The WRC ordered Aideen McCormack and Stephan Murray to pay tenant Michael McNamara €10,000 compensation after finding they discriminated against him by refusing to sign a Housing Assistance Payment form. The decision was dated 10 January 2022.
McNamara said he qualified for HAP in November 2017 and asked the landlords to sign the form. Instead, he said, he received a letter ending his tenancy followed by a proposed 48% rent increase. The landlords said they first received a form from him by email in April 2020 and attributed the delay to the pandemic and difficulty arranging an inspection.
The WRC found the landlords knew about the form from 2017 and that their reasons for denying access to HAP did not stand up. It found McNamara was treated less favourably than a tenant who did not need housing assistance. The €10,000 award reflected the effect of the discrimination, including that he fell into rent arrears while unable to use HAP.