Negototiation of rent under the Rental Accomodation Scheme (RAS)

satcie101

I have been offered the option of taking up the RAS scheme by my city council. I really want to take up the scheme but the following is my dilemma:

My rent is €700/month. My landlord already reduced the rent to this amount and has categorically said no to any further reductions. I have read that under the RAS scheme the maximum rent allowance rate is used as a starting negotiation point for the rent the council will pay. The €700 I pay is the maximum and my landlord will not negotiate any lower. Does anyone who has taken part in the scheme know if the council would be prepared to pay the €700/month to my landlord or do they always have to lower the price from the maximum rent allowance rate?

I really want to get the scheme with this house as it’s the only house in this price range that I have found near to my daughters school, finding a landlord to agree to any less that 700/month will be impossible especially a landlord who doesn’t know me.


Any advice from someone who knows the scheme would really help.
Thank you.

daltonmd

As far as I have heard the council will negotiate the market rate downwards due to the fact that the contract is for 5 years. This is to protect them from rent increases, but it's also protection for the landlord against further reductions.

You need to explain this to the landlord and explain to him that if you stay as you are then there will be more rent reductions in the next 5 years and it may be the case, that landlords are told to go on the RAS or lose the SW tenant.

The negotiation is between your landlord and the counci, if they offer him less and he refuses then you have the option of staying until the rent increases or the rent allowance is cut again.

satcie101

Thanks Daltomd. I have explained the scheme in detail and my landlord has said "she never had a problem renting the house and is confident the house will rent for my rent or more" so the issue of the house being vacant is not something the landlord is at all worried about. And in fairness €700 is by far the lowest you could rent a house in the west side of Galway city which is where I'm located.

So it brings me back to my original query, will the council agree to pay the max rent allowance treshold or do they have to negotiate downwards? Again renting a house in Galway city for less than €700 is unheard of so unless they agree its going to be incredibly difficult to take up this scheme

daltonmd

They will negotiate downwards - from the RAS site:

"Rental Values
Rental values are determined by negotiation and reflect local market conditions.
You should note that we will seek a reduction in current rent as a result of the benefits of the Rental Accommodation Scheme to you. These benefits include:"


In fairness though you have a place now under the rent supplement so things (rents) may be more favourable next year.

satcie101

daltonmd wrote: »

In fairness though you have a place now under the rent supplement so things (rents) may be more favourable next year.

Unfortunately I won’t be entitled to rent supplement from September as I will be taking up a master’s opportunity, the RAS is the only support I will be entitled to so I have to figure out how to make it work but thanks for reply anyway.



Any info from anyone who has taken part in the scheme especially in Galway would be appreciated.

edellc

I have no experience with the RAS scheme but is there any way you can say to the council that you have negotiated with the landlord and the rent has come down to 700euro and you have tried but failed to get it any lower as in the area you are in you are already paying below the going rate

Its worth shot I mean all they can say is no and then at least you have an answer and can then look at your options

It is a horrible situation to be in you are trying to better yourself and need the help of the council but yet it may not be forth coming, tiz the stupidity of Ireland and its policies and we the people who got screwed pay the price especially us renters who never benefited for the boom or ever had the means to buy, negative equity now or not at least some actually have a permanent abode and are not nomads like us renters.

satcie101

Thanks Edellc. I am going to talk to the council about it and explain. I will post back on this with an update so others in a similar situation can see how the process with RAS panes out.

satcie101

Updating on how this is going as promised. The city council will only pay a max of 650 per month. The landlord wont budge on price :mad: so I have to look for a property in the city that will go with this scheme. Fingers and toes crossed.

Nonib30

I know its been 4 years but i was wondering what happened?? Did you get a place? In similiar circumstances now myself

Butters1979

Nonib30 wrote: »

I know its been 4 years but i was wondering what happened?? Did you get a place? In similiar circumstances now myself

Wow! Now that's a necro. I love to see an answer assuming the OP checks this thread regularly despite the fact they last replied in 2012.

Nonib30

Butters1979 wrote: »

Wow! Now that's a necro. I love to see an answer assuming the OP checks this thread regularly despite the fact they last replied in 2012.

I comment on a thread that i know is 4 years old but very much active on google with no expectations of a reply from the person who initially started it, yet i get a response from someone who comments on me commenting! Haha the irony!!

athtrasna

Mod Note

Butters1979 please leave the moderating to the mods, if you have an issue please use the report post function.

Nonib30 please familiarise yourself with the forum charter. Resurrecting "zombie threads" is frowned upon and attacking another poster on thread is a major no-no.

Closing the thread as it is significantly out of date.