Landlord rights?

Hi,

I am posting this on behalf of my parents as they need an opinion if anyone can help. Thanks

They were renting a house where the 1 yr lease was up and the tennant had decided to move on. Tennent asked could he stay for an extra month. My parents agreed but told him he would have to pay 1200 no instead of 1100. this was fine. Each month he had always been a couple of days late lodging the money but always did (parents let this go as they always got paid in and around the same day neach month).
He seemed like a very respectable professional tennent untill this final month the money wasn'y lodge. he ignored calls and emails and then when they got through to him he said "oh i was just going to give you the extra 100 and you can keep my deposit". My paernts said no we need that money lodged etc and he said yes yes... well he didn't lodge the money and handed over 100 at the end.
when my parents did their spot check he had a dog in the house (which was not allowed - stated in contravt) which has destroyed the table and chairs and the kitchen door (both need replacing), he also stuck mirrors onto the wardrobe (front of it) without permission. My parents have no deposit to hold onto and he wont return calls or emails once again. Do my parents have any rights to getting money off him now to replace the new table and chairs and door.

They are completely shocked at what he as done - completely pulled a fast one.

Would appreciate any comments and advice. Sorry if i have posted this ti the wrong forum.

Was the tenancy registered with the PRTB? If so your parents need to make a claim through the Board, www.prtb.ie. for soem reason you have to get them to send you out a form rather than being able to print one off.

I hope your parents have an address for him or know his place of work.

Get estimates for all the damage done. Write to him informing him that the the appropriate legal measures will be taken to recover the losses sufered.

If the tenancy was not registered your parents might be in difficulties but the initial letters can still be sent.

This is very unfortunate for your parents.

Your tenant should not have used the deposit as a way of paying the rent and this is exactly why and a warning to any other landlords.

Assuming your parents are registered with the PRTB contact them and see what they advise. Also discuss it with your solicitor and see if you can sue the tenant for the damage done. Take lots of pics.

Post will probably arrive to your door for him and since he will have to live somewhere else you could call the ESB or Bord Gais and say that you have post for him and if they could give you a forwarding address and then you could track him down if you need to serve him with papers etc.

Best of luck

Stifster said:

Was the tenancy registered with the PRTB? .....
I hope your parents have an address for him or know his place of work....

Click to expand...

Yes they are resgistered and do know his place of work. I will get onto my mother now and tell her to contact the PRTB imediately.

Good luck with using PRTB. Please come back and post us the result.

It not what you want to hear but honestly you are better off putting it down to experience and in future come down hard on tennants for being anyway late with rent or any indiscretion. You will end up throwing money away chasing it. Just learn from it. Treat tennents no matter how they seem as serviced clients who pay for the service and keep it totally professional. They know their rites and then some as you have unfortunately found out, just dont let it happen again.

Does anyone know in this situation if you can sue the tenant through the small claims court for the damage done? This is a relatively inexpensive way of going down the legal route and since the owners know the tenants work address then the papers can be served on him there.
Has anyone ever gone down this route?