Existing tenant requires HAP (housing assistance payments). Does landlord have a choice?

Leo said:
You can't wire the ones with batteries to the mains, you have to buy mains powered units. Not a whole lot more expensive, but obviously getting them to be wired into the mains is the bigger expense. The link above states they're only required for multi-unit buildings.
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That's a British website. In Ireland, you must have either mains-powered alarms or at least two self-contained 10 year battery alarms (ie. sealed units which need to be entirely replaced when the battery runs out). See http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2008/si/534/made/en/print section 11

Here's an example of a sealed 10 year smoke alarm:

Multi-unit buildings do absolutely require wired alarms.
 
Oh, oops, yep, saw the pounds and just assumed. Missed the link to citizensinformation altogether. Anyway, the law seems to say that either wired or sealed 10 year battery (so, not the traditional 9V battery powered ones) are required for non multi unit rentals.
 
My existing tenants gave me the forms just last week, while I'm happy to go along with it, what about if I decide to raise the rent, is it rent stuck in stone once you've signed up? I only ask I did a rent review last December, it's still @€200 below market value, even after raising it by €80 per month. Appreciate I won't be doing another rent review for 2 years, but just checking, are there are any other disadvantages to doing this? Tenants have been there for the past 5 years, happy enough, getting rent allowance and paying that + extra into my bank account.
 
If....

The tenant falls out with the social welfare you would think be paid and will be stuck for a couple of years with no rent should the tenant assert their "rights"

The same if the tenant falls out with you.

The same if you fall out with the social welfare.


There are more downsides to hap than upsides. Personally I would run a mile from it.
 
OffalyDillon said:
My existing tenants gave me the forms just last week, while I'm happy to go along with it, what about if I decide to raise the rent, is it rent stuck in stone once you've signed up? I only ask I did a rent review last December, it's still @€200 below market value, even after raising it by €80 per month. Appreciate I won't be doing another rent review for 2 years, but just checking, are there are any other disadvantages to doing this? Tenants have been there for the past 5 years, happy enough, getting rent allowance and paying that + extra into my bank account.
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As far as I am aware the RPZ and rent control legislation do not apply to houses let under HAP. So you can renegotiate rents more freely that with other properties.
 
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