Accepting Rent Allowance

I'm going to rent out my property as I am moving to a different area. I've never done this before so have been reading through the forum and will register with the PRTB etc.

Just a question on rent allowance. I believe that the maximum rent allowance is €930, I am hoping to rent for about €1200. Is it legal for a tenant to "cover the difference" themselves? If someone asks me to accept rent allowance, can I do this and accept the extra money from them directly?

I just don't want to get caught out, but I also don't want to rule out potential tenants based on them receiving RA.

Thanks

BostonB

Might depend where you are. Some only pay part of the rent, not the full amount. TBH I don't really get the logic of this. How is someone with little or no money, so they qualify for RA, meant to pay the balance.

I don't know but I got a call yesterday from someone asking me to do it so I presume they'll have that figured out? Am in dun laoghaire rathdown area if that helps.

Doom

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm going to rent out my property as I am moving to a different area. I've never done this before so have been reading through the forum and will register with the PRTB etc.

Just a question on rent allowance. I believe that the maximum rent allowance is €930, I am hoping to rent for about €1200. Is it legal for a tenant to "cover the difference" themselves? If someone asks me to accept rent allowance, can I do this and accept the extra money from them directly?

I just don't want to get caught out, but I also don't want to rule out potential tenants based on them receiving RA.

Thanks

€ 930 is the max, but its does not mean tenant will get this much.
be wary, if one of them works ask for ref from their job, deposit up front, take down their car reg and see if its taxed and insured, might indicate type of person.

ted1

some times they have a partner who works and unoffically lives with them who makes up the balance. Some times they work cash in hand. Some times they get maintenance from baby daddy. Some times they get money from rich parents. See there is many ways for them to make up the balance.

delllat

Doom wrote: »

€ 930 is the max, but its does not mean tenant will get this much.
be wary, if one of them works ask for ref from their job, deposit up front, take down their car reg and see if its taxed and insured, might indicate type of person.

you might scare someone away if they come to rent a flat and you check if their car is taxed and insured :rolleyes:

Doom

delllat wrote: »

you might scare someone away if they come to rent a flat and you check if their car is taxed and insured :rolleyes:

Not really, while you are showing the house, get your friend/partner to stay outside and quickly look at their car windscreen details

crossmolinalad

Doom wrote: »

Not really, while you are showing the house, get your friend/partner to stay outside and quickly look at their car windscreen details

Who says its their car
When i came for my first house i had a car from a friend with me

delllat

the guards actively prosocute drivers who have no insurance or tax ,if people dont pay their rent nobody really cares except the landlord

the current system is completely inadequate for renting, a tenant can wreak as much havoc as they want and walk away without much fear of punishment

MistyCheese

ted1 wrote: »

some times they have a partner who works and unoffically lives with them who makes up the balance. Some times they work cash in hand. Some times they get maintenance from baby daddy. Some times they get money from rich parents. See there is many ways for them to make up the balance.

All possible. Other times someone will decide that having a good place to live with a decent landlord and in a nice area is important and have no problem budgeting a little bit extra from their income to secure this by sacrificing other luxuries.

Jo King

BostonB wrote: »

Might depend where you are. Some only pay part of the rent, not the full amount. TBH I don't really get the logic of this. How is someone with little or no money, so they qualify for RA, meant to pay the balance.

The logic of it is that the tenant should have a minimum amount of money left to live on after paying their rent. The rent allowance is capped so a tenant cannot live in accommodation which is more expensive, as in that situation he will not have enough left to live on.
A tenant on RA must pay a fixed amount, currently €28 for a single person toward their rent each week. Each RA area has its own limits on the amount of rent they will allow depending on local rents. A single tenant cannot pay more or less than the €28 euro so if the accommodation is more expensive than the limit they cannot live in it.
There are attempts by tenants to get around this in a variety of ways with the connivance of landlords. Getting the landlord to say the rent is more expensive, or less expensive, than it really is, is one ploy.

Jo King

Jo King wrote: »

There are attempts by tenants to get around this in a variety of ways with the connivance of landlords. Getting the landlord to say the rent is more expensive, or less expensive, than it really is, is one ploy.

So essentially I'm unlikely to be able to do this without breaking some sort of rules/law unless it is a family of three kids....I had a look today and it appears that a person with three children can get up to €1,100 so if they were to pay say €30 pw (for ease of calculating!!) they could rent to a maximum of €1,220 per month? or have I got that wrong?

Thanks

loyatemu

Deleted User wrote: »

So essentially I'm unlikely to be able to do this without breaking some sort of rules/law unless it is a family of three kids....I had a look today and it appears that a person with three children can get up to €1,100 so if they were to pay say €30 pw (for ease of calculating!!) they could rent to a maximum of €1,220 per month? or have I got that wrong?

afaik the €1,100 includes their contribution - that is the most their rent can be.

loyatemu

loyatemu wrote: »

afaik the €1,100 includes their contribution - that is the most their rent can be.

Thanks. That's that settled then!

Xiney

loyatemu wrote: »

afaik the €1,100 includes their contribution - that is the most their rent can be.

This is correct.

Allowing the tenants to make up the shortfall is not strictly within the rules of the RAS.

BostonB

Jo King wrote: »

The logic of it is that the tenant should have a minimum amount of money left to live on after paying their rent.....

That just puts enormous pressure on the whole thing IMO.