# Neighbours complaint re tenants



## Claricias (10 Sep 2012)

I let out my house about 7 weeks ago and today received a complaint from one of the neighbours about them. 

She rang on a private number and wouldn't give me her name. She didn't say where she got my number or where she lived on the road. I lived in the house for 3 years and certainly don't know her. She more or less ranted at me, didn't engage in a 'conversation' and while I said that I would certainly address her complaints with the tenants I would like if she could show me some proof it's them. 

She claimed that hung a duvet and a pillow out the window of the house. While I agree it doesn't look great, what law are they breaking?
That they had a party at 10am? 
That they come and go at all hours and have friends living up the road.
That the dog is constantly barking - 'and they better have a licence for it' 
They are constantly making loud noise and she's not the only neighbour who complains. There's nurses up the road and they can't sleep. (which leads me to believe if there's noise it's during the day)
She also said that none of them work, that the house is being paid for by social welfare. This is untrue as they do work, the rent is not coming from social welfare at all. Not that it matters.

Firstly I don't want to dismiss her complaints completely. She did sound like a complaining old granny but they are young enough guys so they could be disturbing her unbeknownst to them. The guy that signed the lease is a really well mannered guy, very pleasant to deal with. Where I would say she would find fault is that he has tattoos and the 3/4 times I have met with him he has been wearing shorts and t-shirts and they are in full view.
They could well be playing loud music, I have to find this out from them though.

The dog. When I called to the house to collect rent a few weeks back I met the dog, he barked when I called to the door and was extremely friendly when the door was opened, and stopped barking. He looks like a staffie cross but she said 'it's a bulldog' so she seems has a preconception regarding the dog too. When I was there I saw a muzzle on the hall table so it seems they are adhering to restricted breed legislation if falls under it.

I know the neighbours on both sides and it's none of them. Or directly across the road. The next door neighbours are renting also and their dog (a little pomeranian) barks all afternoon in the garden! I don't know whether the two dogs are winding each other up or she's just hearing the pom barking and putting 2+2 together. 

I don't want to lose my tenants over what may be something over nothing. There are some 'nosy old biddies' on the road who stand outside complaining if the grass hasn't been cut etc. I was accosted coming home one day by one of them when I had been away for a couple of days and the alarm had gone off in high winds (understandable but beyond my control) and again by somebody who is not one of the immediate neighbours but seems to be from one block down.


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## Knuttell (10 Sep 2012)

People generally do not go to the trouble of finding a landlords number and ringing them for a laugh,its easier to dismiss her as a nosy neighbour than to believe your bulldog? owning tattooed tenants would ever misbehave?

Have you talked to your former neighbours either side to seek their opinion if they are misbehaving? Probably the easiest option.

Regardless you really need to keep an eye on these tenants,its in your interest both that your property is maintained and that your former neighbours do not end up dragging you to the PRTB.


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## Claricias (10 Sep 2012)

I do intend to talk to the tenants. When I was there 2 weeks ago the house was pristine, the dog barked when I knocked on the door, it was not barking 'all day' as she had suggested. I can be in the area tomorrow and do a 'drive by' rather than an inspection and I'll be back to collect rent in 10 days. 

I didn't like how the neighbour wouldn't converse with me, not give me her name, not tell me how she got my number and assumed that the tenants were on social welfare and also threatened them with the dog warden.  

One thing I didn't mention in my previous post was that the tenants are Polish. It doesn't bother me in the slightest, but it may bother some of the residents. ie the older ones who stereotype people and may not like 'blow ins' particularly the foreign type. I may see can I contact my direct neighbour and see what he says. He has my number but I know that he wouldn't give it out at to anybody without my permission, he would contact me first. I have a feeling that my number was gotten from a neighbour across the road who is an aunt of a girl who used to rent a room from me when I lived there.


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## alexandra123 (10 Sep 2012)

I suggest you sit outside the house for a couple of hours during the day and night over 4-5 different days and times. If you don't see anything unusual then when the person rings back to re-complain - accost them on your findings.


