Does landlord have to replace "like for like"

Poncke

We have resolved the issue. I offered to pay 50% of the difference between the washer and washer/dryer. Cost me 100 euros, but thats 23% of the total value. I can live with that. Thanks for the advice guys.

Chattastrophe!

I wouldn't have agreed to that myself - it was her responsibility to replace, and what happens when you move out? How is it right that you've paid towards the washer-dryer for the new tenant?

If you're happy, I guess that's the main thing, though.

seamus

I guess it's the lesser of X evils. You could fight over this for months, then it leaves a sour taste for the rest of the tenancy, which is not what you want if you otherwise like where you're living.

Just remember this in future OP; don't do the landlord any favours, cos they sure as hell aren't doing you any. Do everything to the letter and insist that they do the same. E.g., if/when you move out, give them the minimum required notice, no more. Even if you move out early, don't hand over the keys until your notice period has expired.

Poncke

I know I shouldnt be doing them any favors, but it gives me peace living here. After 7 years in Ireland, I had my fare share of crap LL, and I have taken one of them to PRTB and won the case. At this place I am happy, they do respond to matters, after I push them a bit. Yes they should do more, but then again, I am here for over 3 years now, its also nice to have a bit of your own stuff in here, makes the place feel more at home you know.

The rent is really fair, at 850 for a 2 bed apartment. I have checked DAFT but at the moment there is nothing similar available under 1000 euro in my area. I dont want to move to Clonee or somewhere else remote, it will increase my travel expense.

So I think this was the best way to resolve the issue for both parties. I didnt want to end up with a PRTB case and then have to move out at the end of this lease. I am done moving, I want to stay in one place. Moving once a year, sometimes, once per 6 months is too much.

Picked my battles, and this one was resolved best way possible, because it needed to be resolved asap. This couldnt be dragged on for months. I need a washing machine

djimi

Your landlord is a cheeky prick but if the solution suits you then more power to you.

Im not sure how you are going to take 23% of your washing machine with you when you leave, but I guess thats a problem for another day!

Poncke

I know, but frankly, I dont care about that 23%. They can have it. I am not rich at all, but I cant worry about 100 euros in a few years down the line. Dont get me wrong, I value money, but I value quality of life more.

If I had moved out to another place, I would have already paid 100-150 more in the first months rent. This way, its still the cheaper solution for me.

MagicMarker

If you wanted an even cheaper solution then you should have just bought a clothes horse.

djimi

Poncke wrote: »

I know, but frankly, I dont care about that 23%. They can have it. I am not rich at all, but I cant worry about 100 euros in a few years down the line. Dont get me wrong, I value money, but I value quality of life more.

If I had moved out to another place, I would have already paid 100-150 more in the first months rent. This way, its still the cheaper solution for me.

Im only being tongue in cheek really. Things like this just really piss me off, when the likes of yourself are left out of pocket because some arsehole of a landlord cant be bothered running their business properly and think that they can get away with riding roughshod over their tenants.

Either way, you have gotten the result that you are happy with. Just keep an eye on your landlord going forward; they quite obviously dont have much of a grasp of tenancy law and have shown themselves up very badly here. Wanting to be comfortable in your situation does not mean that you have to accept being taken for a ride whenever a problem arises.

Poncke

MagicMarker wrote: »

If you wanted an even cheaper solution then you should have just bought a clothes horse.

I have one, but that doesnt work, I wouldnt have made an issue out of this if I could have done it with a clothes horse. It wasnt about the cheaper solution, it was about the need for a dryer.

Thomas D

You're lucky, keep the washer and demand a dryer. The combo units are useless.

seamus

A clothes horse is fine for someone on their own who has enough clothes that they only need to run one or two washes per week.

Once you have more than one person who are inevitably tied for time, then you're into using multiple horses to manage and before you know it half of your apartment is taken up with wet clothes.

We use our dryer sparingly, but we'd be lost without it.

djimi

Thomas D wrote: »

You're lucky, keep the washer and demand a dryer. The combo units are useless.

Agreed. Unfortunately lack of space for a seperate dryer is an issue in a lot of apartments.

MagicMarker

Poncke wrote: »

I have one, but that doesnt work, I wouldnt have made an issue out of this if I could have done it with a clothes horse. It wasnt about the cheaper solution, it was about the need for a dryer.

Doesn't work? Of course it works!

djimi

MagicMarker wrote: »

Doesn't work? Of course it works!

Clothes horses arent worth a toss in fairness, especially in apartments which dont have central heating! They are fine during the summer, and when you arent in much of a rush for something, but if you need a shirt for the next morning for example you aint going to get it dry using a clothes horse. Likewise if you are doing a lot of washing; they just cant cope with the volume.

The_Morrigan

djimi wrote: »

Your landlord is a cheeky prick but if the solution suits you then more power to you.

Im not sure how you are going to take 23% of your washing machine with you when you leave, but I guess thats a problem for another day!

djimi wrote: »

Im only being tongue in cheek really. Things like this just really piss me off, when the likes of yourself are left out of pocket because some arsehole of a landlord cant be bothered running their business properly and think that they can get away with riding roughshod over their tenants.

Either way, you have gotten the result that you are happy with. Just keep an eye on your landlord going forward; they quite obviously dont have much of a grasp of tenancy law and have shown themselves up very badly here. Wanting to be comfortable in your situation does not mean that you have to accept being taken for a ride whenever a problem arises.

djimi please watch your language

Thomas D

It's a shame that you've taken a financial hit. I can understand your pragmatism to be honest. I'd probably take the washer with me when I leave. Give it a few weeks and if you don't get your hundred back I'd sell it on adverts.

