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Rental Accommodation Scheme/Long Term Leasing
Rental Accommodation Scheme
The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is an initiative to cater for people who are in receipt of
Rent Supplement and approved for the Housing Waiting List with Galway County Council.
In the interest of good estate management, detailed and comprehensive background checks are carried out by the Council on all potential RAS tenants.
In order to apply, a Landlord must provide the following documentation:-
- • A Tax Clearance Certificate for yourself. It is advisable to contact the Revenue office to obtain a copy of same as it may take a number of weeks to issue a copy to you. Please forward a copy of the tax clearance certificate once received to the Housing department.
(Revenue Office Contact no: 091-547700 or www.revenue.ie)
(The name and address on the tax clearance must match the bank account the rent payments will
issue to. This will be the name and address that will appear on contracts and also.)
- • A Fire Safety Certificate where appropriate – applicable to apartments
- • A Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificate
- • The property must comply with the Housing (Standard for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 &
Amended Regulations 2009 and the relevant Planning & Building Regulations. It is the
responsibility of the landlord to maintain the property in accordance with these regulations at all
times.
- • Once approved the tenancy must be registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board
(PRTB Contact no: 01-6350600 or www.prtb.ie to obtain application)
Deposits and Damage to Property
No deposit is paid by the tenant to you, however in the event that damage is caused to the property above normal wear and tear, Galway County Council will guarantee the equivalent of up to one month's rent towards the cost of repair/replacement.
Contracts
The type of RAS contracts which we offer is:-
A tenancy-by-tenancy arrangement to meet a tenant's accommodation requirements. This remains in place for the duration of this specific tenancy and ceases if that tenant moves out.
The tenant will sign a residential tenancy agreement with you. The Local Authority will be party to this agreement as guarantor of the rent.
Contract Responsibilities
The form of the Contract entered into will set-out the general responsibilities of all three parties.
The key “landlord and tenant” relationship remains between you and the tenant. As such, you retain responsibility for, e.g.:
-Insurance: property, landlord's contents and public liability
-Routine Maintenance/ Repair and Replacement of equipment
-Dealing with breaches of the tenant's obligations
-Payment of the management company service charge (if any) and other charges such as the NPPR and the Household Charge and Septic Tank Charge if applicable.
Contracts are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.
¨ All dwellings must comply with Fire Safety Regulations. Apartments will be required to furnish a Fire Safety Certificate or a Statement confirming compliance with Fire Safety Regulations.
¨ From 1st January 2009, all new lettings must provide a Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificate. Further details can be obtained on www.sei.ie
FROM 2013, property tax applies to dwellings as set out by The Revenue Commissioners.
General Letter to Property Owners
(.doc, 76 kbs, Last Updated: Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:12:00 GMT)
Expressions of Interest
(.doc, 59 kbs, Last Updated: Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:18:00 GMT)
Opportunity for Property Owners to Lease/Rent Residential Properties
(pdf, 346 kbs, Last Updated: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:23:00 BST)
Submission Details for Leasing/Renting
(pdf, 298 kbs, Last Updated: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:25:00 BST)
NPPR and Household Charge
To each RAS Landlord/Agent,
Further to the Budget of 2012, I wish to advise you that The Non-Principal Private Residence charge introduced in the Local Governments (Charges) Act, 2009 originally excluded RAS and leased properties from this liability. However, the Local Government (Household Charge) Act, 2011 has amended the 2009 Act and these exclusions no longer apply. This means that owners of both RAS and leased properties are liable for the NPPR charge for 2012 onwards.
Household Charge
The new Household Charge which was introduced in the Local Government (Household Charge) Act, 2011 will also be a liability for owners of RAS properties. There is no exemption from this charge and the legislation is clear that the responsibility to pay is with the owner.
Both charges can be paid at your Local Authority Finance Section or online at www.nppr.ie and www.householdcharge.ie
Consequently on the liability date of the 31st March 2012 RAS properties will be liable for the NPPR charge. The annual charge is payable each year from 2012 onwards.
Payment should be undertaken between 1st April and the 30th June 2012 to avoid late monthly fees in addition to the annual charge.
Payment may be undertaken:
- By registration of the property or properties on line at www.nppr.ie this will allow for ease of the management of your account.
- By post using the Customer Registration Form (attached) and forwarding it directly together with the appropriate fee to the NPPR Bureau, PO Box 11654, Dublin 8.
(The inclusion of E-mail details on New Registration Forms is recommended to facilitate the issue of reminders to owners by the NPPR Bureau).
FROM 2013, property tax applies as set out by The Revenue Commissioners.
