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landlord being a bit of a....

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  • 05-08-2012 5:32pm
    #1
    YbFocus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,480 ✭✭✭


    Hi there,
    been renting for almost a year now and house has been fine, but we have cleaned the place up since we moved in, cleaned up the garden, fixed up the fence, done a bit of repairing to a few cracked walls.
    Mowed lawns etc.
    They never needed to put their hands in their pockets once, now today I got an email from a crowd that services their water softener in the house. Now bad enough they gave then my email address, I'm being asked to pay 95 euro for an annual service.
    Am I required to pay this? Its not in the agreement or anything, maybe I'm going mad for no reason and everyone pays this kind of thng but I know plenty of people who don't do half that I do.

    What's your opinions guys?


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    #2
    TheBody
    Registered Users Posts: 5,624 ✭✭✭TheBody


    YbFocus wrote: »
    Hi there,
    been renting for almost a year now and house has been fine, but we have cleaned the place up since we moved in, cleaned up the garden, fixed up the fence, done a bit of repairing to a few cracked walls.
    Mowed lawns etc.
    They never needed to put their hands in their pockets once, now today I got an email from a crowd that services their water softener in the house. Now bad enough they gave then my email address, I'm being asked to pay 95 euro for an annual service.
    Am I required to pay this? Its not in the agreement or anything, maybe I'm going mad for no reason and everyone pays this kind of thng but I know plenty of people who don't do half that I do.

    What's your opinions guys?

    Have to talked to the landlord about it? Maybe he just passed on your contact details as he wanted you to arrange a suitable time to for the guy to service the water softener.


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    #3
    mattjack
    Registered Users Posts: 5,389 ✭✭✭mattjack


    YbFocus wrote: »
    Hi there,
    been renting for almost a year now and house has been fine, but we have cleaned the place up since we moved in, cleaned up the garden, fixed up the fence, done a bit of repairing to a few cracked walls.
    Mowed lawns etc.
    They never needed to put their hands in their pockets once, now today I got an email from a crowd that services their water softener in the house. Now bad enough they gave then my email address, I'm being asked to pay 95 euro for an annual service.
    Am I required to pay this? Its not in the agreement or anything, maybe I'm going mad for no reason and everyone pays this kind of thng but I know plenty of people who don't do half that I do.

    What's your opinions guys?

    I've seen something similar to this where I used to live , where residents were being asked to pay a charge for a green to be cut and maintained.It had started when a group of residents engaged a contractor to manage a green area , the contractor gave his price, roughly 90 euro per house, but told the residents that they were responsible for collecting it.
    Over time tenants in rental properties argued that they were not responsible for the charge using the argument that they paid rent and that covered the charge.It escalated a bit with a group of residents demanding that it be paid at the door of properties.
    Eventually a tenant spoke to a solicitor who suggested that residents could ask for the charge to be paid, but could not demand that it be paid.


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    #4
    Lyn256
    Registered Users Posts: 857 ✭✭✭Lyn256


    I would have thought that this would be the responsibility of the landlord-like boiler servicing and so on.
    I know that if it was me-I'd expect my landlord to pay


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    #5
    Pkiernan
    Registered Users Posts: 4,310 ✭✭✭Pkiernan


    YbFocus wrote: »
    Hi there,
    been renting for almost a year now and house has been fine, but we have cleaned the place up since we moved in, cleaned up the garden, fixed up the fence, done a bit of repairing to a few cracked walls.
    Mowed lawns etc.
    They never needed to put their hands in their pockets once, now today I got an email from a crowd that services their water softener in the house. Now bad enough they gave then my email address, I'm being asked to pay 95 euro for an annual service.
    Am I required to pay this? Its not in the agreement or anything, maybe I'm going mad for no reason and everyone pays this kind of thng but I know plenty of people who don't do half that I do.

    What's your opinions guys?

    1. You are not obligated to pay this charge. I would ignore this email.

    2. You LL is in violation of the Data Protection Act if he has given your information to a 3rd party without your permission.


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    #6
    YbFocus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,480 ✭✭✭YbFocus


    TheBody wrote: »
    Have to talked to the landlord about it? Maybe he just passed on your contact details as he wanted you to arrange a suitable time to for the guy to service the water softener.

    No no it was made quite clear to us that it would be us paying.
    The landlord is now in America and takes a couple of days to answer emails, waiting to see what they say!


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    #7
    TheBody
    Registered Users Posts: 5,624 ✭✭✭TheBody


    YbFocus wrote: »
    No no it was made quite clear to us that it would be us paying.
    The landlord is now in America and takes a couple of days to answer emails, waiting to see what they say!

    No way is it your responsibility. I certaintly wouldn't pay it anyway.


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    #8
    YbFocus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,480 ✭✭✭YbFocus


    Pkiernan wrote: »
    1. You are not obligated to pay this charge. I would ignore this email.

    2. You LL is in violation of the Data Protection Act if he has given your information to a 3rd party without your permission.

    I was thinking that she couldnt just throw my email address around!!

    I often hear of many landlords always keeping in good contact with friends of mine, going out of there way to keep the place tip top, just annoys me when we haven't caused any trouble and actually fixed the place up while we're here that they think they can just chance their arm with this.
    Is there anywhere that it says I dont have to pay for stuff like this? I'd like to get a look at it myself :)


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    #9
    dearg lady
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭dearg lady


    YbFocus wrote: »
    No no it was made quite clear to us that it would be us paying.
    The landlord is now in America and takes a couple of days to answer emails, waiting to see what they say!

    OT, but there is a tax implication if your landlord is non resident, you may already know this, but rent should be paid less tax, and teh tax portion sent to revenue.


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    #10
    YbFocus
    Registered Users Posts: 8,480 ✭✭✭YbFocus


    dearg lady wrote: »
    YbFocus wrote: »
    No no it was made quite clear to us that it would be us paying.
    The landlord is now in America and takes a couple of days to answer emails, waiting to see what they say!

    OT, but there is a tax implication if your landlord is non resident, you may already know this, but rent should be paid less tax, and teh tax portion sent to revenue.

    Oh God I didn't realise this! I'm here 9 months now and always sent them every cent!


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    #11
    mdebets
    Registered Users Posts: 1,747 ✭✭✭mdebets


    YbFocus wrote: »
    Oh God I didn't realise this! I'm here 9 months now and always sent them every cent!
    Then I would get into contact with Treshold asap., to figure out what to do about it. Revenue will come after you (not the landlord) for the tax you should have withold.


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    #12
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    Pay the charge and deduct it from the rent. Let them know why the rent is short. If the landlord kicks off, then gently 'remind' her of the tax obligation....


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    #13
    dearg lady
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭dearg lady


    YbFocus wrote: »
    Oh God I didn't realise this! I'm here 9 months now and always sent them every cent!

    A lot of people don't, it really should be better publicised!
    mdebets wrote: »
    Then I would get into contact with Treshold asap., to figure out what to do about it. Revenue will come after you (not the landlord) for the tax you should have withold.

    I'd agree, contact threshold or citizens advice, I'm sure they can tell you what's the best way to put it right, I would imagine it's a common enough mistake.


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    #14
    djmcr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 237 ✭✭djmcr


    YbFocus wrote: »
    Oh God I didn't realise this! I'm here 9 months now and always sent them every cent!

    If you withhold the next three months then that should equate to 25 % of total rent you would have paid


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    #15
    dearg lady
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭dearg lady


    djmcr wrote: »
    If you withhold the next three months then that should equate to 25 % of total rent you would have paid

    I think it's at the standard rate, so 20%, but yes, this is probably the best course of action, to withhold rent to make up the 20%


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