# "Respond Housing Association" have asked LL for reference & cherry picking tenants.



## in the mire (20 Apr 2011)

Has anybody been in contact with *Respond Housing Association,* they are currently trying to take her and her family and move (a model tenant) them to another part of town (which they hate). 

A guy from Repond interviewed them in my house and looked around to see if they keep a good house. Respond are now trying to contact me to give a reference, so if I give a good one chances are they will take her and I am stuck with an empty house! 

They  are cherry picking the tenants, If my tenant does not move then SW will cut her rent allowance! 

Is this mad or what?


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## Brendan Burgess (20 Apr 2011)

It doesn't seem to be mad to be as a taxpayer. 

Respond is a housing association funded, I assume, by the taxpayer. 

They have a suitable house available for this family and this would be the best solution. It is better to provide a house than to pay rent to a private landlord. 

Brendan


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## in the mire (20 Apr 2011)

So why don't they get their own tenants so? 

I'll have to  pay to get another tenant plus the cost of the vacant house which needs to be paid for. Plus the family does not want to move to the other side of town because the kids are settled in the local school which is just a short walk away, it is maddening that "an association"  rides into town on their chariot and thinks they are doing good when in fact they are annoying people off by relocating them and costing me money also.


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## Complainer (20 Apr 2011)

If by costing you money, they are saving the State money, we will (as a whole) be better off. It is not up to Respond or the taxpayer to support your rental business.


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## ajapale (20 Apr 2011)

Hi Mire,

Ive expanded your title somewhat. Let me know if its ok.

If you refuse a reference will that have any adverse effect on you as LL or your present or future prospective tenants?

aj


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## ajapale (20 Apr 2011)

> Respond! Voluntary Housing Association is a company limited by guarantee and registered in Dublin, Ireland. Reg No. 90576.
> All Photographs & Maps are property of Respond! Ltd. © Respond!
> Registered Charity No. 6629 Registered Office: Airmount, Dominick Place, Waterford.
> Directors: Michael O'Doherty, Brian Hennebry, Tom Dilleen, Patrick Cogan, ofm




*Respond! Voluntary Housing Association *is a registered charity and a  company limited by guarantee . It is not clear from their website whether or not they receive any support from central or local government.


On the face of it their work is commendable.


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## Guest105 (20 Apr 2011)

Respond are the largest housing association in the country and receive some [broken link removed] from the government.

In the mire - your tenents are on the local authority waiting list so therefore the housing association are taking over the function of the council to provide the social housing for this family and they have every right to do so.

I don't think that your assumption that they cherry pick is correct, they house Travellers, the homeless and anyone else who is on the local authority housing list.


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## in the mire (20 Apr 2011)

they do cherry pick, if i gave a bad reference do you think they will still take on my tennant??? there are plenty people out there looking for accomodation so why dont they take them, I have bills to pay too on this house, and again i repeat MY TENNANTS DO NOT WANT TO MOVE, but they are been forced into it, they have already said to them that they may go to the UK in a couple years when the kids get a little older and when the parents qualify in there FAS courses, so the respond house will be vacant then, has anybody had similar experience with these " do gooders"


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## ajapale (20 Apr 2011)

Hi Mire,

Please try not to rant. We try to have civilised discussion here on AAM.

aj
moderator


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## Brendan Burgess (20 Apr 2011)

"my tenants don't want to move"

Your tenants have applied for social housing.
Your tenants are having their rent paid for them by the state

They do not get their choice of accommodation. They get the most suitable accommodation available. 

Brendan


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## SarahMc (20 Apr 2011)

Afaik your tenants can turn down this house, but would be mad to do so. Most councils allow you to turn down one house without penalty. Turn down a second and you are removed from the housing list. This house will provide the tenant with security of tenure.

It is also more cost efficient for the tax payer.

Your tenants are very lucky to have been offered a respond house. They are regarded as being an excellent association with high quality housing.


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## eastbono (20 Apr 2011)

I would think if your tenants turn down this house that their rent allowance will be cut off and therefore they will not be able to afford to pay you rent.


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## Complainer (20 Apr 2011)

in the mire said:


> they do cherry pick, if i gave a bad reference do you think they will still take on my tennant??? there are plenty people out there looking for accomodation so why dont they take them


So if they go to take some of the other people looking for accommodation, and the landlords of those other people make a big fuss about why their tenants are being taken, what happens then?



in the mire said:


> I have bills to pay too on this house


It's not up to the State to pay for your investment.


in the mire said:


> they have already said to them that they may go to the UK in a couple years when the kids get a little older and when the parents qualify in there FAS courses, so the respond house will be vacant then,


So then Respond will find a new tenant - no fuss or drama.


