No properties available within HAP limits in Athlone
There were no properties available within the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits in Athlone over a three-day study period earlier this year.
The March 2025 Locked Out of the Market report by the Simon Communities of Ireland found that an average of twelve properties were available to rent in Athlone each day during the study period.
However, none of the properties had rents within HAP limits for any of the household types studied.
Monthly rents in Athlone ranged from €700 - €1,000 for one bedrooms, €1,500 - €1,800 for two bedrooms, and €2,500 for three bedrooms.
Under the HAP scheme, the local authority pays the landlord each month and tenants pay a weekly rent contribution to the local authority. The tenancy must be within set HAP rent limits (the standard rate). Local authorities in this area have flexibility on a case-by-case basis to go up to 35% above the rent limits (discretionary rate).
Tenants can pay an additional payment directly to the landlord in cases where the rent is more than the HAP limits, but it must be approved by the local authority.
In Athlone, no property was available within either the standard or discretionary rate limit.
Nationally, the report found 1,119 properties available to rent within the 16 areas over the three dates surveyed. This is a nine per cent reduction from the 1,233 properties available in the December 2024 report, and a five per cent reduction from the 1,180 properties available in March 2024.
The report found 41 properties available to rent within HAP limits across the 16 geographical areas.
In 10 out of the 16 study areas, including Athlone, there were no properties available to rent through HAP in any household category.
This is a reduction of five properties (-11%) from the 46 properties available in the December 2024 report. Just 4% of all properties available to rent at the time of data collection were available within HAP limits.
The report focuses on four household categories: single person, couple, couple/one parent and one child and couple/one parent and two children.