Long term tenant

[Echelle15]

My husband inherited a small house in a provincal town about 15 years ago. The house has been rented to the same family since 1960 approx ( yes, 48 years).The rent has not been increased since the 1970s and is currently approx €45 ( forty five) per month.The house is now being lived in by a son of the original tenants. He is employed, single and aged approx.45.
I believe this house is outside the scope of the Private Tenancies Registration Board requirements, because of the long lease.
So what are the best means of going about getting an increase in rent?

 

[Ravima]

call on him, tell him that you intend increasing rent from some nominated date. Is there a lease in force? if so, it may deal with the query.

 

[DonKing]

I would suggest that you get legal advice from a good solicitor before you approach him.

You should make sure that your title is ok and that he hasn't gained some sort of squatters rights or similiar rights due to some old legislation covering absentee landlords etc.

I presume you haven't been maintaining the house etc if you didn't bother to follow up on realistic rent? Has he been maintaining/renovating the house himself? If he has could he now be looking for payment for this or claim that certain things such as kitchens/bathroom suites/fittings belong to him.

The couple of hundred you may spend with a solicitor for advice ensuring you have everything covered correctly could save you a packet in the long run

 

[Towger]

DonKing is right, it opens up allsorts of problems if you are not actively maintaining the property for that length of time. Also just to add from rusty memory, at this stage it may involve a process of going through the courts to get a rent increase.

Towger