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## denise2007 (20 Apr 2011)

A very good friend of mine works for Respond and the work they do is incredibly valuable to society.  They do get some funding but this has been cut drastically during the past year but they are still doing the best job they can with limited resources.  Staff work very hard and long hours.  It's sad to hear some uncharitable comments about a charity organisation that assist families in difficulty and homeless people.


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## beffers (20 Apr 2011)

So, the tenants are getting a free roof over their head, paid for by the taxes of everyone here. They are on FAS courses, so they are being provided with a trade and the ability to earn a living, that is once again at the tax payers expense. But when the time comes when they could possibly become contributing members of society who can afford to pay their own way for a change, they are going to head off to UK, where I presume they will start the process off all over again? Do I have that right? Am I the only one here who doesn't really care if these people are put out by being asked to move, no matter what the inconvenience may be to them?

I sympathize with the OP who will be out money while they looks for new tenants, but as others have said, it is not the job of the tax payer to provide him/her with an investment income. As a tax payer, I would much prefer to see my hard earned euros going to pay for more hospitals, better equipped school and building better roads, that everyone can benefit from, than I would see them going into the pockets of private individuals.


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## in the mire (26 Apr 2011)

Beffers.

I agree with you somewhat, I would prefer to see my tax been "more efficiently" spent on the old reliables like hospitals,schools etc, but consider this.

The Council or Respond or both bought estates of houses at some stage over the last number of years with the view of renting them out so
(1) you tax is been spent to purchase the house
(2) your tax is spent to furnish the house
(3) your tax is spent to insure the house.
(4) your tax is spent to heat the house
(5) your tax is spent to pay maintenance
(6) your tax is spent to pay bin charges
(7) your tax WILL be spent to pay the water charges
(8) your tax will be spent to put tennants through an education course (maybe then emigrate).

Currently I get 500 euro per month from SW through the tennant and the tennant tops it up to 550 euro (tennant pays 50 pm rent) out of that I have to pay the mortgage, maintenance, furniture, council charges, insurance etc. 

I know it costs at least twice my rental income to run this house and I run it efficiently, so do you think the Council or Respond are capable of doing same?


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## ajapale (26 Apr 2011)

Hi Mire,

As a private landlord/ property investor you are running a business. The structure of the domestic rental sector business is that you will compete with A) Other Private Landlords B) Local and Central Government C) Housing/Accomodation Charities.

If as a private landlord/ property investor you are losing (or potentially losing) clients to your competition might I suggest you review your product offering to entice them to stay with you?

Making genarilised disparaging remarks (fas courses, emigration plans etc) about your potential customers /clients is both disrespectful and lacks in business sense (where the customer is king!).

aj


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## in the mire (26 Apr 2011)

aj
so how do I change my product, (1) the bank wont reduce my mortage (2) the rent they are paying is on a par (or less)with neigbours (3) the furniture is of modern good quality standard.the housing estate is a equal mix of rental and owner occupied, I have no problem competing with other landlords but when a landlord i.e the council or Respond takes a tennant in a situation of "take it or lose rent allowance" I dont think that fair, that's the point i'm trying to make.
Also where do you suggest i made disparaging remarks about FAS or emmigration? Read my OP, my tennants do not want to leave my house, they are currently doing courses (completed in 2yrs)to further their employment opportunities, if they dont find work here they will go abroad. I am delighted they are retraining to better themselves, plenty other people prefer to sit down in front of the tv and watch Oprah all day long!


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## oldnick (26 Apr 2011)

ajapale - inthemire is not being disrespectful about the tenants. he is expressing views about the system which in no way can be called fair "competition".
This dependency culture,common amongst many european states, is part of what is economically killing us.
If the state (i.e. the taxpayer) really has to hand out money to people to live then it seems only fair that private landlords who have worked,saved and risked their money get first choice.


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## Complainer (26 Apr 2011)

oldnick said:


> If the state (i.e. the taxpayer) really has to hand out money to people to live then it seems only fair that private landlords who have worked,saved and risked their money get first choice.



This is nonsense. When the State has to provide housing, it should do so in the most economical way, and in the way that builds strong communities in the long term.


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