Applying for Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)

Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. HAP is provided by your local authority.

If you are on HAP, your local authority pays your rent directly to your landlord, and you pay a weekly HAP rent contribution to your local authority based on your income and ability to pay.

You must find the rented accommodation yourself and the rent your landlord charges must be within the limits for your household type in your local authority’s area

For more information you can consult the national HAP website and information booklets below.

• National HAP Website
• HAP Tenant Booklet
• HAP Landlord Booklet
• HAP Information Leaflet
• HAP – Easy To Read Tenant Guidebook
• HAP Tenant Booklet (Gaeilge)
• HAP Landlord Booklet (Gaeilge)
• HAP Information Leaflet (Gaeilge)

The HAP rent payment for a given application is based on the area the property is in and number of people in a household. HAP payments are issued on a monthly basis.

The current base rates for HAP in the Dublin area are as follows:

Local authorities have discretionary flexibility to exceed the maximum rent limits based on the application type.

For Mainstream HAP applicants, this discretion is limited to 35% of the base rate.
For Homeless HAP applicants, this discretion is limited to 50% of the base rate.

The discretionary rate is applied on a case-by-case basis. The HAP payment issued on your behalf is not guaranteed to be the maximum rate.

For example:

• A single mother with 1 dependent child applying for Mainstream HAP would be eligible for up to €1250 + 35% = €1687.50.
• A couple with 3 dependent children applying for Homeless HAP would be eligible for up to €1300 + 50% = €1950.

* Under housing circular 29 of 2022 for new tenancies after 2022, the couple rates can be applied to a single person household. These ‘uplift’ rates may only have an additional 35% discretion applied.

Put simply, a single adult tenant applying for HAP for a property in the Dublin area may be eligible for up to:

• €500 + 35% = €675 when applying for shared accommodation.
• €990 + 35% = €1215 when applying for a stand-alone unit.

If the monthly rent agreement with your landlord is greater than the HAP contribution, you will be required to pay the difference to your landlord. This is called a top up.

Under the terms of the HAP scheme, you will be required to pay differential rent. More details on differential rent are discussed in the relevant FAQ.

The total rent you will be paying under HAP will be the differential rent owed to the council plus any top up owed to the landlord. For HAP to approve the application, your total rent cannot exceed 30% of your household’s income if you are only in receipt of social welfare payments. For households earning income from employment, this maximum can be slightly more.

Please note that your means to pay this top up are assessed with the application on a case by case basis. Only top ups approved by Dublin City Council must be paid by tenants. 

Where eligible applicants for HAP have found suitable accommodation in another local authority area an application can be considered under the Inter-Authority movement initiative.  Applications are subject to the housing list criteria of the local authority that the property is in. For further details, you can consult the local authority of the county the property is in.

For further information on the HAP base rates for each local authority please consult this table.

As per Section 39 (2)(e) of the Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2014 you must have a tenancy which is agreed in good faith with your landlord. Where there is a family relationship between the tenant and the landlord, the local authority may seek evidence of a previous landlord and tenant relationship. This evidence may include:

• Proof of consistent rent payments.
• A lease or tenancy agreement for the property.
• Registration of the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).

It is for the tenant and landlord to prove that what is being proposed is a bona fide tenancy. 

HAP cannot be paid where the tenant is seeking to rent within the family home.

A two year tenancy is preferable. Your tenancy will be covered under the terms of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. This means that the tenancy agreement is, or will be, between you and your landlord. It is important to note that Dublin City Council is not a party to the tenancy.

You can find further information about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant on the RTB website.

HAP can only help with the deposit under certain circumstances. Only tenants who are eligible for Homeless HAP can receive assistance for the security deposit.

Otherwise, the tenant is responsible for paying any security deposit a landlord may require. The local authority will not pay the security deposit for you. 

Should you have difficulty in paying the security deposit, you may qualify for an "Exceptional Needs Payment" from the Department of Social Protection.

Under the Equal Status Act 2000, landlords cannot discriminate against potential tenants on the following grounds: 

• Gender.
• Civil or family status.
• Sexual orientation.
• Religion.
• Age.
• Disability.
• Race.
• Membership of the Traveller Community.

Since 1st January 2016, you cannot be discriminated against when renting because you are in receipt of social housing support, which include HAP. Landlords can no longer state when advertising homes that HAP is not accepted. If you feel you have been discriminated against by a landlord or their agent, you can make a complaint under this act.

Yes, you can request a HAP application form by emailing [email protected].

