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Renting and no options left - Help

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  • 28-01-2013 5:19pm
    #1
    sparky89
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭


    Sorry if this is the wrong section

    Hi all, I've been living in the house i am in now for 6 months and when i moved in all seemed to be fine and the house was in good condition and I was assured there was no mold or damp. I was also told by the landlord if there was any problems he would fix them. Not long after we moved in patches of damp started to appear in odd places and mold and mil-due started to appear in large amounts. The house is a three bedroom and there is mold and damp on every wall in the house, we have said it over and over again to the landlord but he is not willing to spend money on the house, Also the gutters were falling off the house and over the bad weather and wind we have had they finally gave up and fell off the house, he did however replace them but there is still problems with the outside of the house. The toilet get blocked every few weeks and we have to unblock it our selves due to a collapsed and pipes under the house. There is mold under the carpet in the hall and a damp smell, we do not have access to the front door as we have no key and there is no fire blankets or fire alarms in the house.
    The mold problem in the bathroom was very bad, over the Christmas we cleaned the mold with mold remover and painted it with damp proof paint but now the mold is back in the bathroom and the landlord has showed no signs of even suggesting to help fix it. There is mold behind our food presses and a smell of damp coming from the cupboards.
    I have lost two bedroom lockers and a wardrobe due to the mold spreading onto the furniture, I showed the landlord and he never even said sorry. The walls in the house are wet to touch and the paint comes off when you rub it. i have sat a dried the walls with my hairdryer and it keeps coming back.
    I also received a mad ESB bill in the post just before Christmas and for €250 and we had noticed that the landlord has been using our power to run his electric fence around his field at the back of our house, I contacted the landlord about this and his response was, ah sure that would only cost a few euro and he is still using our power, He is also using our water tank to feed his cattle water witch mean sometimes we have no water because he has emptied the tank . we are paying €475 per month for this house and it is causing a lot of sleepless night and fights between me and my partner and unwanted stress as we are both young and jobless and can not afford to move again.
    I have had the council out to insect the house and the landlord has received the letter with the problems he is to fix , He called t the house last night accusing me of reporting him and said he was very angry about it and if it is going to cost him money to fix the problems he is either going to ask us to leave or put up the price of the rent. We can not afford to pay anymore rent or afford to move again , so if we are asked to leave we will be left homeless

    Can anyone advise me on what to do and what my options are and if there is help to get another house if we are asked to leave


Comments

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    #2
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,300 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    sparky89 wrote: »
    Sorry if this is the wrong section
    Correct section. Landlord sounds like an arsehole.
    sparky89 wrote: »
    The house is a three bedroom and there is mold and damp on every wall in the house, we have said it over and over again to the landlord but he is not willing to spend money on the house
    Short term solution; get a decent plug power dehumidifier form somewhere like Argos.
    sparky89 wrote: »
    we do not have access to the front door as we have no key and there is no fire blankets or fire alarms in the house.
    Fire hazard. Read this and see if any of it would help you.
    sparky89 wrote: »
    I also received a mad ESB bill in the post just before Christmas and for €250 and we had noticed that the landlord has been using our power to run his electric fence around his field at the back of our house
    sparky89 wrote: »
    He is also using our water tank to feed his cattle water witch mean sometimes we have no water because he has emptied the tank
    Talk to Threshold about these two.
    sparky89 wrote: »
    He called t the house last night accusing me of reporting him and said he was very angry about it and if it is going to cost him money to fix the problems he is either going to ask us to leave or put up the price of the rent.
    Talk to Threshold, and if you're from around that general area, contact a local TD as well. If he illegally evicts you, sue him for all that he is worth.

    =-=

    He wants a war; give him a war, tbh.


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    #3
    sparky89
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭sparky89


    Hi thankyou for your reply
    can you please tell me what you mean by 'Threshold'


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    #4
    the world wonders
    Registered Users Posts: 489 ✭✭the world wonders


    sparky89 wrote: »
    Hi thankyou for your reply
    can you please tell me what you mean by 'Threshold'

    Threshold - The National Housing Charity


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    #5
    sparky89
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭sparky89


    the world wonders wrote: »
    Threshold - The National Housing Charity

    Thank you, I have contacted them


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    #6
    djimi
    Registered Users Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    Are you on a fixed term lease? If not then move out; its not worth the hassle.


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    #7
    sparky89
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭sparky89


    djimi wrote: »
    Are you on a fixed term lease? If not then move out; its not worth the hassle.

    its a one year lease and its not up till june but if i give a months notice i can leave but the problem is i cant afford it


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    #8
    StillWaters
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,799 ✭✭✭StillWaters


    sparky89 wrote: »

    its a one year lease and its not up till june but if i give a months notice i can leave but the problem is i cant afford it
    Whilst you cant move out without forfeiting your deposit before June , equally the landlord cannot ask you to move or raise the rent before June.

    However the problems sound quite severe, and will probably cost a fair bit to remedy, which to be honest I cant see your Landlord doing.

    I do think in the circumstances the Landlord will allow you break the lease, and possibly give you your deposit back, to avoid any more hassle. I think thats your best course of action.

    By the way he is right about the electric fence, it would only be a couple of euro .


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    #9
    sparky89
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭sparky89


    By the way he is right about the electric fence, it would only be a couple of euro .[/QUOTE]

    Thats not the point that my couple of euro he is using and the land is fairly big, i know nuting about farming but i do know he wrong is using my power


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    #10
    thesiren
    Registered Users Posts: 92 ✭✭thesiren


    "He called t the house last night accusing me of reporting him and said he was very angry about it and if it is going to cost him money to fix the problems he is either going to ask us to leave or put up the price of the rent. "

    As far as I am aware, this is illegal. By law (correct me if I'm wrong), a landlord cannot raise the rent in retaliation for a tenant asserting their rights. You have a right to live in a clean, damp-free house, where he is not using your electricity and refusing to pay for it. Regardless of how much it costs for this fence, you should not have to pay for it.

    The only thing I would suggest is that telling him you know he can't legally raise the rent, and that if it is going to cost him money to fix the problems then you are happy to move out but he must pay you your deposit, it's only fair after everything that has happened.


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    #11
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,300 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    If the LL mentions about you having to leave, tell him that either he A) pays you back your deposit up front, or B) you'll sue him for illegal eviction.

    Oh, and take lots of photos of this sh|t hole, for future and/or legal reasons.


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    #12
    StillWaters
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,799 ✭✭✭StillWaters


    I'd imagine the LL will give the deposit back. I'd say he just wants OP out at this stage.

    The problem here is OP wants to stay, and LL is saying he can't fix the issues without raising the rent. What happens now regarding the letter that came from the Council? Is there a time limit by which he must rectify issues, and if not I presume he can no longer rent the property?

    TBH I doubt it'll be worth his while fixing the issues. This sounds like an old homestead on a farm? It'll cost a fortune to damp proof it and bring it up to standard the council want.


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    #13
    sparky89
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭sparky89


    Thanks for the advise, we are on the lookout for a new house but we are still unsure of what the landlord plans are as he has yet to call back to the house, since them i have sent in a council house application with photograph evidence of the house we are in now


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    #14
    goat2
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    get out now, look for somewhere that is easy heat and keep, and you should not be keeping a leccly fence going, it is costing you money,
    get your deposit,
    he is breaking the rules, damp cold house, asking you to pay his bill of the fence,
    it is easy to find a good place
    but it is hard for a landlord to find good tenants, and if you are a good tenant, you are like gold to a landlord, and you deserve respect,


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