Cork City Council Tenant Transfer Requests

Tenants of Cork City Council properties may apply for consideration for a transfer to another City Council owned property, under the following circumstances:

Overcrowding - if the current property is overcrowded, which is defined by Section 63 of the Housing Act, 1966 so that a dwelling shall be deemed to be overcrowded at any time when the number of persons ordinarily sleeping in the dwelling and the number of rooms therein either:

(a) are such that any two of those persons, being persons of ten years of age or more of opposite sexes and not being persons living together as husband and wife, must sleep in the same room, or

(b) are such that the free air space in any room used as a sleeping apartment, for any person is less than four hundred cubic feet (the height of the room, if it exceeds eight feet, being taken to be eight feet, for the purposes of calculating free air space), and ‘overcrowding’ shall be construed accordingly.

You can download an Overcrowding Transfer Request Form below, or contact us at (021) 492 4000 to request the form to be posted to you.

Overcrowding Transfer Request

Downsizing - if the current property is being under-utilised (e.g. the tenant wishes to move to a smaller property as they no longer need all the bedrooms in their current home).

You can download a Downsizing Transfer Request Form below, or contact us at (021) 492 4000 to request the form to be posted to you.

Downsizing Transfer Request

Medical or compassionate reasons - transfers on medical grounds are assessed based on the extent to which the current accommodation meets any requirement arising from the enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment of a household member. When reviewing a transfer request on medical grounds, the Allocations Officer considers: 

• how severe the medical condition is;
• how the current housing situation is affecting the illness; and
• how a move to alternative accommodation will affect the illness. 

While we understand that many of our clients suffer from uncomfortable and/or debilitating illnesses, priority is based on housing need, not on the medical condition alone (i.e. it must be shown that the current housing conditions are having a significant effect on the medical or health problems). It does not mean that we have not accepted your medical condition if your request for a transfer is not granted.

The assessment process is necessary due to the shortage of available properties, to ensure that those most in need are given precedence for an offer of alternative accommodation.

Any tenant who wishes to be considered for a transfer due to a disability or medical grounds should complete a HMD-Form 1 which is available to download below, or you can contact us at (021) 492 4000 to request a from to be posted to you.

HMD-Form 1 Disability and/or Medical Information Form

Cork City Council will facilitate a transfer request if it is deemed valid and necessary based on the circumstances of the household. Prior to the approval of a request for a transfer in any of the above-mentioned circumstances, Cork City Council reserves the right to have the following requirements met by the tenant in respect of their existing tenancy:

• The tenant must have resided in the dwelling for a minimum period of two years prior to the transfer application being submitted;
• The tenant must have a clear rent account – any transfer request will include a review of rent arrears. Requests may still be approved if an agreement is in place and being adhered to by the tenant to address any such arrears over an agreed period of time;
• The tenant's dwelling must be maintained in a manner satisfactory to Cork City Council and this will be subject to an inspection by Cork City Council;
• The tenant must have complied with all the conditions of their existing Tenancy Agreement;
• The tenant and all other members of the household must have no record of anti-social behaviour.