The Tenant Purchase Scheme was reviewed in line with Programme for Government and Housing for All commitments in 2021, with amendments to these criteria subsequently approved by Government. The new regulations were published on 11 January 2022 and will come into effect from 1 February 2022.
The scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. Applicants must meet certain criteria, including minimum reckonable income and minimum time in receipt of social housing supports, to be eligible.
The recent changes reduce the minimum reckonable income required from €15,000 to €12,500. This means older tenants, whose only income might be the contributory or non-contributory State pension, will be eligible to buy their homes if they have the financial means to do so. The time an applicant is required to be in receipt of social housing supports to be eligible under the scheme has also been revised, from one to ten years.