Cost Rental Tenant in Situ Scheme

This scheme allows the Housing Agency to buy rental properties from private landlords who are selling, so the Housing Agency can continue to rent these properties to the tenants who are living there.

You can access the scheme if you are a private tenant who has received a valid notice of termination and you are at risk of homelessness because your landlord is selling.

If the Housing Agency buys your rented home from your landlord, the Housing Agency will become your landlord. They will work with independent organisations, such as approved housing bodies to manage and maintain these homes.

You will pay the same rent that you paid your previous landlord. However, it is intended that the scheme will move to a cost rental model in the future, where rents would be lower than market rents.

The government announced this scheme as part of measures intended to help people whose tenancies ended when the winter eviction ban ended. It began on 1 April 2023.

Separate scheme for people getting HAP or on RAS

There is a separate Tenant in Situ Scheme if you are getting the Housing Assistance Payment or are on the Rental Accommodation Scheme and have a landlord who is selling the home you are renting. With this scheme, the local authority can buy the home from the landlord and you can continue to rent it from the local authority. You should contact your local authority about this scheme.

You can access the scheme if you are a private tenant who has received a valid notice of termination because your landlord is selling and:

• You are unable to buy the property from your landlord or do not want to
• You are at risk of homelessness
• You have a long-term right to live in Ireland
• You are not getting social housing support, such as the Housing Assistance Payment or Rental Accommodation Scheme
• You do not own other residential property
• Your net household income is below €66,000 per annum for Dublin and €59,000 for everywhere else in the country. These income limits were increased from €53,000 nationwide on 1 August 2023. (Net income is the amount you are left with once income tax, Universal Social Charge, Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) and PRSI are deducted from your income.)

Contact your local authority to make an appointment with the Housing Officer. They will assess if you qualify for this scheme or for other housing supports.

When you meet the Housing Officer you should bring:

• Your valid notice of termination
• Proof of your household's income
• Evidence that you have a long-term right to live in Ireland

If you qualify for the Cost Rental Tenant in Situ Scheme, the local authority will give your information to the Housing Agency along with details about the rental property. The Housing Agency will work with you and your landlord to try and buy the property.

If you have questions about the scheme, you can contact the Housing Agency at tenantinsitu@housingagency.ie.

The Housing Agency also has information about the scheme on their website.