Landlord who wants to accept HAP - but a bit unsure

Birdland

Hi there

I have a property coming up for rent. I'd like to inform myself about HAP and to get rid of my concerns, my concerns being that I might get tenants who won't look after the property. Also I find myself worried that I will be running into problems trying to fix the place up or keeping it to certain standards for the council. I always get the boiler serviced and chimney done every two years depending on issues. I also get the smoke alarms checked and have installed a carbon monoxide alarm. Two years ago I put in catches for the windows so that they wouldn't open out fully as I knew young children would be in the bedrooms upstairs. Obviously I get the white goods repaired and replaced as and when necessary.

Is there anything else that I should be thinking about please?

sk8board

i Rent to HAP, no issues at all over many years.

your concern seems to be that a HAP tenant will be harder on the house than someone who isn’t on social welfare, which in my own experience over 18 years is definitely not the case - indeed my ‘hardest’ tenants weren’t in receipt of social welfare.

the main thing about HAP is the hurdles to clear in order to qualify (proof of ownership, proof of LPT up to date, tax clearance cert, etc etc), they can take a month or two, and HAP is paid in arrears, not in advance, so you can be sitting waiting for the first HAP payment for 2-3 months as HAP is only processed on the final Wednesday of the Monday (this happened to me once, and I must say it was a tester - 3 months of the tenant in the house and zero rent. This issue is how long it takes the local council to get to your case).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058296575/landlord-who-wants-to-accept-hap-but-a-bit-unsure

I just got this in the post today, which is a big step in derisking HAP - you will be paid for 12 months even if the tenant defaults on their payment to the council. This wasn’t the case, albeit my understanding is that it wasn’t enforced very often

”From 1 May 2023 when a HAP tenant defaults on their differential rent payment to the local authority they will be offered the option of a payment plan to assist them in maintaining their tenancy and allow the HAP payment to the landlord to continue. If the tenant defaults on payment of differential rent under the Landlord Payment Guarantee the HAP payment to the landlord will be guaranteed for a 12 month period or earlier if the tenancy ends subject to confirmation that the tenant is in the property. The HAP payment will be made in-line with HAP procedures within the 12 month period or earlier if the tenancy ends.”

sk8board

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617930#Comment_120617930

Got an email from HAP this evening about it

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617930#Comment_120617930

I got emails today it is a major relief.

Only a couple of weeks ago I got one of these threatening letters from HAP informing me that my/our tenant didn't pay the council contribution and the total next agreed rent payment due might be with held.

The chap had his hours cut and is trying to understand the system, in the mean time the RTB have kept him waiting over 6 months for a residents parking permit, no wonder people don't want the hassle of renting houses.

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618384#Comment_120618384

What have the RTB to do with parking permits?

sk8board

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618460#Comment_120618460

I doubt they want to publicise it - after all, they’ve just removed the only moral hazard on the tenant to pay anything at all

sk8board

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618452#Comment_120618452

Yes. I pasted the relevant part in the post above

d1980

Hi All

Can I check if the council will pay the full rent or guarantee the HAP portion. Tenant usually has a portion to pay the council and the HAP rent differential to the landlord. It reads as though the HAP portion is guaranteed, not the full rent?

Thanks

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618842#Comment_120618842

To have a residents parking permit the resident needs proof the landlord is registered with RTB, they say it takes 7 weeks from when they receive the cheque to process the registration. after 7 weeks I spoke with a staff member who confirmed she was looking at the cheque in front of her and would process the registration. Over 6 months have passed, the tenant rang last week to be told the registration has not been completed.

sk8board

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120619651#Comment_120619651

Good question - the email seems to refer to the ‘HAP payment’ continuing to the landlord, even if the ‘differential payment’ from the tenant stops - I take that to mean the HAP payment won’t change - in other words if you get the full rent from HAP, you’d continue to get it.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617930#Comment_120617930

12 months, but how many years will it take to remove them. They should be guaranteeing it until they are gone.