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## truthseeker (10 Sep 2012)

How do you know that what she is saying isnt true?

Of course the guy who signed the lease was well mannered! It would be naive of you to think that someone cant behave well while signing a lease and then badly in other circumstances!

How do you know the dog is not barking and annoying people during the day or the night?

How do you know there isnt constant loud noise?

The neighbour didnt let you know who she was because she was probably afraid that you might tell them who complained - thats totally understandable.

Ive had problems with lovely posh young ladies in an apartment next to mine who had drug fuelled parties all day and all night and had numerous friends over at all hours - the noise was constant and disgraceful. The letting agent absolutely refused to believe they were a problem as they were 'such nice young girls to deal with'.

Id suggest that you at least investigate before writing this off as some complaining neighbour. And why not call the neighbours you do know and ask them if there have been problems?


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## Claricias (10 Sep 2012)

truthseeker said:


> How do you know that what she is saying isnt true?



I don't, but if it were me who was complaining I would start off by apologising to the landlord for having to contact them, stating who I was, how I got their number and tell them of the complaint. Not jump to conclusions on how the rent may be paid and give out because I heard a 'party' at 10 in the morning. 



> Of course the guy who signed the lease was well mannered! It would be naive of you to think that someone cant behave well while signing a lease and then badly in other circumstances!



Not just on signing the lease, any dealings I have had have been absolutely above board. Rent on time, reference check was 100%. 



> How do you know the dog is not barking and annoying people during the day or the night?



I don't, I need to ascertain that. But when I called to the house the last time the dog barked when I knocked on the door, he wasn't barking beforehand. He stopped when the door was opened. I do know for a fact that the dog next door barks constantly even though I have never complained (I just used to close the window)



> How do you know there isnt constant loud noise?


I don't, I'll have to check it out.



> The neighbour didnt let you know who she was because she was probably afraid that you might tell them who complained - thats totally understandable.



Understandable but her manner was completely confrontational, not how you go about complaining to somebody who can help resolve a problem. As I've said before I've been confronted by somebody that doesn't even live on my block over an alarm that was set off in high winds. (it could well be the same person) Some people just like appointing themselves neighbourhood watch and enjoy giving out.



> Ive had problems with lovely posh young ladies in an apartment next to mine who had drug fuelled parties all day and all night and had numerous friends over at all hours - the noise was constant and disgraceful. The letting agent absolutely refused to believe they were a problem as they were 'such nice young girls to deal with'.



I've had problems myself with neighbours but I'm polite and ask for a bit of understanding at the outset rather than being confrontational at the get go.



> Id suggest that you at least investigate before writing this off as some complaining neighbour. And why not call the neighbours you do know and ask them if there have been problems?



I intend to contact the neighbours I do know, and I intend to have a word with the tenants, ask if there have been any run ins with other neighbours, no matter how small they may think it might be, it could be annoying others. People can rub off each other for no good reason.


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## Knuttell (10 Sep 2012)

Claricias said:


> I don't, but if it were me who was complaining I would start off by apologising to the landlord for having to contact them



Why on earth would you expect the caller to apologise for having to go to the trouble to ring you about your possibly troublesome tenants,the apology business usually works the other way round in my experience.


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## WorkingClass (10 Sep 2012)

Most people would not go to the trouble of tracking you down unless there is a real issue, so it's worth investigating. 

If you lived in the house for three years surely you know someone on the road who you can ask for an opinion of the situation. Make sure it's someone who will tell you the truth and not tell you want you want to hear.

I would point out that you are on pretty shaky legal ground right now because someone has now contacted you with a complaint. As a landlord you are legally responsible for the property and what goes on there.

If the complaint is well founded, the individual who rang you can bring you to the district court over it within a matter of weeks if she takes legal advice. The PRTB is a joke as any decent solicitor will tell you it's much quicker to take a legal case directly against the landlord.

If she has your phone number, she can probably locate your current address and that's all she needs to issue a summons and bring you to court. All she needs is a few recordings of blaring music or other general anti-social behaviour and maybe one other person on the road to back up the story. 

