No properties in Leitrim available to rent under HAP limits, Simon Community

There are no properties available for rent in Leitrim within standard Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits, according to a recent study from the Simon Community published on Wednesday.

The Locked Out of the Market Report found Leitrim was one of 16 districts where there were no properties available under the HAP scheme.  

The HAP scheme is aimed at helping those who are in need of housing pay their rent by subsidising their rent via the local authorities and county councils of their area.

HAP recipients must source their own accommodation in the Private market, but the rent of the house must fall within HAP limits, which have long been criticised for being behind the rising rents.

For instance, the highest HAP band in Leitrim would see a couple or an adult with three children needing to find accommodation for €500 or less to qualify.

Meanwhile, the average rent in Leitrim, across all tenancy types, in 2025 was €849, according to the regional tenancy board.

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13 houses were available in Leitrim on Daft.ie at the time of publication, were between €900 and €2000 per month.

“For individuals and families outside the capital in particular, the prospect of finding a suitable and affordable home is becoming increasingly remote, with discretionary HAP rates still failing to keep pace with rising rents,” said Ber Grogan, Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland.

According to the report, there were no properties available within standard HAP limits in any of the 16 study areas. All 31 properties identified were available under higher discretionary HAP rates.

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Tanaiste Simon Harris told the Dáil on Wednesday that the government would be conducting a review of the HAP limits in the first half of this year.

The other districts where there were no HAP properties were Athlone, Cork City Centre, Galway City Suburbs, Galway City Centre, Co. Leitrim, Limerick City Suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Sligo Town, Portlaoise, and Waterford City Centre.