Cork City Council is urging landlords and letting agents to make properties available through the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), as the housing support programme helps keep households out of homelessness while providing participating property owners with longer-term rental arrangements.
The council said 42 households in Cork City have been prevented from entering homeless services through RAS so far this year, while almost 700 households are currently supported through the scheme.
The figures highlight the role the Rental Accommodation Scheme continues to play in Cork’s housing system at a time when securing suitable long-term accommodation remains a major challenge for households that need housing support.
For landlords, the council is presenting RAS as an alternative to the conventional private rental market, offering regular payments through the local authority and longer-term arrangements.
For tenants, the scheme can provide greater security and stability than repeatedly having to search for accommodation in a competitive rental market.
Cork City Council wants more landlords to join RAS
Cork City Council is now encouraging property owners and letting agents with suitable properties to contact its RAS section to find out more about participating in the scheme.
The Rental Accommodation Scheme has been designed to provide long-term accommodation for households who have been assessed as having a long-term housing need.
Under the arrangement, the local authority works with private property owners to provide accommodation for households receiving housing support.
For landlords considering whether to make a property available through the scheme, one of the main attractions is the prospect of a longer-term arrangement rather than having to repeatedly advertise a property and find new tenants.
The council says landlords can receive consistent and reliable rent payments through Cork City Council, while longer-term tenancies can reduce the amount of time a property sits vacant between occupants.
The council also manages tenant placement, meaning property owners do not have to carry the same advertising burden associated with finding tenants themselves.
For landlords already considering their options in Ireland’s changing rental market, the regulatory environment is also an important consideration. M10News has previously examined how landlords and tenants can resolve rental disputes through the RTB, including the role of mediation and adjudication.
What does the Rental Accommodation Scheme offer landlords?
Cork City Council says RAS can provide several advantages for property owners.
The council highlights regular rental payments, longer-term tenancy arrangements and reduced vacancy periods among the benefits of participating.
Payments can also continue during vacancy periods under the scheme, according to the council.
Another point highlighted by the local authority concerns mortgage interest. Property owners may be able to claim up to 100% relief on mortgage interest as an expense against rental income, subject to the relevant tax rules and the landlord’s individual circumstances.
That does not mean every landlord will automatically receive the same tax benefit, but it is one of the financial considerations the council is highlighting when encouraging property owners to consider RAS.
The combination of longer-term arrangements and council-managed tenant placement could also appeal to landlords who want a more predictable relationship with the local authority rather than managing every aspect of a private tenancy themselves.
Tenants gain greater housing security
The other side of the scheme is the stability it can provide to households.
For tenants, RAS provides access to secure, good-quality accommodation while allowing households to remain in their communities for longer.
That stability can be particularly important for people and families who might otherwise face uncertainty when a private tenancy ends or when suitable rental properties become difficult to find.
Longer-term accommodation can also give households greater certainty about where they will live and allow them to continue receiving the supports they need without repeatedly having to search for another home.
The significance of that stability is reflected in Cork City Council’s latest figures.
Forty-two households have been prevented from entering homeless services through RAS so far this year, according to the council.
Almost 700 households in Cork City are currently supported through the scheme.
Those figures show that RAS is not simply a mechanism for placing tenants in private rental properties. It is also being used as part of the council’s wider effort to prevent households from reaching the point where emergency homeless accommodation is required.
M10News has also been following the wider pressure on Ireland’s housing system, including the continuing difficulties faced by households trying to secure affordable and stable rental accommodation. Our coverage of Ireland’s rental market and why new tenants are facing the sharpest pressure provides further context on the pressures facing people entering the rental market.
Cork RAS scheme helps prevent homelessness
The 42 households prevented from entering homeless services are perhaps the clearest indication of the preventative role the scheme can play.
Once a household enters emergency accommodation, the housing challenge becomes considerably more difficult for both the family and the local authority.
Securing suitable long-term accommodation before that point can therefore reduce pressure on homeless services while giving households a more stable place to live.
For Cork City Council, expanding the supply of properties available through RAS provides another way of addressing that challenge.
The almost 700 households already supported through the scheme also demonstrate that the programme operates at a significant scale within Cork’s housing system.
The council’s appeal to landlords is therefore about increasing the number of properties available through an existing housing support rather than creating a completely new scheme.
Council says RAS can be a “win-win” for landlords and tenants
Martina Broderick, Acting Director of Housing at Cork City Council, said the scheme provides benefits to both sides of the rental relationship.
“The Rental Accommodation Scheme offers a win-win situation for both landlords and tenants.”
She said landlords can benefit from guaranteed, regular payments and long-term secure tenancies, while tenants receive greater stability and security.
Broderick also pointed to the number of households already being supported through RAS and the role it has played in preventing homelessness this year.
“With almost 700 households in Cork City currently supported through RAS, and 42 households prevented from entering homeless services already this year, the scheme continues to play a vital role in our housing system.”
She urged landlords with properties available to contact Cork City Council’s RAS section to find out more about the scheme.
Why Cork needs more long-term rental accommodation
The council’s call comes against the backdrop of a housing system where local authorities need access to a range of accommodation options to meet the needs of households requiring support.
Private landlords remain an important part of that system.
Schemes such as RAS allow local authorities to use accommodation in the private sector while providing participating landlords with a longer-term arrangement and tenants with greater housing security.
That makes the availability of suitable properties particularly important.
For households facing homelessness, the difference between finding a suitable home and remaining without stable accommodation can be significant.
The 42 households Cork City Council says have been prevented from entering homeless services through RAS this year demonstrate how securing accommodation earlier can make a practical difference.
At the same time, the almost 700 households currently supported through the scheme show how dependent the city’s housing response is on having enough suitable properties available.
Cork landlords encouraged to contact council
Cork City Council is now encouraging landlords and letting agents with suitable properties to consider making them available through the Rental Accommodation Scheme.
For property owners, the council is emphasising predictable payments, longer-term arrangements, reduced advertising responsibilities and the possibility of continued payments during vacancy periods.
For tenants, the focus is on secure accommodation and the stability that comes with having a longer-term home.
As Cork continues to deal with pressure on housing and homelessness services, the council’s latest appeal highlights the importance of cooperation between local authorities and private property owners.
With almost 700 households already supported through RAS and 42 households prevented from entering homeless services this year, Cork City Council is hoping more landlords will come forward and help expand the supply of accommodation available through the scheme.
Landlords and letting agents interested in participating are being encouraged to contact Cork City Council’s RAS Section directly for further information.