A few years ago I ended up bringing the owner of a house in my estate to court because he didn't want to deal with his unruly tenants who liked to wake up my kids at night with blaring music. 

He ended up selling the house and having to pay all the legal fees on both sides by the time it was all over. This is the kind of situation you really don't want to end up in.


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## kickstart (10 Sep 2012)

Even though the complaint wasn't made very graciously, you should pay some attention to it, and do basic investigation of the parts of it that make you feel concerned.



Claricias said:


> She claimed that hung a duvet and a pillow out the window of the house. While I agree it doesn't look great, what law are they breaking?



None. Ignore it.



Claricias said:


> That they had a party at 10am?



On the face of it, this sounds unreasonable, but in reality, they made the loud noise during a part of the day when most people feel free to make other noise (house reconstruction etc).



Claricias said:


> That they come and go at all hours and have friends living up the road.



I can't quite make out the problem. Unless they're making a lot of noise coming and going, then this is entirely reasonable stuff.



Claricias said:


> That the dog is constantly barking - 'and they better have a licence for it'



Hard to see how this concerns the landlord. Her first point of contact should be with the dog's owner.



Claricias said:


> She also said that none of them work, that the house is being paid for by social welfare. This is untrue as they do work, the rent is not coming from social
> welfare at all. Not that it matters.



Nothing to do with you, as you correctly point out. Also, nothing to do with her. 

It sounds like a basic problem with noise: dog barking, and loud parties (or goings and comings). Maybe mention it to your tentants when you next pop by to collect rent or otherwise visit? On the bottom line, if the tenants are keeping your house in good condition, and abiding by the lease, then it's not really up to you to adjust their behaviour, and it's unfair of the anonymous caller to place some onus on you to get them to conform to her ideals.


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## truthseeker (10 Sep 2012)

Claricias said:


> Understandable but her manner was completely confrontational, not how you go about complaining to somebody who can help resolve a problem.



If she was upset its understandable that she was confrontational. She is entitled to complain any way she likes, niceness doesnt cost anything, but its a bit condescending of you to suggest that there is a way in which people should complain about your tenants to you!

I also agree re apologising to you for the call - I dont see why she should - surely it should be the other way around?


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## Claricias (10 Sep 2012)

If it was me making a complaint this is how I would go about it. 

Me:_ Hello is this Joe Landlord who owns 1 Main St?_

Landlord: _Yes it is, who is this? What is it concerning?_

Me: _I'm really sorry to disturb you but my name is Mrs Smith and I live close by. I think you should know that the tenants in your house are creating a disturbance that you may be unaware of. _

Landlord:_ Can you give me some details please and I'll investigate it? _

Me: _Certainly, they have a dog that is continually barking, they play loud music at 10am and are coming and going all the time. Please don't tell them it was me who complained, I don't want them to think I have issues with them.
_
Landlord: _I'll certainly have a word with the tenants and tell them to keep noise to a minimum and to ensure the dog is not barking. I don't have to say it was you, I can say a few neighbours have contacted me._

That's what I mean by apologising for disturbing the landlord. In an ideal world of course....but it doesn't cost anything to be nice and polite.


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## Claricias (10 Sep 2012)

brianb said:


> Even though the complaint wasn't made very graciously, you should pay some attention to it, and do basic investigation of the parts of it that make you feel concerned.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You see this is it broken down, none of what she is complaining about is reasonable. IF she had said that they were making noise and having parties all hours of the night and there was people shouting and roaring going up and down the road at all hours of the night then absolutely I would be in a far more humble position and apologize to her for the disturbance of the peace but from what I could ascertain the only complaint she can act with is the barking dog.


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## putsch (10 Sep 2012)

Claricias said:


> She claimed that hung a duvet and a pillow out the window of the house. While I agree it doesn't look great, what law are they breaking?



Slightly off topic but this made me laugh.  Years ago I had a very stylish friend who had a great talent for house design and decor. She had a small house off Donore Avenue which she had done up to the nines.

