# Who wants to be a tenant?



## canicemcavoy (30 Jul 2009)

(Yin to this thread's yang - http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=118510 )

I'd like to see a corresponding thread on who would be a tenant? I've certainly never met an Irish landlord who wasn't an Arfur Daley-type chancer (except without the cockney charm and catchy theme music). 

My first landlord never mentioned there was a hole in the bedroom floor until I fell into it knee deep through the (very thin) carpet. And once attempted to fix a lock with some Rizla paper. (Honest)

(Still, it could have been worse - the same landlord was in the process of demolishing a building in which a friend of mine was renting, but away for the summer. Only for the fact his girlfriend was passing the building on the quays, was she able to rescue his belongings.)

My landlord after that was famous for being only contactable for his very frequent rent-increases. When eventually I decided to move to an apartment belonging to him in the same building, he promised he would fix/replace certain things there (including a cooker that was falling apart from rust) but of course never did. Luckily I got my deposit back and skeddaddled.

Landlord no. 3 was, again, was another man who promised the moon (according to the agent, delighted that he had a "quality" tenant) and yet delivered not even moon rock. During my tenancy, there was pretty much a constant leak in the hallway next to a fuse box. Each time I rang him about it, he expressed astonishment that the problem had not miraculously fixed itself. Also, the badly installed toilet and badly installed shower pump both flooded the apartment, the former of which took several days to fix as for some reason he decided to employ what looked like a baffled 14-year-old Eastern European boy to fix it, who first of all took the loo apart before realizing he didn't have the necessary parts to put it back together. Needless to say, it wasn't the landlord who spent days mopping the place, hiring carpet cleaners to attempt to clean the carpets, and bought a dehumidifier to dry the place out thoroughly.

The one great thing about being an Irish tenant is that it does give you a wealth of dinner party stories. Please share yours!


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## lou2 (30 Jul 2009)

I had a landlord a few years ago who when showing us the flat commented in all seriousness that the ice in the freezer was free!


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## DavyJones (30 Jul 2009)

A few years ago , a land lady was showing me around a house and she said "here is the fire extinguisher" and she proceeded to show me an old battered USA biscuit tin full of sand. Still makes me chuckle when I think of it.


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## AlbacoreA (22 Aug 2010)

I'm baffled why tenants don't just leave bad places or use their own money for stuff like this. By putting up with it, the landlord is not forced to change, or fix things.


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## musicfan (22 Aug 2010)

AlbacoreA said:


> I'm baffled why tenants don't just leave bad places or use their own money for stuff like this. By putting up with it, the landlord is not forced to change, or fix things.


 

Its not as easy as just walking away from these situations if you are a tenant!  By the time you realise your landlord is useless, or you realise there is something wrong with the place, you have already signed a lease that you can't walk away from. 

For example, sign a year lease, a few weeks into the lease you realise the apartment is riddled with damp and mould, landlord won't do anything to sort it out - what is the tenants option???  They can't break their lease and why should they put their own money into fixing it???  Its not their premises, its the landlords!


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## Berni (22 Aug 2010)

musicfan said:


> For example, sign a year lease, a few weeks into the lease you realise the apartment is riddled with damp and mould, landlord won't do anything to sort it out - what is the tenants option???  They can't break their lease and why should they put their own money into fixing it???  Its not their premises, its the landlords!



Then the tenant should contact the local council and get them to enforce the minimum standards 
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/c...rs-maintenance-and-minimum-physical-standards


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## AlbacoreA (23 Aug 2010)

musicfan said:


> Its not as easy as just walking away from these situations if you are a tenant! By the time you realise your landlord is useless, or you realise there is something wrong with the place, you have already signed a lease that you can't walk away from.
> 
> For example, sign a year lease, a few weeks into the lease you realise the apartment is riddled with damp and mould, landlord won't do anything to sort it out - what is the tenants option??? They can't break their lease and why should they put their own money into fixing it??? Its not their premises, its the landlords!


 
Yes you can break the lease if the place is not habitable. But you have to do it the correct way


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## canicemcavoy (23 Aug 2010)

Funny to see this thread bumped. So far this year, my landlord - or at least, agent, has been great. Touch wood.


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## Paddylast (23 Aug 2010)

*Landlords*

Speaking as a landlord, I have always treated my tenants with the greatest of respect and generally look after them. Just put in a new bathroom in the house only because the old one was a bit dated and am now putting in a new kitchen. The tenant was quite happy with the old ones but I thought it only right to make the changes and ensure the property is comfortable and that the tenant gets value for money. I have always taken this approach and my tenants give it back in spades.


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## camel (23 Aug 2010)

Paddylast said:


> Speaking as a landlord, I have always treated my tenants with the greatest of respect and generally look after them. Just put in a new bathroom in the house only because the old one was a bit dated and am now putting in a new kitchen. The tenant was quite happy with the old ones but I thought it only right to make the changes and ensure the property is comfortable and that the tenant gets value for money. I have always taken this approach and my tenants give it back in spades.



A new bathroom and kitchen just because the old ones are a bit dated, even though the tenant is fine with the old ones 
You're nuts! Doesn't sound like you're running the operation with the intention of turning a profit...
I'd say you're a legend of a landlord though fair played to you.


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## variety (27 Aug 2010)

When I was looking for properties recently the owner showed me around hers and said "we will provide an ironing board if you want one, but the previous tenants just used the floor in the living room". Needless to say - large burn marks on the carpet.


