Affordable Rent FAQ's

Affordable Rent is a new private rental option for Northern Ireland, offering quality homes to eligible lower and moderate income households with rents set at least 20% below local market rates. Successful tenants will benefit from greater security through longer tenancy terms of up to 5 years. 

Affordable rent is a form of private rent which is offered at a discount of at least 20% below private market rates and is available to lower and moderate income households who meet the eligibility criteria. Other forms of private rent often reflect the open market rate, with no cap on what a landlord can charge. 

Affordable Rent tenancies are a form of private rented tenancy. That means all of the rights and obligations in place in respect of any private tenancy apply to Affordable Rent tenancies. 

All affordable rents are set at a minimum of 20% below the market rents for similar property types in the area where the scheme is located. 

The deposit is the equivalent to one month’s rent. This can be paid in instalments over a period of up to six months in exceptional circumstances. 

Tenancies will be offered for up to five years, with an option to renew for a further 5 years. They are not lifelong tenancies but offer a longer-term housing option than most private rentals. 

 Yes, however written permission from Maple and May is required before keeping any pet at the property. A suitable pet insurance policy is required before your pet moves in. The policy needs to cover any damage your pet causes to the property, and Maple and May must be named on the policy as an interested party. You'll need to provide us with proof of the policy before we can give permission for your pet to live with you, and you'll need to keep that cover in place for as long as your pet remains in the property.  

The homes are unfurnished. However, they come fully decorated throughout, with floor coverings, blinds, and white goods. 

Yes, applications are open to any household that meets our eligibility, affordability, and occupancy criteria. 

We're planning to deliver 300 homes across Northern Ireland in several separate projects. The first new build homes launch summer 2026 in Dungannon, with further developments coming this financial year in Newry, Craigavon, Lisburn, and Derry-Londonderry. More locations are planned in future years. Keep an eye on our website, social media and newspapers for updates. 

ELIGIBILTY AND APPLICATION INFORMATION 

The homes will be advertised on the Maple and May website, Property Pal, Property News and local newspapers. 

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

Your annual net income includes earnings from employment (after tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions), plus any income from pensions, dividends, savings interest, benefits, and child maintenance received. Things like union fees, workplace memberships, childcare vouchers, or child maintenance you pay out are not deducted. The goal is to make sure all applicants' incomes can be fairly compared on the same basis. 

For income eligibility, PIP, DLA (including Mobility Allowance), and Attendance Allowance are excluded. These are non-means tested disability benefits, so they don't count toward the income threshold. That said, they can still be taken into account when assessing whether you can afford the rent, as they can be used to help cover housing costs. 

To qualify, your rent must not exceed 30% of your net household income. In exceptional cases, such as where you're already paying more than 30% of your income on rent, this can increase to up to 40%. You'll need to provide supporting documents to verify this, like recent bank statements or rent receipts covering at least 12 months. 

Use the rent to income calculation below to check your eligibility. 

You won't be eligible if any of the following apply: 

Yes. Affordable Rent may be the housing product for you. Being on the social housing waiting list won't affect your chances of getting a Maple and May affordable rent home, and it won't be taken into account when offers are made. 

If you do sign a tenancy with us and receive a social housing offer during that time, you'll still need to serve your full notice period as set out under the Private Tenancies Act NI 2022 before you can leave. 

Yes. The property needs to be the right size for your household, with enough bedrooms to avoid overcrowding but without leaving too many rooms unused. 

When assessing this, we'll take into account any expected changes to your household, whether that's an increase (like fostering or adoption) or a decrease (like a family member planning to move out). If you work from home, an additional room can be considered for that. 

One thing to note: properties can't be shared by three or more tenants from different households. Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) are not permitted. 

The quickest and easiest way to apply is online. You can apply through the Maple and May website, Property Pal, or Property News. Once you find a property you're eligible for, click the apply link and you'll be taken to our application portal. Fill in the form and upload your verification documents. If more than one person will be named on the tenancy, each person needs to complete their own form and submit their own documents. If you find it difficult to complete the application online or cannot access the internet, get in touch with us on 0300 111 2211 or email enquiries@mapleandmay.co.uk and we'll post you a paper form. You can send it back by post or drop it in at our office. 

No. Each household can only submit one application per property type, as long as they meet the required household size. If you submit more than one, you'll be disqualified. 

TENANT SELECTION PROCESS  

Our affordable rent homes are advertised for 14 days on our website, Property Pal and property news. During that time, you can submit your application. Once the advertising period closes, we check that you meet all the eligibility and affordability requirements and that you've submitted all the required documents. If you do, you're entered into a randomised selection process run by an independent external agency. The process is fully audited for transparency. The platform generates a random list of all eligible applicants, and we work through that list from the top. 

There is no waiting list, and applications can only be made once each scheme is advertised. 

If your name is chosen from the randomised list, you will receive correspondence from the affordable rent team. 

Yes. We'll let you know the outcome of your application either way once the randomised selection has been carried out.