After a visit to France she took to airing her duvet by hanging it out the window. Her neighbours who had a wreck of a house - door not painted for generations - complained - they were shocked by the duvet hanging out the window!


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## truthseeker (10 Sep 2012)

Claricias said:


> That's what I mean by apologising for disturbing the landlord. In an ideal world of course....but it doesn't cost anything to be nice and polite.



Unfortunately (for you), part of the responsibility of being a landlord is to possibly have to put up with complaints from nice, not so nice, downright nasty and maybe even verbally aggressive neighbours. You cant dictate how people complain to you.

However, if the person had been nicer would you have taken the complaint more seriously? If the answer is yes, then perhaps you are not suited to the life of a landlord!


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## Jim2007 (10 Sep 2012)

Claricias said:


> She claimed that hung a duvet and a pillow out the window of the house. While I agree it doesn't look great, what law are they breaking?



That is the normal thing to do over here - drive through any residential area early morning and you will find lots of pillows and duvets hanging out the window - you're supposed to air them every morning - at least that is what I'm told!


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## Claricias (10 Sep 2012)

truthseeker said:


> Unfortunately (for you), part of the responsibility of being a landlord is to possibly have to put up with complaints from nice, not so nice, downright nasty and maybe even verbally aggressive neighbours. You cant dictate how people complain to you.
> 
> However, if the person had been nicer would you have taken the complaint more seriously? If the answer is yes, then perhaps you are not suited to the life of a landlord!



I would have been certainly more receptive to what they had to say, I would have questioned a lot more but as it was I was ambushed with a barrage of complaints. 

Anyhow, I spoke to my tenants, it was one of their girlfriends birthday over the weekend and they had a party/bbq so I guess that was the cause of the complaint. I have been assured that that there will be no more cause for concern so hopefully there won't be any more complaints. 

I can't even contact the complainer as she rang on a private number and refused to give me her name so I can't let her know I've acted on it.


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## miriammary (10 Sep 2012)

I dare say she will contact you again if she needs to as is her right. I'm glad for her that you sorted out (hopefully) the problem as is your duty as they are your tenants.


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## Claricias (10 Sep 2012)

Got a text back from one of the neighbours, it's not as bad as the complaining phonecall made out, yes they made some noise but he has nothing against them. As he said 'they just need to settle in and things will work themselves out'. he said he personally has a bigger problem with another neighbour who refuses to cut or weed their garden and it makes the area look bad.


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## SarahMc (10 Sep 2012)

Claricias said:


> As he said 'they just need to settle in and things will work themselves out.



That doesnt sound great tbh. Sounds like more than a daytime bbq. I'd be keeping a close eye if I were you.


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## Bronte (11 Sep 2012)

What is wrong with having a noisy BBQ on a weekend during daylight hours?  

Claricis you are way too focused on the neighbour and her attitude then you are on being a professional landlord and getting to the bottom of what is going on.  It is totally irrelevant the tone of the complainant, it is your obligation to fully investigate the put things to right if necessary.  You cannot possible know the behaviour of the tenants until you check with the neighbours on both sides, and enough of any other neighbours as possibel.  Be neutral and see what they say.


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## delgirl (11 Sep 2012)

Jim2007 said:


> That is the normal thing to do over here - drive through any residential area early morning and you will find lots of pillows and duvets hanging out the window.


Absolutely a 'continental' thing to do. 

It's widespread in Germany and Switzerland and, having lived there for years, I'm in the habit of doing it as well - not out the window, but once a week if I manage to get a reasonably dry day , I'll hang all the duvets out on the line to air them.

Dust mites don't like cool fresh air.


Claricias said:


> I can't even contact the complainer as she rang on a private number and refused to give me her name so I can't let her know I've acted on it.


Keep a written log of when this person called you, the fact that she didn't wish to give her name or number, what was complained about, who you contacted in relation to the complaint (other neighbours, your tenants etc.) with dates and details just in case she decided to contact the PRTB. At least that way you have a written record of the complaint and your response to it.


