Your landlord and tenancy agreement
Your local authority is not your landlord. Your landlord is the person you make the rental agreement with.
Your local authority will make the HAP payment, on your behalf, when they receive a valid application form from you and your landlord. If you move into a property before this, you will have to pay any rent due yourself, directly to your landlord.
The HAP payment is subject to terms and conditions including rent limits.
You must pay your weekly rent contribution to your local authority or HAP payments to your landlord may be suspended and ultimately stopped.
You can find further information about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant on the Residential Tenancies Board website.