Cost Rental Calculator Ireland

Cost Rental is a rental tenure where the rent covers only the cost of building, financing, managing and maintaining the home, with no profit margin. That cost is amortised over a period of at least 40 years, and the resulting rent must be at least 25% below open market rent in the area. It was introduced by Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and is delivered by Approved Housing Bodies, local authorities and the Land Development Agency.

Net household income must not exceed EUR 66,000 where the home is in the administrative area of Dublin City Council, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal or South Dublin, and EUR 59,000 anywhere else in the State. These figures come from Regulation 10 of S.I. No. 755 of 2021 as substituted by S.I. No. 374 of 2023. Two points catch people out: the limit follows where the home is, not where you live now, and it is a single combined figure for the whole household, so it does not rise for a couple.

Regulation 11 of S.I. No. 755 of 2021 defines it as your assessable gross income less income tax, USC, PRSI and superannuation contributions. Pension contributions being deductible is the part most people miss, and it can be the difference between passing and failing the limit. The figure is the combined total for every prospective member of the household. Providers assess it from payslips and a statement of liability, so treat any estimate as a guide and check it against your actual documents.

You qualify if your net household income is below the limit for the area, you are not getting any social housing support including HAP or RAS, you do not own a home, your household size matches the size of the property advertised, and every member of the household is living in Ireland when you apply. Your household may only apply once for a specific property. Where applications exceed the homes available, tenants are selected by an independently verifiable lottery under Regulation 5.

It is a criterion, but not an absolute bar. The rent should be no more than 35% of your net household income, and if it is higher you must show the provider proof that you can afford to pay it. That differs from the income limit and the social housing support test, which are hard requirements. The 35% guideline does not appear in S.I. No. 755 of 2021 itself, it is applied by providers and set out in the published scheme guidance.

No. Receiving social housing support, including HAP or RAS, rules you out of Cost Rental, because section 35 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 provides that a cost rental tenancy is not social housing support. The two tenures are designed for different groups: social housing and HAP are means tested and you pay differential rent based on income, whereas Cost Rental charges everyone in a scheme the same rent regardless of income. If you are on a social housing list you would generally need to come off it to take a Cost Rental home.

Increases track inflation rather than the market. Section 33(1) of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 disapplies Part 3 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to the setting of rent in a cost rental tenancy, so the Rent Pressure Zone cap does not govern these homes. Reviews are instead linked to the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices published by the CSO. The rent cannot be reviewed in the first 12 months of the tenancy, and not more than once in any 12 month period after that.

Very secure by Irish standards. After the first 6 months the tenancy becomes a tenancy of unlimited duration under the Residential Tenancies Act, so there is no fixed end date and you can stay as long as you meet the terms of the tenancy. The home itself stays in Cost Rental use for the designated minimum period, and the cost that sets the rent is calculated over at least 40 years. You are not reassessed on income after you move in, so a pay rise does not put your tenancy at risk.

You apply to the provider running the scheme, not to a central portal. Vacancies must be advertised online for at least 7 days under Regulation 3, and applications are accepted during that window. You supply income documentation, and if applications exceed the homes available the provider must select by an independently verifiable lottery. Applications can be retained for up to 12 months to fill later vacancies in the same property. Homes are advertised on affordablehomes.ie and on the websites of the AHB, council or the Land Development Agency.

Recent payslips and a Revenue statement of liability for every working member of the household, so net income can be evidenced after tax, USC, PRSI and pension contributions. Proof of your current address and that all household members are living in Ireland. Confirmation that you are not receiving HAP, RAS or other social housing support, and that nobody in the household owns a residential property. Because the advertising window can be as short as 7 days and selection may be by lottery, having documents assembled in advance matters more than applying early.

It depends which test you fail. If your net income is above the limit, remember that pension contributions are deducted before the test, so increasing an AVC can bring you under it, and the limit is EUR 66,000 rather than EUR 59,000 if the home is in one of the four Dublin council areas. If you are receiving HAP or social housing support, Cost Rental is closed to you while that continues, and social housing or HAP may well be the better support for your circumstances. If the rent is above 35% of net income, you are not ruled out but you need evidence you can pay it. If you own a property, you are ineligible while you do. Affordable purchase may suit better if you are trying to buy.

Yes, it is free with no sign-up, and nothing you enter leaves your browser or is sent to any housing provider. It applies the income limits in S.I. No. 755 of 2021 as amended, deducts tax, USC, PRSI and pension contributions in line with Regulation 11, and uses 2026 Irish tax parameters: a EUR 44,000 standard rate cut-off, EUR 4,000 of personal and employee credits, PRSI at 4.2% and USC bands of 0.5%, 2%, 3% and 8%. The provider makes the binding assessment from your actual documents, so treat this as a guide before you apply.