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## dereko1969 (11 Sep 2012)

SarahMc said:


> That doesnt sound great tbh. Sounds like more than a daytime bbq. I'd be keeping a close eye if I were you.


 
Are people not allowed to have BBQs now? I must have missed that piece of legislation.


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## Shivvers (11 Sep 2012)

truthseeker said:


> Ive had problems with lovely posh young ladies in an apartment next to mine who had drug fuelled parties all day and all night



Sorry to go off topic, but how could you possibly know they were taking drugs inside their apartment? Or are you just guessing?


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## truthseeker (11 Sep 2012)

Shivvers said:


> Sorry to go off topic, but how could you possibly know they were taking drugs inside their apartment? Or are you just guessing?



They used to make calls to their dealer from their balcony (presumably the best signal for the mobile, but literally 2 feet from my bedroom window) and would loudly discuss what goods (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX and charley were the terms of reference used) they wanted and for how much.

Mind you, a party that runs from 7pm til 2pm the next day usually has more than a few beers fuelling it.


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## facetious (15 Sep 2012)

Whether it is right or wrong, a landlord is responsible, under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, for the behaviour (or anti-social behaviour) of their tenants both inside the property and to the neighbouring properties and their residents.

A third party can make a claim against the landlord of anti-social tenants which may cost the landlord up to several thousands of euro in damages awarded to the third party.

I would suggest that you put it in writing to the tenants that there have been complaints to you about their behaviour/partying/noise or whatever. As their landlord, you are obliged to inform the tenants of the situation and that if the third party succeeds in a claim for damages, you will be looking to them for re-reimbursement. Furthermore, antisocial behaviour by tenants can invoke a notice of termination and eviction after 28 days and in more serious cases, eviction within 7 days.

By putting it in writing (and keeping a copy), you are admitting that you have been informed of the situation by a third party and that you have taken action - which, may at least, reduce the amount of damages awarded against you in the event of a claim with the PRTB.


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## SarahMc (15 Sep 2012)

dereko1969 said:


> Are people not allowed to have BBQs now? I must have missed that piece of legislation.



I think if a very easy going neighbour is saying, they just need to settle in, it is code for they are causing disruption.

I did not tell OP to evict said tenant. But they have had one complaint from a seriously peed off neighbour, and a less than ringing endorsement from another, it is wise to keep a watch on it. No?


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## lucozade (15 Sep 2012)

I think thats probably a fair analysis there SarahMc.


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## Claricias (23 Sep 2012)

It's been almost 2 weeks and no further complaints. It seems to have been a one off party that annoyed one neighbour (the initial phonecall) and I contacted another neighbour who said that yes they had a party but they had no issues with them. By saying 'they need to settle in' I gathered that they meant they need to maybe get to know some of the neighbours and work with them not against them. 

Problem is my tenants are probably 30-40 years younger than some of the original neighbours so there may always be not only an age difference but a cultural difference as they're polish. I'm pushing 40 and when I lived there I wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms either and I lived a very quiet life. I was pleasant to the neighbours that spoke to me but there were plenty that didn't. 

I would completely understand if I had anti social tenants but every time I've been up (and I've been up twice since) there's nothing happening and the house is immaculate. In fact the garden is in far better condition than the last tenant kept it. If they were having constant parties with people coming and going as the complaint seemed to state, surely there would be some sign of it?


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## lucozade (23 Sep 2012)

Not sure there's much else you can do there Claricias...


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## Marigold77 (10 Oct 2012)

putsch said:


> Slightly off topic but this made me laugh. Years ago I had a very stylish friend who had a great talent for house design and decor. She had a small house off Donore Avenue which she had done up to the nines.
> 
> After a visit to France she took to airing her duvet by hanging it out the window. Her neighbours who had a wreck of a house - door not painted for generations - complained - they were shocked by the duvet hanging out the window!


 

I was looking for a simple lease and in one it was forbidden to hang washing out of the window.. and you had to wash the windows 4 times a year...


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