HAP rent limit increase being considered

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

An increase to Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) rent limits is being considered by the Department of Housing.

HAP is a support which sees local authorities directly paying landlords rent for tenants with an unmet long-term housing need and who are eligible for social housing.

Tenants give a weekly HAP rent contribution to the local authority based on their ability to pay.

Each local authority has discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed maximum rent limit, and for new tenancies to extend the couple’s rate to single person households.

Discretion can be increased up to 50% above the prescribed maximum rent limits for Homeless HAP tenancies in Dublin.

The Department of Housing has reviewed these measures and found that the sustainability of such tenancies continues to be affected by pressures in the rental market.

Housing Minister James Browne approved a review of HAP rent limits which may lead to an increase in the payments, it is understood.

The minister also secured Cabinet approval for his Residential Tenancies Bill on Tuesday, which will see large reforms to the rental sector.

As part of its overall strategy, the Department is keen to curtail economic evictions by limiting circumstances in which tenants can reset market rates.

Following the passage of the legislation, new tenancies created from March will be subject to six-year tenancies where landlords can end the agreement only in specific situations, such as a breach of obligations or the landlord’s financial hardship.

Mr Browne said: “Tenants in Ireland will soon have the most robust set of protections they have ever had and I was absolutely determined to make that the heart of the rental changes.”