Your rights as a housing association tenant

Information

Your rights as a housing association tenant in Ireland are very similar to those of local authority tenants, with one major difference: as a housing association tenant, you do not have the right to buy your house from the housing association.

It is important to know that there are two types of housing association housing in Ireland, each funded under a different scheme: the Capital Assistance Scheme and the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme. Most people housed under the Capital Assistance Scheme are in housing for special groups such as older people or homeless people, whereas most people housed under the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme are families. Prospective tenants eligible under both schemes from the local authority waiting list. The difference is very important because it may affect your eligibility for different schemes. If you are not certain of your eligibility, you should check with your housing association.

If you want to know more about your security of tenure, that is, how easy it is for you to be evicted, you can read more information about notice to quit and eviction here.

If you are getting behind with your rent and you want to know what to do about it, you can read more information about rent arrears here.

If you are a joint tenant and your relationship with your joint tenant has ended and he/she has left, you can read more information about housing and relationship breakdown here.

If you want to know what you or the housing association can do about anti-social behaviour, you can read more about anti-social behaviour and housing here.

If you want to know more about passing on a tenancy if someone dies, you should to contact the housing association in question to establish its policy on this.

If you want to know who is responsible for different types of repair and the minimum physical standards you are entitled to, you can read more about repairs, maintenance and minimum physical standards here.

If you or someone you know has a physical or intellectual disability or mental health problems and your home requires alteration in order to make it suitable, you may be entitled to a Disabled Persons Housing Grant.

Help with buying your own home

As a housing association tenant, you may be entitled to one or more of a number of schemes that have been set up to help you buy your own home if you give up your housing association home. You may qualify for these schemes if you are housed under the Capital Assistance Scheme or the Capital loan and Subsidy scheme. You may qualify for the Shared Ownership Scheme, the Mortgage Allowance Scheme, a low cost housing site, a local authority mortgage, a local authority improvement loan or the Affordable Housing Scheme.

Help with moving into a relative's house

If you want to move into a house that is owned by a relative but you cannot because it is sub-standard or too small, you can find out more about improvement works in lieu of local authority housing here.