There are caps on the allowance payable, depending on the number of people in the household and in where they are living. Concern about landlords stipulating they will not consider letting to people on rent allowance has heightened in recent months as competition between prospective tenants sector has increased. Poorer households Housing organisations working with low-income households, such as Threshold and Focus Ireland , say that as rents have increased and rent allowance caps have not, more poorer households are being priced out of the private-rented market.
Simultaneously we trialled switching off the ability to search for properties that accept rent allowance. Thinking Anew. Please update your payment details to keep enjoying your Irish Times subscription. Kitty Holland. More from The Irish Times Environment. High Court. Rent benefit in the Netherlands huurtoeslag. Requirements for rent benefit huurtoeslag In order to qualify for the Dutch rent benefit, you and your fiscal partner need to meet the following conditions: You have a signed rental agreement with your landlord.
You live in a self-sufficient home with bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. You are registered at the same address. You are at least 18 years old. You have a valid residence permit. You don't have too much capital savings, shares, investments, see below. Restrictions huurtoeslag From January 1, , there are no more income limits.
Rent restriction You can't claim huurtoeslag if your rent is too high:. An overview of the social security and welfare system in the Netherlands. Learn about the Dutch tax benefits and allowances for expats and their partners.
How does the housing market in the Netherlands work? You can complain if you see adverts like these or if an agent refuses to deal with you because you're on benefits. No DSS policies and adverts are unlawful discrimination but you can still be asked to pass an affordability check. Find out how to challenge DSS discrimination with our template letter. Check your local housing allowance LHA rate so you can search for properties that are affordable. LHA rates are used to work out universal credit or housing benefit for private renters.
You may get less than your LHA rate if you're working. If you already pay a similar or higher rent to a private landlord whilst claiming benefits, provide bank statements and references to show a good history of rent payments. You may be asked to provide a guarantor for the tenancy.
Guarantors sign an agreement to cover costs if a tenant doesn't pay their rent or cover damage in the property. They are usually relatives or close friends. They may need to pass a credit or affordability check themselves. Guarantors are not a legal requirement and you may be able to persuade a landlord or agent that you don't need one if you've already shown you can afford the rent.
Find out more about guarantors for private renters. Some landlords feel unsure about letting to tenants claiming benefits because both universal credit and housing benefit are paid in arrears. You may be able to reassure them by offering enough rent in advance for the first 2 months of the tenancy.
This should cover the period while you're waiting for a benefit application or change to be processed. Once your benefit is processed you will usually get it on the same day each month so you may be able to set up a direct debit for future payments. Don't arrange a bank transfer until you're sure the tenancy is going ahead.
If you have to pay cash, always get a receipt. Find out more about paying rent in advance. You can apply for a DWP loan if you don't have rent in advance to offer.
The loans are interest free but there are limits on how much you can get and they must be paid back through deductions from future benefit payments. Many landlords and agents ask for a tenancy deposit. It must be protected in a scheme throughout the tenancy. You can't be asked to pay more than the equivalent of 5 weeks' rent as a deposit. You should get it back at the end of the tenancy, unless the landlord deducts money for things like damage or rent arrears.
If you can't afford a large up front deposit, there are alternatives. Some landlords or agents will use deposit replacement insurance. This is sometimes called a zero deposit option.
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