The biggest problem appears to be the tenants finding well paid work locally,
Just wondering is homeless HAP on the increasing and regular HAP for want of a better word in decline,
 
Hard to imagine that there is so much demand for homeless HAP in rural towns that landlords would be actively buying and doing up buildings to avail of it. Homelessness is a largely a Dublin and major city problem here and here for example
 
Greenbook said:
Hard to imagine that there is so much demand for homeless HAP in rural towns that landlords would be actively buying and doing up buildings to avail of it. Homelessness is a largely a Dublin and major city problem here and here for example
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Well It has been going on for a good few years now I am not so sure if they went down the regular landlord road they would be in the business to be honest,
 
I am presuming there are two distinct groups of homeless, those who got evicted due to LL selling up and could not find alternatives even though they have good jobs and the other more typical profile where the individual has ongoing significant addiction problems or mental illness?
 
Persia said:
I am presuming there are two distinct groups of homeless, those who got evicted due to LL selling up and could not find alternatives even though they have good jobs and the other more typical profile where the individual has ongoing significant addiction problems or mental illness?
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I would assume so, but possibly you can end up renting to either with homeless HAP
 
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