Affordable Rent
Enabling access to affordable quality homes across Northern Ireland
We believe Affordable Rent homes offer a practical response to real housing pressures in Northern Ireland. Whether you’re starting out, saving up, or just looking for a great place to live, Maple and May offer quality homes at rents that are genuinely affordable.
Maple & May is proud to bring this new housing initiative to Northern Ireland, offering quality homes at rents set at least 20% below local market rates.
These Affordable Rent homes will help those struggling with the cost of private rentals and others saving towards home ownership.
We are not simply introducing a new rental product. We are expanding opportunity, supporting aspiration and helping more people access a home they can afford — today and into the future.
As the first organisation to deliver this product in Northern Ireland, Maple & May Affordable Rent is setting a new benchmark for quality, stability and value in the private rental market.
How Do I Apply?
There are three main steps to apply under the Affordable Rent scheme. Select a step below and a panel will be displayed, providing more information.
Eligibility Criteria
Homes will be let to eligible households through a fair and transparent application process.
Eligible Applicants must meet all the following criteria:
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1. Tenancies will be available to eligible households, based on income ceilings of £30k net for a single adult, and £40k net for two or more adult households.
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2. The head of household must be aged 18 or over.
- 3. Applications may be made by: Single adult households, or Joint applicants who will occupy the property together.
- 4. Only one application can be made per household.
- 5. All applicants must intend to occupy the property as their sole or principal residence.
- 6. They must not have access to assets or property that could reasonably meet their housing needs.
- 7. The property applied for must be of appropriate size for the household. It must provide sufficient bedrooms to avoid overcrowding, however applicants won't be able to apply for a home that's larger than the household reasonably needs.
- 8. Applicants must pass credit and arrears checks and be able to afford to pay the rent for the home.
Applicants are assessed against all eligibility and affordability requirements.
Those who meet the criteria are entered into a random selection platform. Each household receives a single unweighted entry, so every applicant has an equal opportunity.
Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee an offer of tenancy.
Test Your Eligibility
Submit Your Application
Once you have checked that you meet the eligibility and affordability requirements you can complete the Application Form to apply.
Applications will be processed using a randomised selection system to ensure transparency, fairness and equal opportunity for all eligible applicants.
Applicants who are deemed eligible and who have submitted all the necessary verification documentation will be contacted by the Affordable Rent Officer.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The homes are unfurnished. However, they come fully decorated throughout, with floor coverings, blinds, and white goods.
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Yes, applications are open to any household that meets our eligibility, affordability, and occupancy criteria.
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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.
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Details on eligibility criteria are published on the Affordable Rent Page
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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.
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- - Employment income (including regular overtime and allowances).
- - Overtime – capped at 10% of basic income. Regular overtime may be considered in full where evidenced.
- - Bonus payments– Capped at 10% of basic income.
- - Commission – Capped at 30% of basic income.
- - Pension income from any source, including pensions received from outside the United Kingdom.
- - Income derived from savings or investments must be included in the income calculation - total household savings and capital must not exceed £30,000.
- - Scholarships or higher education grants.
- - Income from welfare benefits or other regular payments such as foster carers allowance.
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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.
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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.
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You won't be eligible if any of the following apply:
- - You provide false or misleading information.
- - Your household income is above the maximum threshold for your household type i.e. £30,000 net for a single adult household and £40,000 for a joint adult household.
- - Your household savings or investments exceed £30,000.
- - The head of household is under 18.
- - You don't have the legal right to enter into a private tenancy.
- - Three or more unrelated people are applying to share one property. Our homes aren't suitable for use as HMOs.
- - You own or have access to a property that could reasonably meet your housing needs.
- - You're applying for a second or non-principal home.
- - Your name is on a mortgage for a residential property where you could reasonably live.
- - You have a history of serious tenancy breaches or anti-social behaviour.
- - You have had rent arrears in the last 12 months.
- - The tenancy is assessed as unaffordable based on your ability to pay.
- - There's no reasonable evidence you can meet ongoing rental payments.
- - Your application is incomplete or required information isn't provided within the stated timeframes.
- - You have adverse credit history.
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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.
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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.
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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 via telephone at 028 9553 1002 and we'll post you a paper form. You can send it back by post or drop it in at our office.
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Required Quantity Examples of Acceptable Supporting Documentation Photo ID 1 Current Valid Signed Passport/ Current Valid Photographic Driving Licence/ Electoral Identity Card / Translink SmartPass Proof of address 2 Utility Bill issued within the last 3 months i.e. telephone, mobile, gas, electricity. Where a utility bill is a first bill, a second form of address verification is required. Current full or provisional photo card driving licence, benefit statement (issued in the last 3 months), P45 or P60 statement, Government issued correspondence i.e. Child Benefit letter, HMRC letter, Rates bill. Proof of income 1 Payslips (for the preceding three months), tax returns, benefit letters
If employed: Employment Details Summary (P60) and/or payslips for the preceding three months
If self-employed – a minimum of one year's bank accounts, along with an up-to-date tax balancing statement and preliminary tax receipt
Statement of Payments/Benefits documenting all assistance payments, allowances and pensions being received by members of the household. Benefit award letter (or screenshot of same)
* Only the income of those named as applicant and joint tenants on the Tenancy agreement will be considered as income for purposes of eligibility.
Bank Statement
1
Issued within the last 3 months
* When assessing bank statements where the purpose of the payment is not clear and where it is above £1000 additional information will be sought from the applicant.
Tenancy Agreement & Landlord Reference 1 Tenancy agreement if applicants are renting to include a landlord reference dated within the previous 6 weeks Completed Credit Check Undertaken as part of the application process -
Household Description Indicative No. of Bedrooms Single person or couple 1 or 2 Couple or single parent with one child, or two children both under the age of 10 2 Couple or single parent with two children, one under the age of 10 and one aged 10 or over 3 Family with up to four children all under the age of 10 3 Family with four children 3 or 4 Family with four adult children 4 or more -
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.
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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.
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There is no waiting list, and applications can only be made once each scheme is advertised.
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We'll let you know the outcome of your application either way once the randomised selection has been carried out.
Our Developments
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In Development
Crannog Drive, Dungannon
No. of Homes: 15 Type: Twelve 2-bedroom homes and three 3-bedroom homes. Estimated Release: July 2026
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In Development
St Clares, Newry
No. of Homes: 18 Type: Eighteen 2-bedroom apartments Estimated Release: February 2027
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In Development
Drumnagoon Gate, Craigavon
No of Homes: 25 Type: Ten 2-bedroom apartments and fifteen 3-bedroom houses Estimated Release: October 2026
