Information for local authority tenants

Rent 

Local authority tenants pay rent to their local authority. 

Rent is ‘differential rent’ which means the rent charged is in line with your household income. Rental rates are set by each local authority. 

Because your rent is linked to your household income, you must inform the local authority if your income changes. If you don’t inform your local authority straight away, backdating of rent may apply and you may fall into rent arrears. 

If you are having difficulty paying your rent, or you have fallen into arrears, contact your local authority as you may be able to work out a repayment plan. 

Further advice and support on managing money and debt is available through the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) at www.mabs.ie or 1890 283 438. 

If your rent is in arrears, you risk losing your home and you will not be able to access social housing in the future. 

Repair and maintenance 

Local authorities maintain and repair their social housing stock, including structural repairs. 

If your local authority home is in need of repair, you should contact the local authority who will come and inspect it to determine what works are required. They will then carry out or arrange any necessary repairs. 

Energy efficiency retrofit 

Local authorities may also carry out energy upgrade works to local authority homes such as cavity or external wall insulation, new windows and doors, central heating and attic insulation. These upgrades will mean your home is warmer and more efficient to heat. 

Works between tenancies 

Local authorities carry out works on homes between tenancies to ensure that they are ready for new tenants or upgraded to appropriate standard. 

Transfers

If you are a local authority tenant, you may be able to apply for a transfer to another property. You will need to contact your local authority housing department to apply. You may also be able to transfer to another local authority tenancy. 

Purchasing your local authority home

In certain circumstances, depending on eligibility and the type of property, local authority tenants may be able to purchase the property they are living in under a tenant purchase scheme. 

Buying a local authority house under the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme

If you are a local authority tenant living in a local authority house that is eligible for sale, you can apply to purchase it under the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme. 

You must have been in receipt of social housing support for at least 10 years and must have a minimum gross annual income of €12,500.

You will pay the market value of the house – less a discount. Depending on income, the discounts will vary between 40% and 60%.

The financing of the purchase is a matter for the tenant. However, you may qualify for a local authority home loan.

Incremental purchase charge

Your local authority will also place a charge on your house called an ‘incremental purchase charge’. This charge will be equal to the discount you get on the price of the house. The charge will remain in place for 20, 25 or 30 years (depending on the discount given). Each year, the local authority will reduce the charge by 2%. At the end of the 20, 25 or 30 years, the charge will be zero as long as you obey the terms and conditions of the scheme.

Rules of the agreement

You must live in the house as your normal place of residence and get agreement from your local authority if you want to sell, let or sub-let the house.

You will be able to resell your house if your local authority agrees. However, if you sell before the end of the 20, 25 or 30 years, you will have to pay back the value of the outstanding charge on your house to your local authority.

The local authority can refuse to sell the house in particular circumstances such as to tenants or household members involved in anti-social behaviour or with rent arrears.

The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, sets out the conditions for the sale of local authority houses. This was amended on 12 January 2022, Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2021.

To apply you should contact the housing section of your local authority for a Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme application form and submit it with required documentation to the local authority. 

Buying a local authority apartment under the Tenant Purchase of Apartments Scheme (TPAS)

The Tenant Purchase of Apartments Scheme (TPAS) allows you to purchase your local authority apartment, if your apartment complex has been set aside for sale to tenants by your local authority. 

An apartment complex must meet certain criteria to be set aside for tenant purchase. It must:

• Have at least 5 apartments (other than community apartments)
• Not contain retail units or apartments designed for older people
• Satisfy criteria set out in Section 51 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009
• At least 65% of the tenants must support the proposal that the complex is made available for tenant purchase. A tenant vote must be held to determine this.

When apartments are being sold in a designated complex, the local authority transfers ownership of the entire complex to an apartment owners’ management company. The management company immediately leases all the apartments back to the authority for continued letting to tenants, who will then have the option of buying them from the authority.

The sale of an apartment follows the same incremental purchase model as the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme. There are discounts of 40%, 50% or 60% off the purchase price, depending on household income. There is also an incremental purchase charge applied by the local authority, which reduces by a set amount each year.

Estate management 

Local authority estate management teams support and engage with tenants and tenant associations to try to improve estates and deal with issues including anti-social behaviour and crime. If you are having issues in your local authority housing, get in touch with the estate management team.