Discounted rent faq

Clúid, the not-for-profit housing association, was selected by Google after a competitive tender process to lease and manage 46 private rental apartments. The homes are located in a renovated heritage building and a newly constructed building on Barrow Street, Dublin 4. These homes will be let to local key workers in the area for below-market rent.

The rents for Bolands Mills are:

• 2 bed apartments €1,710 (35 units)
• 3 bed apartment €1,850 (10 units)
• Large 3 bed apartment €2,100 (one unit)

One month’s rent minus €50

The homes are unfurnished; they will have flooring, blinds and white goods (fridge/freezer, dishwasher, oven and hob, microwave, washer/dryer)

There are no pets allowed in the Bolands Mills apartment complex.

This does not apply to Guide Dogs, Assistance Dogs or Therapy Dogs provided by an organisation who is a member of the International Guide Dog Federation or Assistance Dogs International or the relevant National Governing Body.

There are a limited number of car spaces, including two accessible parking bays. Residents can apply for access to one car space per apartment for an additional monthly fee of €100.

To be eligible, you need to be able to prove the following:

• You can afford to pay the rent. Rent cannot exceed 35% of household net income
• Maximum income – in households where only one adult is earning, net income must be below €68,000 for a two-bed home, below €74,000 for a three-bed home and below €84,000 for the large top-floor three-bed apartment.
• In households where more than one adult is earning, the maximum household income should be no more than €50,000 net income per individual, e.g. two adults should have a total net income of no more than €100,000.
• All non-family applicants over 18 years old must be a key worker
• Each key worker must have a genuine local need or connection to the area
• Your household size matches the size of the property advertised
• All members of the household must be living in Ireland at time of applying
• You can afford to pay the rent for the home
• You do not own a property
• Your household has only entered one application for each unit type

• In relation to minimum income, an applicant cannot be spending more than 35% of their net income on rent. For the two-bed homes, the household net income should be €58,630 per year, or €4,885 per month, or above. For the three-bed homes, the household net income should be €63,430 per year, or €5,285 per month, or above. For the large three-bed apartment, the net income should be €72,000 per year, or €6,000 per month, or above.
• The maximum income, in households where only one adult is earning, is €68,000 net household income for the two-bed home, €74,000 net household income for the three-bed home and €84,000 net household income for the large three-bed apartment.
• In households where more than one adult is earning, max net income per individual earner is €50,000.

It is widely accepted that less than 25%-35% of disposable income being spent on rent is affordable. We set our discounted rents at a level that is manageable and sustainable for a key worker household that currently finds it difficult to pay market rents, but at the same time is not eligible for social housing. This means that rent should be manageable for a household whose income is just above the maximum income limit for social housing, as well as for households on higher incomes.

Applicants will be assessed against an affordability test and maximum income threshold:

• Maximum income will vary according to the rent per apartment type (outlined below).
• Affordability is defined as prospective rental payments making up no more than 35% of the applicant’s net income.
• Where rental payments make up more than 35% of the applicant’s net income, Clúid may give the applicant the option to evidence that, based on the applicant’s current income, they have paid the same rent or higher, for the preceding two years, without defaulting.

Key Worker’ means an employee who provides a vital service for the local community and wider society, especially in areas (including but not limited to) of; public safety, healthcare, education, food supply, transport, law and order and infrastructure.

Put your application in and it will be assessed on its merits

“Local Need” has been defined as any person who has lived /is living in the Local Area for a minimum of 5 years OR any person whose grandparents/parents or children have been living in the Local Area for a minimum of five years OR any person whose primary occupation is within the Local Area – being able to demonstrate a genuine need to live in the Local Area.​ “Local Area” has been defined as within a 1.5 km radius of Bolands Mills, Barrow St, Dublin 4.

Put your application in and it will be assessed on its merits

Yes

Applications are assessed at point of entry. If, for example, after you’ve been allocated a property your household income increased above the income limits, or you changed jobs, you would still be entitled to continue renting the property provided you can afford the rent at max 35% of net income.

Rent is generally considered to be ‘affordable’ if it is no more than 35% of your net household income.

