Rental Accommodation Scheme in Cork, queries? :)

Zoundz

OK... this is a bit of a confusing one, so bear with me.

We are currently privately renting a house that we a very happy with, the landlord is a diamond, and after years of hopping about and having to move all the time to escape bad landlords, poor houses and difficult situations we are finally comfortable with where we live and who we rent from. We are, unfortunately, in receipt of SW and RA - and despite our best efforts, there is just no work around here at the moment and to further add to my despondency we find that the new Aldi store that was opening here (which we were so hoping to get work with) has now pulled out due to other businesses moaning about competition anyway... I digress.

I received a letter from the local council, saying that we are to have an interview and inspection of property for the RAS. I have done a fair bit of reading on this, but can't find out as much as I would like. We really don't want to be part of this, but understand we have no choice. We are very happy here, and don't want to move, but it's unlikely that our landlord will go to RAS. What's the likelihood of them offering us a place quickly (in West Cork)? We obviously keep hoping that we'll get work as soon as ever is possible, but in the event that we don't, we don't want to lose our home because our landlord doesn't sign up to this RAS. Also, I don't want to have to start again in yet another house when this is so perfect for our needs I was hoping to stay here for as long as I needed until we could afford to buy a place of our own, when we do get work...

They mentioned also that they're bringing a building inspector here to check that the property conforms with building regulations etc. What for? Is this for them to decide whether they want the property for RAS or whether you have to move because it's uninhabitable? I couldn't find any mention of why they want to do a building inspection.

Am grateful for all help and advice offered

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Zoundz

Anyone had any experiences at all that they could add some advice with?

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mozattack

From a landlord's point of view, this whole thing is a disgrace. Friend has tenant paying €650 per month for the last 2 years and now have to knock it down to €600 per month subject to inspection.

The inspection report came recently asking the person to make around 15 amendments from fixing a gate, including a Co2 emission reader to ensuring service charges are being paid. A joke, she cant afford to do the stuff meaning she has to turf out the tenant and see if she can let it on the market.

If she cant she wont be able to pay the mortgage and will default like most others.

RAS scheme wants the tenants to live in better conditions that the landlords!

Zoundz

See - the way I read it is that they don't so much want the tenants to live better than the landlords, as to get everyone in council run accommodation... I just don't see how this benefits people, I really don't!

I for one get on famously with my landlord, and have told him, that although he has already said he wants to do what's best for us, he must think of himself, his house and his family first, and I've told him that if I were a landlord, I'd certainly tell them where to stick it!

What does it mean for us though? If he won't go over to the scheme? (And I'm pretty sure he won't - I'll try to persuade him not to, as it's just not fair on him). So far everything I've read, I totally disagree with the whole scheme in every way... I don't want to be a part of it, but I understand I have no choice?

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snubbleste

If you are on rent supplement long-term, the goal is to move you to RAS as it is more cost-efficient for the State and more secure for the tenant. You can try to a) find a place yourself that is appropiate to your family size and ask the landlord to sign up to the scheme or b) be placed by the council. You can refuse one offer. a second refusal means your rent supplement will cease.

The Council want to ensure that the accomodation in which they place RAS tenants meets certain standards. This is why a thorough inspection takes place. The benefit for the landlord is they get guaranteed rent for the lease regardless whether someone is living there - therefore the rent is to be less than the market rate.
OP, I presume your landlord expressed an interest to the Council without your knowledge for the scheme, if they are sending out an inspection team. Contact one of your councillors and ask them for advice.

Zoundz

No, the landlord didn't contact them (I had to explain the scheme to him myself - he doesn't really seem to get it totally - and is really not interested). They contacted us because we've been on RA for 18 months - they're contacting everyone who is I presume. Also, the landlord has already lowered the rent for us because he was happy with us, and was happy to let the house go for much less than he could get for it because he didn't want a big family here as the last family he had made a bit of a mess as far as I could gather.

Well - sooo my option is to keep refusing until they cut the RA off, and then just find the money out of JSA until we find work. That looks like that'll have to be the way it is then I refuse to move, this place is the first place we're actually pretty settled in and we have a good agreement with the landlord. Somehow we'll manage.

You do have a good point though - I will pay a visit to the TD to make a fuss

Thanks for the replies.

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Zoundz

They'll be looking for the landlord to supply the necessary paperwork (PRTB registration, insurance, Tax clearance cert, maybe a BER cert) and the inspection is to ensure that the property meets the private rental standards- these are legal requirements and not unreasonable to check for when a landlord is in receipt of state funds for a property.

In terms of negotiation of rent- in my experience it's rare for RAS to refuse to deal with a landlord on rent issues alone, unless the rent is already above the going rate for the area- they do need to show that they are getting reasonable value in relation to other properties in the area, with reference to a long-term agreement (the agreement doesn't always mean that the rent is guaranteed whether a tenant is in place or not, by the way- that's an option they can offer but there are pros and cons to that one for the landlord).

Bottom line- landlord is in receipt of state funding to provide a service. Rents are in decline all over the country, the RAS offers a long term reasonably secure tenant in a very unstable housing market- a reduction in rent and meeting the required standards isn't an unreasonable ask.

dannnii

Hi Zoundz,

Just wondered how you got on with the RAS situation?

Any Update?

Regards.

Zoundz

Forgot this thread!

Our landlord decided to go ahead with it, so we are... but have discovered that we will be on less money as the contribution we make to the rent from JSA has doubled. Still - could be worse I guess... I'm only a bit annoyed as because we live together as a couple rather than as two separate people, we're already on less than most people who claim. Even the lady who runs the RAS here said she couldn't understand why we were on so little - but then, after living on JSA in the UK for a time, anything is fabulous here - it's more than enough to live on really, as long as we're careful, so no complaints from me!

ETA - and still nothing on the jobs front... here's hoping that some of these new positions opening up all over Cork will provide something!

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the_syco

Zoundz wrote: »

ETA - and still nothing on the jobs front... here's hoping that some of these new positions opening up all over Cork will provide something!

Aye. Keep an eye on http://jobseeker.fas.ie but just ignore anything with "WPP" in them, as they're not real jobs; they're "work for free for 9 months in a job with people getting €30,000 doing the same work as them, and getting let go after the 9 months" jobs...

Zoundz

Thank you

I'm doing as much voluntary work as possible at the moment, as I don't want gaps on my CV, and I hate doing nothing hopefully something will come up soon.

The other thing about this RAS is that we can't move for 4 years really without a fair bit of hassle, so we are dependent on finding work in this area.
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Graces7

Am very confused now! Live in West Cork since last year and fairly near Clonakilty but we come under Cork city not West Cork re RA etc

When the Housing Officer came re that, I asked him re RAS and he said the house we rent would not meet requirements; period. He said nothing more on that so I assumed it was a matter of choice?

This is an old farmhouse and the conversion would cost thousands;
very basic and simple

NB I am a pensioner with a UK pension so my situation is different maybe?
Been struggling re RA for almost a year now; it has been summarily stopped and am registering a formal complaint on the issues..

Sorry to hear re ALDI.. hope things improve for you soon

Zoundz

That's terrible Grace... I don't know what to advise. Perhaps try talking to the person who runs the RAS here? Maybe you don't qualify if you've only been claiming RA for less than 18 months? I know that was the main reason we were transferred.

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