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## lightswitch (27 Aug 2010)

Well done Carmel. No wonder you have such good tenants


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## Sandals (27 Aug 2010)

we moved into a brand new mezzaine apartment good few years ago, fab place, was worth the money looking back now but expensive at the time, landlord's wife a lovely hardworking woman who every saturday would scrub the outside of the building, I mean scrub, down on her hands and knees cleaning the concrete steps up to the second floor. I always found it bit embrassing if i had to get in or out. Then one evening i happen to be at home and looking out the upstairs back bedroom window I spotted the landlord jumping up and down inside the wheelie bin, took a few minutes to realise he was putting the waste from six apartment into one and so i presume only paying for one. This went on for four years every week while we lived there.

We were very good tenants and really only left as we had a chimmey fire in the openfire (never cleaned in four years we were there) and there were three openfires one on top of another. No damage done at all just fireman removed a massive amount of hot soot. Bill sent to the landlord and he asked us to pay or "move out tonight", we finally agreed to pay half, which we did, handed over two twenty euro notes there and then and he walked over to the front window and held both notes up to the sunlight and announced yes he'd accept them as they were real. We moved on after that. We were the longest in the building, used to give the wife a christmas box every year......


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## Trustmeh (28 Aug 2010)

My current tenants are a laff a minute. Paid deposit no problem, then when i met them to hand over keys - they looked at me like I had 2 heads when I wanted first months rent in advance, even though it was agreed the day before. Begrudgingly they handed it over.

Second month rolls around and its phone calls the first two weeks to get rent paid. Pretend they dont understand how standing orders work, and constantly lose the bank account details. Week 3 and they disappear. Stern lecture end of week 3 gets me excuses and a promise of double payment monday morning. That comes and goes and now tenant is harder to find than bin laden.

I quickly wrote up a nice letter, detailing the lateness of rent, and providing the "next steps" if rent is not paid. I managed to get her on the phone that day and she starts into the excuses. Boyfriends left her, at least 3 weeks to get sorted out, would that be OK?
I cut her short, told her sounds like circumstances have changed and she'd be better off in a smaller abode. "Is that my deposit gone then?". Not if you get out quick was my answer. Im never one to keep a (problem) tenant - id rather lose a few quid to get rid. Told her not to worry and id drop off the letter explaining everything at 5. No surprise she dissapears that evening and doesnt show up for two days.

Magically on day 3 she has reunited with the BF and has all the back rent ready. Now she is willing to sign up for standing order (believe it when i see it). Im happy - as they seemed nice before they started dodging rent. I try to keep an open mind after all.

Sigh - now shes ringing me on Friday at 6pm as she heads out the door (same week she has JUST caught up with rent) asking for repairs to be done to the (brand new) wash machine and shower immediately. Im really stuck she says. Funny how they had no compaints when the rent was late.


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## browtal (28 Aug 2010)

I suppose there are good and bad landlords and tenants. I have had rental properties in the past and always treated the tenants like I would like to be treated myself. I never had any trouble. We usually kept our tenants for longer than the year. If they were trustworthy for that year we never had a second lease signed. If circumstances change for people they have to be accommodated.
 I believe if you give the property in good repair and decortion it will be appreciated and maintained.  With the current oversupply in the market the shoe is on the tenants foot so dont rent or stay in a bad property.

The year long lease is only binding if both parties fulfill the contract and that means the property is fit for the purpose, dampness does not qualify as fit to live in.
Browtal


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## pixiebean22 (30 Aug 2010)

Not me.

Last landlord was an absolute joke and i think it's worse when you are renting a property on your own (strength in numbers as it were).  I've been renting in dublin for 5 years not a bother until I moved into a house on my own last year (I had previously lived on my own but in a flat of six flats in a house).  First 4 months were fine then problem after problem after problem (for example broken toilet, took the landlord 2 weeks to get it fixed).  

Now my new landlord thinks he's entitled to enter the house when I'm not there.  

Few landlords seem to understand that while it is their property, it is a tenant's home.


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## Betsygirl (30 Aug 2010)

I had my share of bad landlords over the years but was blessed to find a fantastic flat with a wonderful landlord a few years ago. The flat is immaculate, if I ever have a problem (which rarely happens), the landlord is straight round. He'd never dream of coming otherwise and always rings at least  2 days in advance to ask if it's ok. He also rang me when the recession hit to say he was reducing the rent by €100 - before I'd even asked him!! 
There are some great landlords out there, if you're lucky.


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## pixiebean22 (30 Aug 2010)

It would be great if there was a shameyourlandlord/tenant website so that nobody falls into the same pits after us.  I reported my old landlord to Dublin City Council but I'd say that was about as effective as a chocolate teapot.


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## PetrolHead (7 Sep 2010)

I think I've been exceptionally lucky with landlords. 

While I was house sharing at college our landlord let us rent the place for 10 months and not worry about the other 2 months in the year. He was round fairly often to do the garden but never seemed intrusive (you'd look out of the window on a random weekday morning and he'd be weeding the flowerbeds). During exam time his wife sent him round with a bottle of wine and a home cooked hotpot because she thought we might all be a bit stressed and not have time to eat properly. What a guy.

Other places I've rented have never had 'problem' landlords and issues arising have been dealt with very quickly. 

That said, I make sure that I'm a good tenant.... what goes around etc etc...

One thing I've found very weird however.... I have never rented anywhere (and I mean never) that didn't have an iron mark on the carpet somewhere. It got funny after the first three places and just plain spooky after that.


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