For the two-bed apartments, households should have a net income of at least €58,630 per year or €4,885 per month. For the three-bed apartments, households should have a net income of at least €63,430 per year or €5,285 per month. For the large three-bed apartments, households should have a net income of at least €72,000 per year of €6,000 per month.

When entering your income into the application, you must enter your weekly/monthly income without punctuation marks. For example, if your net monthly income is €4,000, you must enter it as 4000.

You can apply on the Clúid website and follow the instructions for Discounted Rent. The applications will be open for two weeks. This is the only method to apply – registration of interest cannot be made by post or over the phone.

Once you have selected the property that you are eligible for, you will need to enter your details into our self-service eligibility checker and register your interest.

Those who express an interest within the specified period and who meet the eligibility criteria will be considered on an equal basis for entry into a lottery that will determine the order of applications. The scheme is not open to Google, Clúid or Occu Living employees.

You should apply for the size property that matches your needs. We will seek not to under- or over-occupy properties. The household size must match the size of the property advertised as per the following:

Two-bed unit:

• Lone parent with 1 child
• Lone parent with 2 children
• Two single/non-cohabiting adults in a house share
• Cohabiting couple with 1 child
• Cohabiting couple with 2 children

Three-bed unit:

• Lone parent with 2 children
• Lone parent with 3 children
• Three single/non-cohabiting adults in a house share
• Cohabiting couple and two non-cohabiting adults in a house share
• Cohabiting couple with 2 children
• Cohabiting couple with 3 children
• Lone parent with one child and non-cohabiting adult / adult child (over 23)
• Lone parent with two children and non-cohabiting adult / adult child (over 23)
• Cohabiting couple with one child and non-cohabiting adult / adult child (over 23)

Large three-bed top floor unit:

• Lone parent with 2 children
• Lone parent with 3 children
• Lone parent with 4 children
• Three single/non-cohabiting adults in a house share
• Cohabiting couple and two non-cohabiting adults in a house share
• Cohabiting couple with 2 children
• Cohabiting couple with 3 children
• Cohabiting couple with 4 children
• Lone parent with one child and non-cohabiting adult / adult child (over 23)
• Lone parent with two children and non-cohabiting adult / adult child (over 23)
• Cohabiting couple with one child and non-cohabiting adult / adult child (over 23)
• Cohabiting couple with two children and non-cohabiting adult / adult child (over 23)

The following documents will need to be submitted;

• Proof of ID
• Proof of Address
• Proof of Residency
• Proof of Income
• Employer Reference
• Landlord Reference
• Bank Statements
• Proof of Local Need
• Supporting Letter of Key Worker status and local need, of less than 500 words

If a member of household is not receiving an income, they must provide proof of this. This can be done by providing a statement from social welfare showing no payments and a statement from revenue showing no employment. If a member of the household is over 18, however, in full time education, they must provide a letter from the college stating this.

Please have these documents ready when you register your interest. Once the lottery takes place, we will begin reviewing applications from the top of the list. If your application is successful, you will have 72 hours to upload your documents and complete the application process.

Net household income is calculated by adding together the net income for each household member aged 18 years and over. Net income means that income tax, universal social charge, PRSI and superannuation are deducted from the relevant gross assessable income.

Income that is assessable for the purposes of assessing eligibility for Discounted Rent housing:

• income from employment including overtime, bonuses and commissions. Overtime payments, commissions and bonuses will be assessable as follows:
  • overtime – generally restricted to a maximum of 10% of basic income, but regular overtime may be taken into account;
  • bonus – restricted to a maximum of 10% of basic income;
  • commission – restricted to a maximum of 30% of basic income, where applicable;
• income from self-employment;
• maintenance payments received, subject to criteria set out in the Guidance notes on the Household Means Policy of 30 March 2011
• income from dividends, capital investments and other similar sources of income;
• occupational and social welfare pensions, from whatever source, including from abroad,
• the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and
• all income from social insurance and social assistance payments, allowances, and benefits, including Family Income Supplement is assessable, with the exception of the below.

