Rent Supplement for property owned by relative

[acacia]

My father is looking at buying an investment property to rent out as he feels that his money would be better off in bricks and mortar than in the bank.
He would like to rent it to me and my current housemate as he would rather have someone he knows in the property. My current lease is almost up and the property my father is interested in is on the same street.
However, I am on rent supplement so I am wondering if I would be able to claim it if this investment did go ahead and we moved into the house.
I saw the guidelines on the SW website and have asked my CWO, but she was quite vague and didn't say either yes or no.
It would be a bona fide tenancy and everything to do with tax, PRTB etc would all be above board. Obviously there wouldn't be a history of renting the property, although I would be sharing with a tenant who isn't a relative.
The way I see it, I have to live somewhere, while my father will have to rent this property...even to strangers if necessary. Does anyone have anymore information on this?

 

[Slim]

This is on the citizensinformation.ie site.
Renting from a parent: You cannot get Rent Supplement to help you pay rent to your parent if you are living in the family home. If your parent owns a second property, you will generally not get Rent Supplement to rent this property from them unless it is a bona fide tenancy and you are assessed as having a housing need. Your parent must also be able to prove that they have a history of renting this property.

 

[acacia]

This is on the citizensinformation.ie site.
Renting from a parent: You cannot get Rent Supplement to help you pay rent to your parent if you are living in the family home. If your parent owns a second property, you will generally not get Rent Supplement to rent this property from them unless it is a bona fide tenancy and you are assessed as having a housing need. Your parent must also be able to prove that they have a history of renting this property.

So, even if it's a bona fide tenancy, that doesn't matter is there is no history of renting the property?
Does anyone know if there is room for discretion on the rental history issue? I just think that it would be a bit silly for me to be paying rent to a stranger while some other stranger pays rent to my father, possibly in two houses that are a few doors apart!
How much of a rental history would the house need? If my father had to rent it out to someone else, how long would he have to do that for before I would be able to move in?
Also, do these rules apply just to parents, or to other family members that have property (eg renting of a sibling, aunt, cousin etc)?

 

[gipimann]

The reason the restriction exists is to prevent situations where a parent buys property on behalf of the child, and that the rent paid is more of a loan repayment, or where a parent funds a property so a son/daughter can move from home to avoid a means-test.

I'm not suggesting for a minute that either of these apply in your case.

There is no specific period of time that defines a "rental history", but at least one 6 or 12 month tenancy lease would probably be required.

It is a complicated situation, I suggest you ask the officer who deals with your current Rent Supplement to get a specific answer for you before you move.