J7 · 5 steps
I need help paying the rent
Arrears are the fastest route to losing a tenancy, because the process is short and the ground is simple. The supports are real but slow, so the order matters: the landlord first, in writing, then the payments you may be entitled to, then the free money advice. Five steps.
Checked 27 OCT 2026Say what has happened, what you can pay this month and when the rest will follow. A landlord who knows is less likely to serve a warning notice, and an adjudicator who sees the offer later takes it into account. The arrears planner draws the dates and a plan to offer.
HAP is paid by the local authority if you qualify for social housing support; Rent Supplement by the Department of Social Protection if you do not; the Additional Needs Payment covers a once-off shortfall. A landlord may not refuse you because of HAP.
The Money Advice and Budgeting Service is free and confidential: 0818 07 2000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm. They will build a budget, talk to creditors and tell you which payments to prioritise.
Up to €1,000 a year for a single person, €2,000 for a jointly assessed couple, for 2024, 2025 and 2026, and claimable for the current year now. A past year's credit arrives as a refund.
A landlord must serve a warning notice giving 28 days to pay everything owed before any termination notice for arrears. Paying in full inside those days ends the matter. The planner counts the days and shows the sequence that follows if it is not paid.
Questions people ask
Can the landlord refuse a payment plan?
Yes. The landlord does not have to accept anything less than the full rent. But the plan in writing, and the payments made under it, are what an adjudicator sees if a termination notice is later disputed.
I am on HAP and my rent has gone up. Who pays the increase?
The council pays up to the limit for your household, with discretion of up to 35%; anything above that is a top-up you pay the landlord directly. Ask the council for a review as soon as the rent changes, and check the increase against the cap first.
Will claiming the rent tax credit affect my HAP?
No. The credit is a tax credit, not an income. A HAP tenant can claim it on the rent they pay, including the top-up.