Income from the following sources shall, in all cases, be disregarded for the purposes of assessing income:

• child benefit or guardian’s payment;
• exceptional or urgent needs payments;
• carer’s allowance;
• scholarships or higher education grants;
• foster care payments;
• domiciliary care allowance;
• allowances/assistance from charities;
• fuel allowance;
• mobility allowance;
• living alone allowance;
• rent or mortgage interest supplements; and
• payments under FÁS schemes.

No, only one application per property type per household is permitted. Anyone applying multiple times, or members of the same household applying separately, will be disqualified from the lottery.

If we receive more eligible applicants than there are properties available, applicants will be selected via a lottery.

Applications will open on Wed, 19 February and close 5pm on 5th March. The lottery will be run on Thurs, 6th March. The first 46 applicants within the lottery will then be asked to provide supporting information within 72 hours.

The lottery will be run once the advertising of the properties has ceased. This is operated by an external agency with a full audit trail for transparency. The lottery will create at random a list of all applicants and we will approach applicants from the top of the list.

• Proof of ID (Current Valid Signed Passport/Current Valid Passport Card/Current Valid Travel Document/Current Valid EU/EEA Driving Licence – must contain photograph (Irish Learner Permit accepted)/Current EU National Identity Card)
• Proof of address (Utility Bill e.g. telephone, mobile, gas, electricity, heating, oil, waste collection (where a utility bill is a first bill, a second form of address verification is required)/Correspondence from a Regulated Financial Institution operating in the Republic of Ireland (Insurance / Assurance Co., Bank, Building Society, Credit Union, Credit Card Company)/Correspondence from a Government Department / Body)
• Proof of Residency in the Republic of Ireland. Documents that are eligible as proof of residence are as follows
  • Employment Details Summary (P60)
  • Statement of Payments/Benefits from Dept. of Social Protection
  • Tenancy agreement if you are renting
  • Bank statements for at least 3 months showing day-to-day transactions or Direct Debits for utility bills
  • An employment letter from your current employer, which includes your name, address and date you commenced work
• Proof of income / Key Worker status
  • If employed: Employment Details Summary (P60)
    • last three months’ payslips
    • End of Year Statement (P21)
  • If self-employed– a minimum of 1 year’s accounts, along with an up-to-date tax balancing statement and preliminary tax receipt.
• Social Welfare Income – documentary evidence of all social insurance and social assistance payments, allowances and pensions being received by members of the household. As income of household members over 18 is also included in the assessment for qualification, evidence of payments to these household members is also needed.
• Employer Reference, dated within the previous 6 weeks
• Landlord Reference, dated within the previous 6 weeks
• Bank Statements for the previous 6 months
• Proof of ‘Local Need’
• Supporting Letter of max 500 words outlining household makeup / relationship to other applicants on your application, Key Worker(s) status, and how the local need is met.

If a member of the household has no income, you must provide evidence of this, this can be done by providing a statement from social welfare showing no payments and a statement from revenue showing no employment. If a member of the household is over 18, however, in full time education, they must provide a letter from the college stating this.

The letter will not be scored. The information will simply be used to support your application and ensure eligibility.

In addition to documentation that evidences your criteria, you are asked to draft a short supporting letter (max 500 words) that outlines how you believe you meet the three key criterion for Bolands Mills; ‘Key Worker’, ‘Local Need’ and affordability. The cover letter is not ‘scored’ but helps to add some context for the assessor of your application. More details about the supporting letter are available below.

Your supporting letter should, in 500 words or less, outline (i) what you do for a living AND (ii) your connection to the local area (do/did you live there, do you work there, does your family reside there?). For example:

• “I’ve worked as a kitchen porter for five years in the National Maternity Hospital located on Holles Street, 1km from Bolands Mills (employer reference attached)”
• “I’m a garda in Tallaght Garda Station (employer reference attached). I was born and raised in Ringsend and attended St. Patrick’s Boys’ National School in Dublin 4, less than 1km from Bolands Mills (school report attached). I had to move away from my home as rents in the area are unaffordable. I’d like to move back to my community to be closer to my immediate family.”

