Damages to house as tenants vacate

I think you should just move on.
To be honest, there are many nightmare stories out there compared to which this is a good news story.
I would give back the deposit and be grateful for 12 years of relatively trouble free tenancy.
 
The new suit would still be 7 years now. White goods always have to be changed when they broke, that's standard and I assumed they left them. I see the door has much more of an issue as furniture have quite a limited lifespan, not composite doors.
 
@Broadcaster thanks for the update. Apologies if I interpreted your initial post being one of surprise of finding these issues for the first time after 12 years as an assumption on my part that you had not done frequent inspections and replacements of furniture/white goods as required.

You have a much stronger case to retain some of the deposit if you can say, in March 23 when I inspected my suite of furniture was here in good condition and is now missing. Please return it. On the dog damage to the door, if you allowed a dog under the tenancy and never objected to the dog if the tenancy did not allow pets then they do damage and ruin furniture and fittings. This is why many landlords do not allow pets, or charge extra for them.
 
You've probably saved yourself the cost of a skip for the old furniture. 100% the tenants should not have disposed of it but unintended consequences. Also is there any option to rent unfurnished? So many renters are older/families do likely to either have or want to buy their own things. And more likely to stay longer as its more hassle to move on. I'd prefer that as a landlord rather than having to maintain things or worry about wear and tear.
 
Thanks again for the replies. Always good to get range of views and take other opinions onboard.

As for allowing the dog, well we did agree given the length of time the tenant was in situ and without any issues. We thought it only fair to allow their children to have a pet. No regrets and we have to accept the damage. We will discuss the door damage with the tenant and perhaps come to some agreement on that. For the future, renting it out on a part furnished basis may be the answer.
 
misemoi said:
Does the op have to have tenants paying via HAP ? This is a choice isn't it ?
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You can't discriminate. Though if you advertise unfinished and it needed to be furnished for hap, it would not be discrimination I would think. You would just not offer a suitable service (ianal).
 
Does all of the above discussion re furniture lead one to believe that it is best to have a clause in lease that no furniture to be removed, be it damaged or not, until agreed by landlord?
 
Sue Ellen said:
Does all of the above discussion re furniture lead one to believe that it is best to have a clause in lease that no furniture to be removed, be it damaged or not, until agreed by landlord?
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I would agree with that. Though it's basic common sense/decency not to remove what is not yours without permission. This seems lost on some tenants.

As we are moving towards long term renting, unfurnished properties may become more plentiful. I am exiting rental but would jump at an unfurnished model. I am sitting on a twenty yr old sofa now but the same sofa most likely would be wrecked inside 7 in a rental. One month deposit is just not enough security to cover damage to fixture and fittings..
 
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Extract from one of the tenancy agreement templates etc

If damage is caused beyond normal wear and tear, the tenant must restore the property to the condition it was in at the commencement of the tenancy. Alternatively, the tenant must pay the landlord reasonable costs of doing this.

The landlord may retain part or all of the deposit to cover .. restoring the property to the condition it was in at the commencement of the tenancy with the exception of any deterioration caused by normal wear and tear.

‘Additional terms’ can be specified in the tenancy agreement ... Landlords are still allowed to refuse pets in Ireland.
 
I own a house in Ireland but live abroad

My mother rented the house out and after expenses and taxes kept the profit..this was agreed by both of us as I didn't want the hazzle of renting and would have the house one day if I returned to Ireland.

From mid 2016 to end of 2023 she rented to one person. She was registered with RTB for this tenancy

However she gave the guy a very good deal of almost half the market value

The rent was not put up in the 7.5 years he lived at the property

. The guy gave her a full months deposit which is on the RTB board registration. However she kept no other documentation , no lease agreement , no receipts of the deposit only the RTB registration exists



Queue the problem

He left the property at the end of Dec 2023 and she has not returned his deposit . He is calling me threathening me with RTB unless his deposit is returned. I have urged my mother to just give it to him and have done with him

But part of her agreement with him was he got the house for very low rent if he maintained the property and left it as he got it. She also asked him to forward mail from the property as she lives 40 miles away. This was verbally agreed

She verbally agreed with him that he was the sole occupant and no pets were allowed but during the tenacy he initally sublet one room for about 6 months to some man, he then moved his girfriend in about 4 years ago. He also kept a dog. My mother also provided him with a new garden shed to work in that cost about 1000 euros, new applicance when he requested, etc. She very rarely visited the property but she trusted him to keep to their agreement. He didn't forward important mail as agreed . She had a frienddship type realtionship with him. I told her numerous times that she needed to enforce agreements, keep documentation and raise the rent but she didnt. (The housee is now in a RCZ but the rent is so low it is almost not worth renting it and I can only put it up 2%)

Anyway I have taken over now from afar and when I assess the house it looks like he didnt keep it well. he didnt for instance open the windows ever in the bedrooms and they rusted shut and there was mould on the walls which I got treated . He left behind rotting wood blockes in the yard that i had to pay to have removed. He left behind an old TV that I have to get rid of also ( I live abroad). He didnt give any real notice about moving out. He said he was going in a short time but stayed longer. He even took his final electric meter reading about 3 weeks before he left…I knew nothing of all of this until after the fact as I wasnt involved

I dont want to be in a dispute with him and if up to me would give him the deposit …But I dont have his deposit and I am not paying out of my pocket. I am caught in the middle

Anyway I want some advice on what we could legitmally keep back on the deposit. My mother is taking it all personally and feels taken advantage of as she gave him such a good deal and now feels like a fool. If she could keep back some of the deposit she might feel less of a fool ? I have had only phone interaction with him and I agree that he did not hold up his side of the bargain as she says they agreed

But we are where we are and my name is on the RTB tenancy as I am the owner and I need a solution

What will the RTB say I wonder ? Could we take money off the deposit for the issues I highlighted above ? What can we prove without written documentation. How strong is his case for a full return of his deposit with RTB ?

How's about his girlfreind living there and the dog ? As there is no lease what about this issue ? Is it too late to present these issues to RTB if he reports us to them? My mother didnt take any action at the time they first came to her attention

I suggest my mother keep back maybe 200 euros and have done with him but he wants the whole amount back

Any advice to solve the issue asap or any information on an experience like this would be gratefully received ..thanks
 
Write to him and tell him that you are keeping his deposit because

  • The windows were rusted shut
  • You had to pay to remove timber blocks
  • He failed to give notice
  • He left an unpaid electricity bill

If he complains to the RTB tell them the same thing.

See what happens. The rest is just talk and feelings.
 
Dr Strangelove said:
No you’re not. You’re his landlord.

Pay the deposit and move on with your life.
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did you even read my post ...I never received a deposit nor the income ...why must people on here be so obtuse

I guess I should have known better than to have written on here looking for advice not flippant remarks
 
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