Thousands of tenants in Ireland live in squalor

murphaph

sovtek wrote: »

Thats strange every landlord I've had seems to think that I am his personal atm and that there is no responsibility on his part to provide a decent living space much less a premium living space with the premium rent he requires me to pay. I've also had a landlord start to renovate his house while 6 people were still living there (who had so for years and care more about the place than he did) so he and his trophy wife would not have to move into the kip his place had become. You complain about how long it takes to get someone that isn't paying rent to get out. Ask me how long it took to get some modicum of compensation for his numerous and blatant infringements of my rights and of the rights of the other tenants...off which he was collecting a fortune monthly. We were one of dozens. Poor agreived little stupidly rich landlords.

these guys obviously feel they can get away with extracting the urine out of you. I would have moved out if my landlord was disturbing me in my home. If people take it, some landlords will do it. If people won't take it, landlords won't do it.

Mr.Micro

Dog ignorant could be used to describe some the sharks that call themselves landlords, most probably IMO, non registered or tax compliant. A good christian country like this would one expect anything less. A pig of a letting agent once showed Mrs. Micro and myself around a place and he wanted a deposit to hold it for us, as we told him had another to look at but we were a bit desperate so Mrs. Micro gave him what was in her purse 50 euro ( I refused but Mrs Micro insisted). We looked at the other place, which turned out to be better, bigger and cheaper. The F...er refused to give our money back. I had to refund Mrs.Micro later, the gentleman that I am. I have encountered many such chancers and low lives in the renting business alas.

murphaph

Vast amounts of the renting stock is now in modern housing, built in the last 15 years. There's plenty of this type of housing available to rent in most suburban areas in Dublin at the moment. Why would anyone settle for a hovel? A room in a shared house in (say) D15 can be had for €350pm. Hardly going to break the bank. If you can't afford that you are clearly relying on the state (society) to support you, so why doesn't the state do a better job of it I wonder.

Mr.Micro

murphaph wrote: »

Vast amounts of the renting stock is now in modern housing, built in the last 15 years. There's plenty of this type of housing available to rent in most suburban areas in Dublin at the moment. Why would anyone settle for a hovel? A room in a shared house in (say) D15 can be had for €350pm. Hardly going to break the bank. If you can't afford that you are clearly relying on the state (society) to support you, so why doesn't the state do a better job of it I wonder.

If a family needs to rent then that price is about 10-1200 per month or more. Thats serious money to be paying out before bills, food etc. A mortgage would be better.

murphaph

Mr.Micro wrote: »

If a family needs to rent then that price is about 10-1200 per month or more. Thats serious money to be paying out before bills, food etc. A mortgage would be better.

But they can't get a mortgage for whatever reason or they'd have one. The (buy to let) landlord can get one, but is exposed to risk as he is then dependent on a third party (his tenant) paying his mortgage. In any case, as already noted, recent BTL landlords are often subsidising the mortgage from their own incomes. This of course means the landlord is totally dependent on the propety appreciating in value, which is poor business, but many silly people bought to let when they couldn't really make the sums add up.

cabinteelytom

Could a shakedown in the rental market be on it's way?
Many claim that a large proportion of the current housing stock is sitting vacant; and an economic downturn would motivate many owners to get their excess properties onto the rental market, to bring in some dosh.
I am extremely unhappy if the 'Rent Supplement' (or similar) is a publicly funded subsidy to lazy landlords of slum properties which merely results in extending the life of poor-quality housing stock. 'Board them up!'
The step needed now is; a simple legal means to have a dwelling condemned as unfit for habitation and not eligible for rent supplement; and let's spare the public purse (my taxes); and redistribute the tenants into the better housing stock.

murphaph

cabinteelytom wrote: »

Could a shakedown in the rental market be on it's way?
Many claim that a large proportion of the current housing stock is sitting vacant; and an economic downturn would motivate many owners to get their excess properties onto the rental market, to bring in some dosh.
I am extremely unhappy if the 'Rent Supplement' (or similar) is a publicly funded subsidy to lazy landlords of slum properties which merely results in extending the life of poor-quality housing stock. 'Board them up!'
The step needed now is; a simple legal means to have a dwelling condemned as unfit for habitation and not eligible for rent supplement; and let's spare the public purse (my taxes); and redistribute the tenants into the better housing stock.

Indeed. Of course the words "simple" and "legal" don't belong in the same sentence in this country. I wish we could abolish the common law and enact a codified system, like the continentals, particularly Germany. Clearly the minimum standards are very low as it stands. Perhaps the first thing that should be done is to increase those minimum standards. Energy testing is on the way which is a possible first step. However I would like to see more penalties against non-compliant tenants.