Clúid has requested the supporting letter to ensure the assessor understand how your documents prove your eligibility e.g. that the utility bill you provided proves that you are resident in the area. The supporting letter is not a test of your writing ability. However, if your statement is unclear, an assessor may not be able to judge that you meet the eligibility criteria. You may get help from family or friends when writing your statement. Your statement can be as simple as: “I am a carer in a nursing home. My parents live in Macken Street, Dublin 2.”

If you live or work in the area your proof of address and/or your employer reference may already include evidence of your local need so you would simply upload that item again. Other items that would prove your Local Need could include: your school report and/or signed and stamped letter from your school if you attended a local school; a doctor’s letter if registered with a local GP; a proof of address from your parents/grandparents if they still live in the area; old bank statements, post office savings books, pay slips and/or tax documents from the period you lived in the area.

‘Key Worker’ means an employee who provides a vital service for the local community and wider society. A lot of people who create and run a business are employees of that business so business owners would still qualify. Your business would have to operate in the following areas (including but not limited to); public safety, healthcare, education, food supply, transport, law and order and infrastructure. A business owner would also need to meet the other criteria.

Put your application in and it will be assessed on its merits.

On the day the lottery is run, you will be notified if you have been successful or not

Yes, we will notify all applicants whether they are successful or not. As we work our way through applications, you may be contacted to upload your documents.

We do not have a waiting list. However, we will hold applicant details on file for 12 months. Should a home become available in that time, we will revert back to the randomised lottery list and will contact the next eligible applicant to supply their documents.

Successful applicants will receive their keys in April 2025. If there are any changes to the move in date e.g. if the apartments are available to move in sooner, we will contact the relevant applicants.

The first rent review for a tenancy can take place on the first anniversary of the tenancy (12 months after the date the tenancy commenced) and annually thereafter. When a tenancy is in place, a rent review cannot take place more than once every 12 months. If there is an increase, Clúid will provide residents with at least 90 days written notice before the new rent amount takes effect.

Regardless of the number of turnover of tenancies, the rent for these homes can only ever be increased in line with Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) limits and any other regulatory requirements.

Homes will be allocated to eligible applicants according to their place in the lottery. All applicants who meet the criteria (income, household size, key worker status, link to local area etc.) will have an equal chance in the lottery, and therefore an equal chance of being allocated one of the apartments in Bolands Mills.

Our collective aim is for this project at Bolands Mills quarter to support individuals and families that are Key Workers and have strong connections to the 1.5km radius of Bolands Mills. There is general agreement that there is a cohort of households who do not qualify for social housing support but who find it difficult to pay market rents in the private sector. This can be particularly challenging for lone parents and/or single earners. In the interest of fairness, we set a higher maximum level of income for a single earner as they must pay the full rent amount, as well as other living costs, on their one salary. Multi-occupants can combine their salaries and share the financial responsibilities of paying rent and other housing costs.

You are asked to provide a PPS for two main reasons. Firstly, it is unique to you and ensures that you have only entered one application for a specific property in this scheme. Secondly, it is also one method we use to confirm that you are living in Ireland at the time of applying.

For the purposes of ensuring the homes at Bolands Mills are not over- or under-occupied, Clúid is utilising Revenue’s definition of a cohabiting couple as two adults who are living together in a committed relationship. The cohabiting couple may be married to each other, or in a civil partnership, though this is not necessary. Clúid will not be requiring proof of relationship status.

“Family” is defined as immediate family i.e. the partner (if any) and children (if any) of such Key Worker and / or children (if any) of the partner of such Key Worker.

For non-cohabiting people / people applying for a house share who are not members of the immediate family, all applicants over 18 must demonstrate that they are a Key Worker with a Local Need.

Those who express an interest within a specified period, who meet the eligibility criteria, and who are selected via the lottery will be considered on an equal basis. The threshold for meeting the eligibility criteria will be determined by our assessing partner, Occu Living.

We may ask for additional information to assist with the assessment.

Keyholder is Clúid’s approved provider for processing rental enquiries and applications.

Occu living is Clúid’s approved provider to assess applications.