For an application to be posted to you, you will need to confirm your current postal address and family size on your housing list. If the details differ with what is currently registered, you will need to update your housing application before it can be sent.

With the above said, applications through the online portal are designed to be efficient and accessible. A request for a physical HAP application in lieu of an online application will delay the HAP process.

This is technically possible, the application can be paired up in the HAP office. However, the online portal is designed to streamline the application process. It is recommended that an online application is fully completed for the process to be as smooth as possible for all parties involved.

No, it is not possible to do this. A landlord can only finish an online applications that a tenant has opened and submitted.

Once a full and complete application including correct supporting documentation is submitted, the HAP office will aim to have that application processed within 4 weeks.

Once a full and complete application including correct supporting documentation is submitted and received by the HAP section.

A member of the HAP team will contact the applicant tenant or landlord to request the missing items.

Dublin City Council will make monthly payments directly to your landlord via the payments office in Limerick Shared Services Centre. This payment is based on your family size but is also subject to further terms and conditions. HAP can only assist with deposits under certain circumstances.

If the monthly rent agreed with your landlord exceeds the maximum payable HAP rate, you must pay the difference (Top Up) directly to your landlord. The local authority has a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are sustainable and cannot provide HAP support where a household is unable to meet the monthly rent payment.

The earliest date from which the local authority will make HAP payments to you is the date your application is processed and deemed valid. An application is deemed valid after the completed HAP application form with all required documents is received, assessed, and validated by our team. If you move into a property before this validation date, you will be liable for any rent due.

Until your application is fully processed, you remain responsible for all payments to your landlord.

If your HAP application is successful, you will have to sign a Rent Contribution Agreement (RCA) with your local authority. Under this agreement your household will pay a rent contribution based on your household income. 

This differential rent is calculated in the same way as the rent paid by a tenant of a council property. The amount is determined by the differential rent scheme of the local authority that you are on the housing list with.

Below are links to the differential rent schemes of each local authority in Dublin.

• Dublin City Council Differential Rent Scheme 2019
• Fingal County Council Differential Rent Scheme 2013
• South Dublin County Council Differential Rent Scheme 2023

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Differential Rent Scheme

Dublin City Council does not process rent contribution payments.  All payments are managed by the HAP Shared Services Centre in Limerick City & County Council.

Following approval of your HAP application, your weekly rent contribution can be paid through:

• An Post (Household Budget Deduction).
• Bank Standing Order (Please use this Standing Order Form).

If your rent fails to be automatically deducted, please use one of the following methods:

• Download the HAP App (see our How To Guide here) to make a payment, view your account and download a statement (HAP Recipient and password required).
• Online using the Housing Assistance Payments Portal (HAP Recipient ID and password required).
• Phoning 061-529 654 (HAP Recipient ID and password required).
• HAP Bill Pay Card (issued within 10 days of start day) in any Post Office or any shop displaying the PostPoint sign to pay your weekly rent.

Please note you can generate and download your own HAP statement of account online at https://happayments.limerick.ie. This web facility can also be used to clear arrears or pay your HAP weekly rent online, if needed.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are paying the correct weekly rent contribution.

Before paying via an alternative payment method, please ensure your rent has not been automatically deducted from your bank or post office.

Dublin City Council does not process rent contribution payments.  All payments are managed by the HAP Shared Services Centre in Limerick City & County Council.

You must contact the HAP Shared Services Centre to make an arrangement to pay off any arrears over an agreed period.

Tel:  061 556600

Email: [email protected] 

For further advice on managing money and debt, contact the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) or phone them on 1890 283 438

If you fall into 3 weeks arrears you receive your 1st warning.

If you fall further into arrears both you and your landlord will receive the 2nd warning.

If you fall even further into arrears both you and your landlord will be notified that the HAP payment has been suspended.

Your HAP payment will only resume once all HAP rent arrears are cleared.

When you become a HAP tenant your housing need has been met and you will move from the social housing waiting list to the transfer waiting list. Your time to date on the social housing waiting list is not lost.  It will move to the transfer list and continue to build while you are on HAP.

Yes. Any HAP tenant who wants to access other social housing supports can do so through the social housing transfer waiting list operated by Dublin City Council. Once in receipt of HAP, you can apply to transfer from HAP to other forms of social housing support, such as local authority housing.  As a HAP tenant, your right to receive offers of social housing as they come up in your area of choice is not affected.

The accommodation must be inspected to be deemed in accordance with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.

