Rent allowance banned in Ballymun

Mr.McLovin

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/rent-allowance-banned-in-dublin-s-ballymun-1.1833963

A Dublin landlord who let his apartment to a couple in receipt of rent allowance has been told by the Department of Social Protection he cannot house them.

The apartment is in Ballymun and he has been told he cannot accept rent allowance as the area is a “regeneration area”.

First I've heard of anything like this, bit of a strange one.

TheDoc

It's making some waves in various outlets. Can obviously sympathise with those trying to find accomodation, but can also see the logic from the other end of the spectrum.

Ballymun got massive investment to try renew the area, and they want to change it's image and perception.

Filling the area with rent allowance receiptents they most probably feel won't achieve that.

I think the problem with this debate is no one will be willing to cut the softy stuff and lash out the truth. Obviously rent allownace receipency is on the rise with the increase on social welfare receiptients. So there is of course good, honest working people who've hada temporary blip and need the help, that's not problem, and to be honest, I'd be happy as larry if I knew my tax money was going to help these people.

But there is the age old issue with the leeches, who are career benefit takers.

I'm not a landlord, but as a tenant, paying over the odds at present, I can appreciate landlords arnt running a charity. And I can also appreciate that not only is it their private property, it's a high value asset.

I don't think it takes a genius to work out why landlords are skeptical of rent allowance receivership. If you had a 300k investment, would you happily hand it over to someone in receipt of social welfare where your monthly payment is based on that, or someone in employment who receives a salary? It's a no brainer.

The actual rent allowance scheme is also a mess. Not only do you NEED to be in active tenancy for X number of months, once you apply you have to go through amdin that takes a further X number of months. If a landlord took someone in freshly applying for Rent allowance, stands to reason they could be nearly 6 months rent down. Rent allowance doesn't act retrospectively.

Friend of mine moved abroad and had a set of apartments he manages, had a proper nightmare with one couple, who by all accounts he said were decent folk, but took 7 months for their rent allowance to get sorted. He's happy enough that they will pay him back,and is somewhat keeping things chilled at the moment because they have a good relationship, but hes the guts of 8k out of pocket.

Same set of apartments one of his tenants became unemployed three months ago, and that guy is still getting hassle by the admin side of rent allowance.

He has no issue with the people involved, but when he talks about the system, how it all works, and how much he is being left without rent, it's pretty easy to see why landlords arn't really jumping on the chance of rent allowance.

When ironically, in a country that wasn't absolutely mental, you'd jump at the prospect of having the monthly rent paid to you directly by the state on behalf of the tenant, wouldnt you?

No Pants

Discussed previously.

Riskymove

TheDoc wrote: »

Ballymun got massive investment to try renew the area, and they want to change it's image and perception.

Filling the area with rent allowance receiptents they most probably feel won't achieve that.

i think you are off the mark slightly

the problem imo is that there has been massive investment in new social housing and they want those in housing need to avail of that rather than private accommodation in these areas

otherwise they are paying on the double

No Pants

TheDoc wrote: »

When ironically, in a country that wasn't absolutely mental, you'd jump at the prospect of having the monthly rent paid to you directly by the state on behalf of the tenant, wouldnt you?

Is the rent paid directly to the landlord? I thought it was paid to the tenant, who was then expected to pass it on.

foggy_lad

No Pants wrote: »

Is the rent paid directly to the landlord? I thought it was paid to the tenant, who was then expected to pass it on.

Paid directly to the tenant and rent allowance is also back dated to the date you apply for it but many people will not pass on the lump sum to the landlord when they get it.

Vojera

Riskymove wrote: »

i think you are off the mark slightly

the problem imo is that there has been massive investment in new social housing and they want those in housing need to avail of that rather than private accommodation in these areas

otherwise they are paying on the double

There has been a lot of investment in social housing alright, but you have to remember that a great deal of that was for rehoming those who lived in the blocks of flats, so it's not 'extra' if you know what I mean.

They're also paying to house a fair few people long term in some of the local hotels, which is I can't imagine being any cheaper than rent allowance and also leaves people without cooking facilities, etc.

I've lived in the area for the last four years and I love it, but it freaks the bejesus out if me that if either me or my partner loses our job that there is no option of rent allowance, just because of our address.

RobbingBandit

Ballymun Regeneration died when Treasury Holdings went bust, they were due to build the new shopping centre called Spring Cross, the old shopping centre has just lost its anchor tenant Tesco just over a month ago, as a former resident in Poppintree I can tell you they ****ed up the regeneration big time, the same tenants from the flats have been moved to houses beside each other, now the parks were lost to housing projects, there is nothing to do in the area, same trouble makers have all been grouped together. A few fancy buildings does not change years of bad breeding and **** heads. Glad to be out of there.

January

Funny that the 'apartment' is in Santry Cross and as such the address is Dublin 9 not Dublin 11... at least when we lived there it was Dublin 9.

Vojera

January wrote: »

Funny that the 'apartment' is in Santry Cross and as such the address is Dublin 9 not Dublin 11... at least when we lived there it was Dublin 9.

If it's the ones on the same side as Days Hotel (now the Metro) then it's Dublin 9. If it's the other side (the shopping centre side) it's Dublin 11. The main road is the postcode boundary.

January

Vojera wrote: »

If it's the ones on the same side as Days Hotel (now the Metro) then it's Dublin 9. If it's the other side (the shopping centre side) it's Dublin 11. The main road is the postcode boundary.

I lived on both sides (The Claremont and the Turnpike) and both claimed to be Dublin 9 when I lived there.

Vojera

January wrote: »

I lived on both sides (The Claremont and the Turnpike) and both claimed to be Dublin 9 when I lived there.

Dublin 9 is the "better" postcode, so not that surprising. I'm surprised you didn't get stickers on your post, though. I'm on the D9 side but the ESB has the residence as D11 and before I switched to paperless billing I got a sticker on the envelope of every single bill telling me that it was the wrong postcode.

TheDoc

Riskymove wrote: »

i think you are off the mark slightly

the problem imo is that there has been massive investment in new social housing and they want those in housing need to avail of that rather than private accommodation in these areas

otherwise they are paying on the double

Nope I was pretty much right, as per the Dept of Social welfare statement to newstalk today. They stated some rubbish about social equality in the area, whereby locals from Ballymun lobbied them to bring in a procedure to stop rent allowance being provided in the area, so that the regeneration project would be a success and that the area would be filled with working tenants, but not rent allowance receiptients.

They also stressed that there was reviews on a case by case basis, but the indication is that it only affects tenants looking to move into the area after the agreement was put in place. Those in receipt beforehand can still reside in the area.

They had the guy involved in the main story on newstalk today, harrowing stuff to be honest.

Ironic as he spoke, from Ballymun, sirens were blaring in the background from squad cars flying past...

Riskymove

TheDoc wrote: »

, so that the regeneration project would be a success and that the area would be filled with working tenants, but not rent allowance receiptients.

but this is what I was saying

social housing for those who need support rather than the private rented secotr which would be left to those paying direct