Cost rental or HAP: which one is for you?
Cost rental and HAP both help with rent, but they're for different people. Who each one is for, how the rent works, and whether you can switch.
Cost rental and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) both make renting more affordable, so they're easy to mix up. They're aimed at different households, and you can't use both at once.
The short version
- HAP is social housing support. It's for households that qualify for social housing from their local council.
- Cost rental is for working households that earn too much for social housing but struggle with market rents.
How HAP works
You apply to your local council and need to qualify for social housing support first, which includes an income test set by the council. You find a home in the private rental market, the council pays the landlord, and you pay the council a weekly contribution based on your income. Your council's housing department or Citizens Information has the details for your area.
How cost rental works
Cost rental homes are let at the cost of building and running them, usually well below market rent. You apply to each scheme directly, during its application window, and homes are given out by lottery.
To apply:
- your household's income after tax must be under €66,000 a year in Dublin, or €59,000 elsewhere
- the rent can't be more than 35% of that income
- you can't be getting social housing support such as HAP or Rent Supplement
- you can't own a home in Ireland or abroad
Check your income against open schemes.
Side by side
| HAP | Cost rental | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Households that qualify for social housing | Working households over the social housing limits |
| Who you rent from | A private landlord | The LDA or a housing body |
| What you pay | A contribution based on your income, paid to the council | A set rent, usually below market |
| How you get it | Through your local council | Apply to each scheme, then lottery |
Can you move from HAP to cost rental?
You can't be getting HAP when you take up a cost rental home, so moving means leaving HAP. If your income has risen, cost rental can be a step up: a long-term tenancy with rents tied to costs, not the market. Check the rules on the scheme's official listing before you apply, and talk to your council about your HAP tenancy.
See what's open
Every cost rental scheme open now, with rents, closing dates and the income each one needs. Or get a free email when one opens in your county.