Following the processing of your application, after a period of time the inspections unit of the local authority that the property resides in will arrange an inspection of the property with your landlord.

If you have a maintenance issue in your property, you must contact your landlord in the first instance. It is the responsibility of the landlord as owner of the property to carry out any repairs to the property. It is the responsibility of the tenant to maintain the property in a responsible manner and the landlord should be notified of any issues that may require attention.

Tenants have a right to raise disputes with their landlord. For more details, you can browse the RTB Dispute Resolution Services page.

When a tenant avails of the HAP scheme, they are expected to remain in the property for at least 2 years, so long as it is available.

If a tenant wishes to end a residential tenancy where there is a valid lease, this will only be facilitated/approved in exceptional circumstances.  A written request outlining the reason for the need to move must be emailed to [email protected] prior to moving.  Tenants are not permitted to move property without prior approval from Dublin City Council. Tenants who do so without permission may be suspended from receiving HAP and social housing support for 12 months.

If your household income has changed your differential rent must be reassessed. For our section to process this we must receive where applicable:

• Income from employment – the 3 most recent payslips for all earners.
• Income from social welfare – receipts from any social welfare payments.
• Income from voluntary maintenance payments – proof of these payments.
• Income from self-employment – a copy of your certified accounts.

If you have recently ceased employment you must also forward either:

• A letter from your employer that states the date you ceased working.

or 

• An employment cessation certificate from Revenue.ie.

These documents must be emailed to our amendments team at [email protected] where it will be reviewed and processed accordingly.

For changes to your family composition such as adding a child or a partner, you must first:

1. Add that family member to your social housing list.
2. Once done, you must email [email protected] to notify us of the change.

Our office will update your tenancy and will advise you of any changes.

If you are in receipt of Homeless HAP and are on the social housing list with Fingal, South Dublin or Dun Laoghaire County Council, you will need to also include in your email an updated Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) letter detailing your new family size. This can be requested from your local authority after your family member has been added.

Below are the contact details for each Dublin local authority’s housing list section.

Dublin City Council - Housing Allocations

Tel: 01 222 2201 (Mon – Fri, 10am – 4pm)

Website: Citizen Hub

Fingal County Council - General queries

Tel: 01 890 5000 (Mon – Fri, 9am – 4pm)

Website: Housing | Fingal County Council

South Dublin Council - Housing Allocations

Tel: 01 414 9090 (Mon – Fri, 9am – 4pm)

Website: Housing - SDCC

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council - Housing Allocations

Tel: 01 205 4828 (Mon – Fri, 10am – 4pm)

Website: Housing | Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

If your landlord wishes to increase the monthly rent they must first issue you with:

• A notice of rent review.
• A valid Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) calculation.

The rent review notice and RPZ calculation must follow the rules set by the RTB. One important rule is that the notice must give 90 days’ notice before the increase is to come into effect. Further information on these rules can be found on the rent review page of the RTB website.

When you receive these two documents you must email it to our amendments team at [email protected] where it will be reviewed and processed accordingly.

You must notify our section as to the date you signed for the council property. You can notify us with an email sent to [email protected].

You must also ensure that you give notice to your landlord as soon as possible. You can consult the RTB webpage on ending a tenancy for more details.

You must also ensure that your differential rent balance is clear.

The HAP section must be notified in advance of you leaving the property for the scheduled payments to be ceased on time. If your landlord is overpaid this will impede future housing support.

If your landlord has given you notice to leave the property, we require:

• A copy of the valid notice of termination.
• A letter from Threshold that confirms the notice is valid.

These can be sent by email to [email protected]. 

For a notice of termination to be valid, it must abide by the rules set by the RTB.

Further information on these rules can be found on the relevant article on the RTB website.

To have your notice of termination validated, you can contact Threshold through their website for free advice.

Once the HAP section has been notified and supplied the required documents, we will process the closure of your tenancy.

The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) Scheme is available for tenants facing the termination of their tenancy due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. For more details about the scheme, you can consult the Housing Agency’s CRTiS webpage.

You can query your eligibility for the scheme with your local authority via the following contact details.

Dublin City Council

Tel: 01 222 6676 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm) 

Email: [email protected] 

Fingal County Council 

Email: [email protected] 

South Dublin County Council

Email: [email protected] 

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council 

Email: [email protected] 

If the CRTiS Scheme is not available to you and the tenancy is due to end, you must follow the steps as outlined under the previous notice of termination FAQ.