Rent allowance tenants not paying rent

Ima lurker

Hi All
We have tenants (family of 7) renting a house from us and they are not paying their rent.
Currently they are 6 weeks behind. They are in the house since May and are in receipt of rent allowance. What are the best steps to take to get what is owed to us or get these people out? There is lots of advice for tenants out there but difficult to get landlords rights advice.

JMJR

is the tenancy registered with the Private Tenancies Registration Board?
www.prtb.ie
I think that they have a faq section.
John

Ima lurker

yes tenancy is registered, had a look at the prtb site but no luck finding any info,
thanks for reply

brianwalshcork

Hello Ima Lurker,

Are your tenants having genuine difficulty paying you at the moment, or have they just decided to stop paying rent?

Have you spoken to them to see if they intend to pay? If yes, and they are reasonable then you might be able to work things out. If not, then contact your solicitor, and start the process to get an eviction order - which could take months and months while the tenants continue to live rent free.

Brian

Ima lurker

thanks Brian for your reply, while I don't know for sure, I feel they may be trying it on. Is there any point going to the community welfare officer as they are on rent allowance?

January

I'd maybe give the Social Welfare Officer/CWO a ring and ask if they're cheques are being issued or is there some kind of delay. If you know they've received the cheques then they're just trying it on. It may not be their fault.

seancoistine

I've head stories where tenants played the system and stayed for years. You will be lucky when they go and do'nt expect to see any back money.

D3PO

speak to them firstly to understand whats happening. maybe there is a delay in their rent allowance application.

Also contact their CWO to check out their story.

Furthermore if your going to take somebody with rent allowance in future insist the money is paid from the welfare direct to you rather than to the tennants.

seahorse

Ima lurker wrote: »

Is there any point going to the community welfare officer as they are on rent allowance?

Yes, that is exactly who you should be contacting, since the rent allowance cheques are paid through the CWO.

Ima lurker

I rang the CWO. He said he never heard of them! There doesn't seem to be any formal means for the landlord to make contact with the CWO but this guy was helpful enough. Lies from these tenants seem to be unending, this morning I received a text from them saying CWO will be off sick for at least a week. I think I have been suckered by people playing the system.
Today I contacted the PRTB for advice and then delivered letter requesting outstanding rent by 14 days to tenants. This involved unanswered phone calls, numerous texts from tenants to put me off delivering letter and promises of sending back letter via post in a few days if I just dropped it in the letter box.
I feel really annoyed that I have to put myself through so much stress to effectively loose money and its not over yet.
The PRTB need to address the laws to equalize rights for fair and honest landlords.

D3PO

lurker i feel for you here. This forum so often is critical and bemoaning of bad landlords, and this example jsut goes to show there are terrible tennants out there aswell.

All you can do is start eviction proceedings and chalk it down to experience.

And people on here immediatly assume a landlord that doesnt want tennants on rent allowance is a tax evader :rolleyes: Is it any wonder why they dont want to deal with this s**t ?

Calina

D3PO wrote: »

And people on here immediatly assume a landlord that doesnt want tennants on rent allowance is a tax evader :rolleyes: Is it any wonder why they dont want to deal with this s**t ?

no, it's the ones who don't want to register with the PRTB who set off my warning signals.

I'd also add that Threshold provide advice for landlords as well as for tenants and in the future, they may be worth consulting.

hobochris

Ima lurker wrote: »

I rang the CWO. He said he never heard of them! There doesn't seem to be any formal means for the landlord to make contact with the CWO but this guy was helpful enough. Lies from these tenants seem to be unending, this morning I received a text from them saying CWO will be off sick for at least a week. I think I have been suckered by people playing the system.
Today I contacted the PRTB for advice and then delivered letter requesting outstanding rent by 14 days to tenants. This involved unanswered phone calls, numerous texts from tenants to put me off delivering letter and promises of sending back letter via post in a few days if I just dropped it in the letter box.
I feel really annoyed that I have to put myself through so much stress to effectively loose money and its not over yet.
The PRTB need to address the laws to equalize rights for fair and honest landlords.

I would send the letter via registered post to be sure you can prove they got it.

whizzbang

hobochris wrote: »

I would send the letter via registered post to be sure you can prove they got it.

What happens if they don't answer the door to the post man? Or say the person on the address is not in?

Ima lurker

hand delivered the letter and got tenant to sign copy, which I kept, it wasn't easy.
Even after giving them a letter to pay the rent arrers which they get 14 days to do I then have to given them 28 days notice after that to move out, which then means that I am out another 6 weeks rent, assuming they don't pay, at that stage I am out rent for 12 weeks! and then after that if they do not move I have to go to the expense of getting a solicitor to remove them, which could take months.
I am an ordinary Joe Soap who lost my job in January and I am paying the mortage on that house while they are living rent free at my expense!

c montgomery

Im currently struggling with the mortagae and was thinking about renting out the house until i read this thread.
This was always my one fear about renting out the house and i really feel sorry for your troubles.
It seems in this country that when you do the right thing you get stung. If your a good for nothing scab, you get rent allowance,dole etc,etc,etc.

firesidechat

To protect yourself from any more headaches check if ESB and GAS are in your name or the tenants name.
If they are in you'r name you are liabel for any charges that they accumulate.
It is a very frustrating position you are in .Make sure every move you make is within the law, You can rest assured that they know the system and are only waiting for you to make a wrong move.I wish you luck.

Victor

c montgomery wrote: »

Im currently struggling with the mortagae and was thinking about renting out the house until i read this thread.
This was always my one fear about renting out the house and i really feel sorry for your troubles.
It seems in this country that when you do the right thing you get stung. If your a good for nothing scab, you get rent allowance,dole etc,etc,etc.

Read the thread, don't just add your own rant. Warning issued.

If the CWO wasn't aware of them, they weren't gettting rent allowance.

Now theres an idea. Talk to the tenant, both of you go along to the CWO and explain the situation and see if the CWO can pay them something.