# Reporting uninhabitable rental property to PRTB?



## Pocket (16 Feb 2009)

Our lease for the house we are renting is finally up and we are move out. To be honest, we should never have moved in but you live and learn.

We believe the house is a health risk to live in. The landlord seems like an Ok guy, but he is just not willing to spend any money on it. His attitude is its nothing that a lick of paint will not fix. Here's a list of things we have brought to his attention that needs to be fixed:

1. Leak in the roof (now temporarily fixed for the second time since we moved in). However allot of water has got into the wall of the spare room and 2 months later the wall is still damp to touch. The landlord thinks that he can just paint the wall. He claims that the roof is now fixed, even though the builder that was working on it told us that it was a temporary solution that will last a few months.

2. Loose tiling in the shower has resulted in the shower leaking through the living room ceiling. Again he used quick fix solution; polyfiller (that is now coming loose). It needs to be retiled (the tiles are actually rotten and crumble on touch).

3. A sparking plug and loose wires around the plug. And another plug that trips the fuses if you use it. The landlord said that since he had an electrocution in a couple of years ago to check the place out it should be OK.

4. The radiators are run off gas and the system is old. When I asked him when it had been last serviced he did not seem to know. We warned him that there is “fumy” smell when the heating is on and recommended he get this checked out. Our experience with him as a landlord suggests that he will not get this done.

We are delighted to leave and move on. However we have concerned about the next tenants that may move in. When we moved in the place was freshly painted so there was no evidence of damp/stains from leaking. The plug with the loose wires was hidden behind a couch. The landlord said he was getting a new shower unit in etc. Therefore he is well practiced in glossing over the problems. 

We were wondering if there is any point in reporting him to PRTB?


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## D8Lady (16 Feb 2009)

The fumy smell should ring alarm bells. That is defineatly worth reporting.


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## LennyBriscoe (16 Feb 2009)

Pocket said:


> We were wondering if there is any point in reporting him to PRTB?


 
Why bother? Just move out when lease is up! And why didnt you fix the plug yourself, its not rocket science.


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## askalot (16 Feb 2009)

LennyBriscoe said:


> Why bother? Just move out when lease is up!



Definitely worth reporting a possible gas leak to Bord Gais.


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## Pocket (16 Feb 2009)

askalot said:


> Definitely worth reporting a possible gas leak to Bord Gais.


 

Askalot, it doesnt smell like gas (I definely know that smell). Just a faint fumey smell. I was worried about it being carbon monooxide fumes. Would it still be Bord Gais that you report to?

LennyBriscoe, as I explained before we are not worried about ourselfves (we will be gone in a week), just future tenants that might move in without realising the problems and lack of initative by the landlord. I most correct something I stated earlier. It is the plug sockets not the plugs that is the problem. The wires connected to the plug socket are pulled out of the wall and spark if you try to plug anything in. The other other plug socket tends to trip the fuses when even a light is plugged in. While I have have no problem rewiring a plug, I would never mess around with household electrics.


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## Berni (16 Feb 2009)

You should definitely report it, as on previous form he seems unlikely to improve things if left to himself.
I think that its actually your local authority that does the inspections though, so I would go straight to them. (The PRTB funds it but don't get directly involved as far as I know.) 

Structural repairs and damp are some of the things on their standards list here http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/PrivateRentedHousing/ so it sounds like it would come under their remit


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## LennyBriscoe (16 Feb 2009)

I appreciate where your coming from _pocket_. Best of luck in new accomodation when you move.

As for PRTB, waste of time. Logged a request a year ago in regard to tennant problem - yet to hear from them except initial letter confirming receipt of correspondence.


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## Bronte (16 Feb 2009)

Carbon monoxide can kill, make sure you report it in writing to the PRTB and Bord Gais - and I speak as a landlord.  Any landlord who doesn't take action on this is a disgrace.


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## mathepac (16 Feb 2009)

Pocket said:


> Askalot, it doesnt smell like gas (I definely know that smell). Just a faint fumey smell. I was worried about it being carbon monooxide fumes...


Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, which is why it is so dangerous, as without a specialist monitor, its presence is almost impossible to detect.


Pocket said:


> ...Would it still be Bord Gais that you report to? ...


I think it depends on who supplies the gas.


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## murphaph (16 Feb 2009)

I can't believe such people still exist and go ahead and report the situation, especially the smell of fumes. I myself recently removed 9V battery operated smoke alarms and replaced with tamper proof 10 year lifetime ones as tenants were taking the battery out for other things. At the same time I installed a carbon monoxide alarm in the vicinity of the boiler. I don't want anyone being killed by the stuff. Tenants didn't seem to think any of this was necessary and told me they didn't mind having no alarms. Strange attitude but I've done all I can so if anything happens I'm covered I hope and more importantly, my conscience will be clear.


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## sam h (16 Feb 2009)

Murphaph....where did you get the tamper proof one?  I find the same...tenents take out the battery once the it runs out & never seem to replace it.  I have it in contracts now that they MUST replace bettery or notify me & I'll do it. But a tamper free one would be better.


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## Pocket (16 Feb 2009)

Berni said:


> You should definitely report it, as on previous form he seems unlikely to improve things if left to himself.
> I think that its actually your local authority that does the inspections though, so I would go straight to them. (The PRTB funds it but don't get directly involved as far as I know.)
> 
> Structural repairs and damp are some of the things on their standards list here http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/PrivateRentedHousing/ so it sounds like it would come under their remit


 
Berni, Thank you for those details. I will try to get in touch with the local authority and see if they can advice us any further.


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## Pocket (16 Feb 2009)

murphaph said:


> I can't believe such people still exist and go ahead and report the situation, especially the smell of fumes. I myself recently removed 9V battery operated smoke alarms and replaced with tamper proof 10 year lifetime ones as tenants were taking the battery out for other things. At the same time I installed a carbon monoxide alarm in the vicinity of the boiler. I don't want anyone being killed by the stuff. Tenants didn't seem to think any of this was necessary and told me they didn't mind having no alarms. Strange attitude but I've done all I can so if anything happens I'm covered I hope and more importantly, my conscience will be clear.


 
Murphaph, I was unaware that there was the carbon monoxide equvalent of a smoke alarm. Our new house in storage heating but its very good to know about for the future.


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## murphaph (16 Feb 2009)

sam h said:


> Murphaph....where did you get the tamper proof one?  I find the same...tenents take out the battery once the it runs out & never seem to replace it.  I have it in contracts now that they MUST replace bettery or notify me & I'll do it. But a tamper free one would be better.


B&Q sell 'em. Fire Angel was the brand IIRC.


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## Lollix (17 Feb 2009)

pocket said:


> 3. A sparking plug and loose wires around the plug. And another plug that trips the fuses if you use it. The landlord said that since he had an *electrocution* in a couple of years ago to check the place out it should be ok.


 
:d :d


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## S.L.F (17 Feb 2009)

sam h said:


> Murphaph....where did you get the tamper proof one? I find the same...tenents take out the battery once the it runs out & never seem to replace it. I have it in contracts now that they MUST replace bettery or notify me & I'll do it. But a tamper free one would be better.


 
I had the same problem.

But not any more...

Murphaph you are a star!


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