Have to say I find the attitude on this thread somewhat disturbing. I moved abroad a few years ago and let my house out to a young single parent. Had no difficulties what so ever. I also know several others who have let their properties to people on Social Welfare including non nationals, also without any issues. imho this attitude is pure snobbery!
I have nothing against social welfare tenants. I recognise that in a just society a certain percentage of people will always need to be looked after by the rest of us, either by reason of age, disability, unemployment or just general inability to cope with the world. I have absolutely no problem with my tax euros being used to take care of those who need it. That is one of the reasons why we have local authorities and the HSE, and if they are not doing their job its not my fault.
However, it is a simple fact, not an opinion, that the SW rental sector contains a higher percentage of people who are disfunctional and unable to cope than the population in general. That is why they need to be helped with housing, funds and social support networks. Conversely, if the sector was smilar in cross-section to the rest of the population, there would be no need for social welfare supports. That is also the reason why an INVESTOR should be aware that the sector is a high risk one for anyone who is looking for returns in an industry where margins are currently very low due to the inflated price of property. I don't get involved in the private rental sector in Ireland at all for all these reasons, but if I did I would certainly steer clear of the SW sector, particularly given the one-sided contracts offered by the local authorities.
As for your comment that "You have a good situation now where demand for rental propertys exceeds supply" -- where have you been lately? The towns of ireland are full of vacant properties bought by "investors" who fell for this kind of unresearched thinking. These buyers are now tempted to get involved in renting to local authority tenants, on punitive terms that would not be accepted in the private sector, and although many of them will have a good experience (read that last bit again before you attack my reasoning), a good number will live to regret their decision to prop up the shortcomings of the local authorities.
The bottom line, as I said before, is that the local authorities will not be in the least intersted when a problem family wrecks their home and then comes demanding that they do immediate repairs. The local authority will simply re-house the tenants with another gullible landlord, and the original investor will be left to sort out the mess with absolutely no redress against anyone. Worse still, the landlord will find himself or herself ranged against the whole network of social workers, officials, even elected representatives. The investor will have to fund any resulting legal battles, while the tenant and the local authority have unlimited access to legal advice and representation, with a consequent ability to go as far as they like in the court system.
If you are so convinced of the merits of renting to local authority tenants, go to your bank, borrow a few euro, and get into the business. That's the acid test of course; it's all right to preach at others, but would you risk your hard earned money (or more likely -borrowings) in a sector that is full of grief.
Whatever I might want to believe about the way society is structured, and how things might operate in an ideal world, I post here only for the benefit of would-be investors. I don't aspire to raise this discussion to the more lofty and moralistic level that you seem to want it to operate at. I just tell it like it is, not as it should be in this ideal world of yours.
Oh by the way, I have been there, gave the benefit of the doubt a few years ago in another jurisdiction to a family that relied on the state for the roof over their heads. It took a year and a lot of legal costs before I could get them out for non payment of the rent and for damage to the property and general upset to the neighbours. Even so, I would have no problem getting into the business again if the figures added up and if the local authorities indemnified landlords against loss and damages -- they don't. Once bitten!
I don't see a lot of these badly burned people actually posting here tho.You were lucky; many others get badly burned.
have To Say I Find The Attitude On This Thread Somewhat Disturbing. I Moved Abroad A Few Years Ago And Let My House Out To A Young Single Parent. Had No Difficulties What So Ever. I Also Know Several Others Who Have Let Their Properties To People On Social Welfare Including Non Nationals, Also Without Any Issues. Imho This Attitude Is Pure Snobbery!
have To Say I Find The Attitude On This Thread Somewhat Disturbing. I Moved Abroad A Few Years Ago And Let My House Out To A Young Single Parent. Had No Difficulties What So Ever. I Also Know Several Others Who Have Let Their Properties To People On Social Welfare Including Non Nationals, Also Without Any Issues. Imho This Attitude Is Pure Snobbery!
I am utterly disgusted to read this thread. You can't judge every sw applicant just because of bad experiences. I am a single mother and of any previous properties I have rented, rent was ALWAYS paid on time, place was kept spotless, I have just recently redecorated the apartment I am currently renting.. So maybe sort out your issues before discriminating single mothers!
My new tenants are social welfare. Foreign married couple with very quiet exceptionally well mannered little boy, mid 30's. One works full time, the other attends college full-time and gets a full SW allowance towards rent for some reason-not my business tbh. Sound like people you wouldn't let near your property? Or do you prefer 6 polish labourers drinking till the cows come home and falling through the plasterboard? See how it's easy to twist things. There are many classes of sw rent supp recipients-they aren't all the dregs of society baying to strip the copper wiring out of your property is all I'm saying.No way I would let a SW tenant into my property.
If they wreck the place you have as much 'hold of them' as any other tenant. You won't get money out of anyone that easy-getting a court judgement is painfully slow and expensive) and even when you have it, it's just a piece of paper! The only half decent thing you can do with it is get a judgement mortgage registered against any property they own, but wait-they're renting!I don't doubt there are nice SW tenants out there, but a landlord has no hold on them if they wreck the place and can't go after them because they have no money.
Are you refering to RAS participants or just sw tenants?Plus the fact that if I was letting my place out Under SW rules I would not be able to stop them putting who ever they wanted into it.
Sure with our 'wonderful' PRTB even a private tenant can make a complaint against you without going near a solicitor or putting their hand in their pocket! If a tenant stops paying rent (probably the worst thing apart from committing criminal damage, that they can do) then you can't legally do anything to them outside of the PRTB procedures except maybe seek an injunction in court (€€€€€€€€). If you sling a private tenant out for not paying rent for 3 months he can just go to the PRTB who will see this as an urgent case and seek an injunction (€€€€€€, even to defend yourself!) on his behalf to get him back in to your house (and possibly fine you too). The PRTB in my opinion has somewhat levelled the playing field between sw and private tenants-the landlord still gets shafted in either case when you have a bad 'un. If the PRTB never came into existence and all legal disputes between LL's and tenants still had to go through he courts then I'd see your point entirely-private tenants would have been more likely to walk away and pester someone else, but not anymore.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?