The apartments are being provided by Circle Voluntary Housing Association, an approved housing body, in the stunning Fontenoy Place development, at the southern end of Bray seafront.

Ranging from studio apartments to three-beds, the new homes occupy the building that was once the regular haunt of movie stars on location in Bray, the iconic Bray Head Hotel, which was revamped last year into a unique seafront development.

In the past, the hotel was the default bolt hole for film stars working at Ardmore Studios, including Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, with Vanessa Redgrave, John Hurt, Pierce Brosnan, Neil Jordan, Colin Farrell and Daniel Day-Lewis all said to have graced its corridors.

The prices when they came to the market reflected its status – one-bedrooms in the 49-home development started at €450,000 and penthouses soared to €975,000. The homes were designed to blend contemporary features mixed with historical charm, where many period details, such as the great Victorian staircase, were preserved in the original building, while the apartments in the new wing, to the rear, took advantage of views of the surrounding countryside, including Bray Head.

The cost-rental apartments are now being made available at a minimum 25pc below the market rents in the area, as follows:

  • Studio apartment: €1,339.50 per calendar month
  • One-bed apartment: € 1,339.50 per calendar month
  • Two-bed apartment: €1,672.91 per calendar month
  • Three-bed apartment: €1,717.50 per calendar month

The homes are supplied unfurnished with A2 air to water heating and water systems and white goods (fridge-freezer, dishwasher, oven & hob, microwave, washer-dryer). Roller blinds, with blackout blinds are included in the bedrooms, and there is quality flooring in all rooms.

The communal grounds to the front of the development will be landscaped and there are plans for a suitable investor to acquire a restaurant/bar/café on the ground floor.

Approved housing bodies are independent, not-for-profit organisations that receive state funding to acquire or build social homes in their communities. Since its foundation 15 years ago, Circle Voluntary Housing Association has accommodated people in homes mostly in the Greater Dublin Area.

Cost-rental schemes are aimed at those who are above the threshold for social housing but have difficulty affording private rented accommodation. The rent charged is based on the cost of building, managing, and maintaining the homes. This makes the rent cheaper than standard private rents.

To be eligible, your net annual household income must be below €66,000 for Dublin (€59,000 outside Dublin) and you cannot be in receipt of any social housing supports (including Rent Supplement or HAP). Among the other criteria for eligibility is that your household size is suitable for the size of the property advertised; so a family of two adults with two children must apply for a two-bed home, not a one-bed.

Affordability is a key criterion and is measured as rent being no more than 35pc of your net household income, and the application process is run on a lottery basis.

Applications close at 10am on Wednesday, October 1. Go to: circlevha.ie/cost-rental/bray-head