Maximise your chances of getting a Cost Rental home with rents at least 25% below the market rate
16 April 2025 – Clúid Housing, Ireland’s leading Approved Housing Body (AHB), is opening applications for 181 Cost Rental homes across the country. Here are some simple tips to increase you chance of securing one of these great value homes.
What is Cost Rental?
Cost Rental is a new, secure form of rental housing tenure in Ireland, designed for people whose income means they don’t qualify for social housing or other support, such as HAP, but who still struggle to rent on the open market. All Cost Rental homes have their rents set at a minimum level of 25% below the local market rents. The rents in Cost Rental homes are set to cover the cost of construction, maintenance, and operation of the development, ensuring long-term affordability for residents. In addition to the low cost to run these modern, A-rated homes, Cost Rental residents will also benefit from secure, life-long tenancies and high-quality, responsive management and maintenance.
Who can apply?
As this is a government-supported scheme, there are a number of criteria that applicants must meet to be eligible.
• Their net household income is below €66,000 per year in Dublin and €59,000 per year in the rest of the country
• They are not receiving any social housing supports, such as HAP or Rent Supplement
• They can afford the rent
• They don’t own a property
• The household is the correct size for the home
How do I apply?
Applications will be open for two weeks, from 9am on Wednesday 16 April, until 5pm on Wednesday 30 April. You must apply online, via the online portal. You can find a link, and more information, on www.cluid.ie/cost-rental. As part of your application, you will need to provide documentation that proves you are eligible for the Cost Rental home you are applying for. This includes proof of identification, bank statements for those over 18 years, and employer and landlord references. Details of the documents required are on the Clúid website.
How can I increase my chances of getting one of these homes?
Clúid expects interest in these homes to be high. To give everyone a fair chance, all eligible applicants will be entered into a lottery, and the homes will be allocated on this basis. You can improve your chances of success in a number of ways:
• Read the FAQs carefully – make sure you are applying for the type of home that suits your household. For example, Clúid won’t rent a two-bed home to a single applicant or a couple with three children.
• Check you can afford the rent – Clúid can only rent to households that can afford the rent. Clúid considers rent to be ‘affordable’ if it is less than 35% of your net household income. If the rent is more than this, Clúid may still consider your application if you can prove you have paid the same rent or more for two years without defaulting.
• Get your documents ready – in order to speed up the process of getting keys to their new residents, Clúid now requires you to upload all your supporting documents when you submit your application. Some documents – like employers’ references – might take a few days to organise, so get started on your application as soon as possible.
• Only submit one application per property type – Clúid can only accept one application per household per property type. However, you can apply for homes in multiple schemes, or different home types in the same scheme, if your household type is eligible (i.e. a couple with two children can apply for a two-bed or a three-bed home).
Where are the homes?
Applications are open for 181 homes in eight developments:
Stoneview, Walkinstown, Dublin 12
• 21 one-bed apartments – rent of €1,345 per month
• 77 two-bed apartments – rent of €1,625 per month
Newton Heights, Boherboy Road, Lotamore, Cork City
• 12 two-bed houses – rent of €1,206 per month
• 39 three-bed houses – rent of €1,407 per month
Airton Plaza, Tallaght, Dublin 22
• 19 one-bed apartments – rent of €1,400 per month
Woodstream, Ballis, Navan, Co. Meath
• 3 three-bed houses – rent of €1,374 per month
Lancaster Gate, Cork City
• 4 two-bed apartments – rent of €1,135 per month
Effernock, Trim, Co. Meath
• 3 three-bed houses – rent of €1,399 per month
The Paddocks, Newbridge, Co. Kildare
• 1 one-bed apartment – rent of €1,026 per month
• 1 three-bed apartment – rent of €1,397 per month
Taylor Hill Gardens, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
• 1 three-bed house – rent of €992 per month
Colin Byrne, Head of Affordable Rental, Clúid Housing, said: “We expect there will be a lot of interest in these Cost Rental homes, as they offer secure, long-term tenancies, in high-quality homes, for a fair rent. We’re urging interested applicants to give themselves the best possible chance at securing one of these homes, by reading the FAQs on the Clúid website and starting to gather their documents now. If applicants have any questions, our Housing Advisors are available to answer their queries by phone, email or webchat.”
ENDS
Notes to the Editor:
Fiona O’Connor – Communications & Engagement Manager – Clúid Housing
+353 87 113 5411 – foconnor@cluid.ie
About Clúid Housing
Clúid Housing is an independent, not-for-profit housing association, and is one of the largest approved housing bodies (AHBs) in Ireland. Established in 1994, Clúid leads the way in providing high quality, affordable rented homes to people in housing need. We work in partnership with local authorities to provide housing to those on social housing waiting lists. Clúid owns and manages over 12,000 properties providing a home to more than 31,000 people.
Clúid delivered 1,525 new social and Cost Rental homes in 2024 and plans to deliver over 1,000 new homes in 2025.
Clúid currently manages more than 1,000 Cost Rental homes across Ireland, with more scheduled for delivery in 2025.
Our team of over 300 highly qualified professional employees are committed to providing quality housing and services that enable people to create homes and thriving communities.
For more information visit www.cluid.ie