HAP Scheme – Tenant Terms and Conditions

When you join the HAP scheme you sign a Rent Contribution Agreement. The Rent Contribution Agreement contains the terms and conditions of the HAP scheme. You agree to follow these terms and conditions when you sign the agreement.

The terms and conditions below are not the full and complete terms and conditions. For the full version of the terms and conditions please see your signed Rent Contribution Agreement.

It is important to know that HAP payments are made to your landlord by the HAP Shared Services Centre in Limerick, on behalf of your local authority. You also pay your weekly rent contribution to the HAP Shared Services Centre.

By receiving a payment from my local authority for my HAP tenancy:

Weekly rent

I agree to pay my weekly rent contribution to my local authority. My local authority will calculate my weekly rent contribution in accordance with their Differential Rent Scheme.

Changes to my weekly rent

I know that my local authority may, from time to time, change the amount of my weekly rent contribution if:

There is a change in my local authority’s Differential Rent Scheme
My household circumstances or income changes. For example, if my income rises, my weekly rent contribution may change

Proof of income

When asked, I will give my local authority proof of my income and my household’s income. I will provide any documents that my local authority needs to check my income. The local authority may check my income with other state bodies.

Change in income

If my income or my household’s income changes, I will let my local authority know. I understand that if I don’t do this, I may end up with substantial rent arrears which might lead to me losing my HAP support.

Stopping HAP payments

I know that my local authority can suspend or cease to make the HAP payment to my landlord on my behalf if any of the following occurs:

if I don’t give my local authority the information they need, for example information about people in my household or people who want to join my household; or
if I don’t pay my weekly rent contribution; or
if I engage in anti-social behaviour; or
if I move to a new home within 2 years of signing this agreement and seek HAP support for the new home, without the permission of my local authority;

If HAP payments are stopped

Once the local authority stop HAP payments, I will be responsible for paying all the rent owed to my landlord.

How to pay my weekly rent

I will pay my weekly rent contribution, including any increase caused by a change in my income or my household’s income, by one of the methods listed here .