The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. There are currently more than 21,500 households in receipt of HAP, including 7,000 households that were previously supported by Rent Supplement. There are currently more than 17,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the HAP scheme. More that 300 new households are being supported by HAP each week, with a similar number of landlords and agents providing the supported accommodation.
My Department does not hold information in relation to the length of individual tenancies or the reason for the termination of tenancies. HAP supported tenancies are agreed between the landlord and the tenant; the local authority is not a party to the tenancy and has no role in the agreement.
A landlord or an agent acting on behalf of a landlord is not legally obliged to enter into a tenancy agreement with a HAP recipient. However, since 1 January 2016, a person cannot be discriminated against when renting because they are in receipt of certain payments, which includes HAP, so landlords can no longer state when advertising accommodation that HAP is not accepted. If a person feels that they have been discriminated against by a landlord or their agent, they can make a complaint under the Equal Status Acts to the Workplace Relations Commission. Further information is available on the Commission's website, https://www.workplacerelations.ie .
