Laois County Council may lease properties in good condition from property owners for long term social housing.
This scheme is broadly similar to the Rental Accommodation Scheme in that it allows the council to lease properties from the private sector which can be used to accommodate households from our housing waiting lists however households do not have to have been in receipt of Rent Supplement in order to be eligible for consideration.
Under the scheme, we negotiate availability contracts with landlords for the use of their properties for medium to long term use whereby the Council to provide accommodation.
Similar to the RAS scheme this offers advantages for the Council, the Landlord and the Tenant – see details within RAS Scheme.
Properties must be of good quality and can be new or previously occupied. Each local authority and approved housing body will also assess the suitability of properties proposed with reference to the housing needs that have been identified for that area.
In return, the local authority or approved housing body will enter into a legal arrangement with the owner for the use of the property for an agreed term and guarantee rent payments for the term of the lease.
If you are already a tenant in a private property, have been approved onto our housing waiting list or think you may be eligible for approval onto the housing list you should discuss this scheme with your landlord who if interested should contact us –see further information below.
Properties sourced and leased under the lease scheme will be allocated to applicants from the Housing waiting list in accordance with the existing Laois County Council housing allocation scheme.
Local authorities and approved housing bodies are available to discuss proposals with owners of all types of properties who are interested in making properties available. The Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency (Housing Agency) is also available as a central contact point for enquires.
If you have a residential property and would be interested in leasing it for *10 years or more, you can:
*Shorter term ‘availability agreements’ are an option for property owners who want to enter into an agreement to make their property exclusively available to the local authority for an agreed period. With this agreement, the property owner becomes the landlord to the tenant allocated by the local authority and is responsible for all management and maintenance issues except rent collection.