Poncke

djimi wrote: »

Clothes horses arent worth a toss in fairness, especially in apartments which dont have central heating! They are fine during the summer, and when you arent in much of a rush for something, but if you need a shirt for the next morning for example you aint going to get it dry using a clothes horse. Likewise if you are doing a lot of washing; they just cant cope with the volume.

That in bold.

Poncke

djimi wrote: »

Agreed. Unfortunately lack of space for a seperate dryer is an issue in a lot of apartments.

No room for a separate set up where I live.

MagicMarker

djimi wrote: »

Clothes horses arent worth a toss in fairness, especially in apartments which dont have central heating! They are fine during the summer, and when you arent in much of a rush for something, but if you need a shirt for the next morning for example you aint going to get it dry using a clothes horse. Likewise if you are doing a lot of washing; they just cant cope with the volume.

I share with two others, we all use a clothes horse and it's completely fine. Clothes just take a little longer to dry in this weather is all. And it's a fairly basic life skill to plan your laundry in advance so you aren't stuck for a shirt in the morning. If you can't do this then there's little hope for you.

Plus it's cheaper.

Poncke

Magic, you are missing the point, she is obliged to give me a dryer. The whole horse argument is moot.

djimi

MagicMarker wrote: »

I share with two others, we all use a clothes horse and it's completely fine. Clothes just take a little longer to dry in this weather is all. And it's a fairly basic life skill to plan your laundry in advance so you aren't stuck for a shirt in the morning. If you can't do this then there's little hope for you.

Plus it's cheaper.

Clothes take about two days to dry on a clothes horse most times of the year (again bearing in mind most apartments dont have central heating). I use one myself, and for the most part its been fine. However, there are times when I have needed to do a wash in a hurry (and even with the best planning these times will happen, a lot more than you seem to be making out), and in these times a clothes horse is completely useless.

Mrs OBumble

She's not obliged to give the OP a dryer - there is nothing illegal about hanging your washing in the front yard, the only problem is that people might be inclined to knacker it ... but that's not the LL's problem.

We have a dryer - which we use for storing things in most of the time. I think we've taken stuff out and used it as a dryer about twice in the last 12 months. Rest of the time, we (two of us) dry on a clothes horse.

And it's really not hard to dry a shirt overnight if you have to: just double-spin it in the machine, hang it on a hanger from the clothes horse, and move the clothes horse closer to the heater when you go to bed. Finish it off with the iron in the morning if necessary.

Thomas D

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

She's not obliged to give the OP a dryer - there is nothing illegal about hanging your washing in the front yard, the only problem is that people might be inclined to knacker it ... but that's not the LL's problem.

We have a dryer - which we use for storing things in most of the time. I think we've taken stuff out and used it as a dryer about twice in the last 12 months. Rest of the time, we (two of us) dry on a clothes horse.

And it's really not hard to dry a shirt overnight if you have to: just double-spin it in the machine, hang it on a hanger from the clothes horse, and move the clothes horse closer to the heater when you go to bed. Finish it off with the iron in the morning if necessary.

You are WRONG

(2) Subject to sub-article (1), there shall be provided, within the habitable
area of the house, for the exclusive use of the house:

(h) Where the house does not contain a garden or yard for the exclusive
use of that house, a dryer (vented or recirculation type).

http://www.environ.ie/en/Legislation/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,19142,en.pdf

L1011

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

She's not obliged to give the OP a dryer - there is nothing illegal about hanging your washing in the front yard, the only problem is that people might be inclined to knacker it ... but that's not the LL's problem.

If its an apartment or townhouse (which no back yard, only a small front yard would definitely suggest to me) I'd be astounded if the lease [the landlord's lease, not the OPs lease] didn't prohibit drying clothes in the front.

I've never come across a setup where you'd have a front but no back garden that isn't classed as an apartment, duplex or townhouse with a management company in place.

The_Morrigan

ThomasD please refrain from posting in that manner, it is extremely rude.

Morri

Poncke

I dont even want to hang my boxer shorts and other private stuff out to dry in the front of my house for everyone to see. lol. Its a private matter and no one's business. I would be the laughing stock of the estate. Can you imagine the postman and other people having to limbo dance my wet laundry when needing to get to my front door. What about emergency services? I only have a wall on one side, the other side its a railing of the stairs to the first floor apartments. You are not even allowed to to tie anything to the railing, let alone a clothes line. Its a ridiculous suggestion. Sorry.

By the way, a housemate once hung a few shirts and jeans to dry in front of the bedroom window on the first floor, in a previous house, and we got complaints from the neighbours. We had to keep that private. So there you go.

UCDVet

Poncke wrote: »

I dont even want to hang my boxer shorts and other private stuff out to dry in the front of my house for everyone to see. lol. Its a private matter and no one's business. I would be the laughing stock of the estate. Can you imagine the postman and other people having to limbo dance my wet laundry when needing to get to my front door. What about emergency services? I only have a wall on one side, the other side its a railing of the stairs to the first floor apartments. You are not even allowed to to tie anything to the railing, let alone a clothes line. Its a ridiculous suggestion. Sorry.

By the way, a housemate once hung a few shirts and jeans to dry in front of the bedroom window on the first floor, in a previous house, and we got complaints from the neighbours. We had to keep that private. So there you go.

I know it has to be possible and that people managed it for generations and all but....I just don't see how you'd ever get clothes dry outside. Between the rain and the wind I think it'd take me a week to try them and then another six weeks of walking around the estate looking for my clothes.

Poncke

I have never seen laundry outside a house in the front yard in the 7 years I live in Ireland. Must have been something from the auld days. Agree with the wind and rain comment. I remember the first two months of 2013 was raining continuously.

Anyhoo, happy 2014 all, on 2 January I will have my new combo.

Dublin_Mom

djimi wrote: »

Im only being tongue in cheek really. Things like this just really piss me off, when the likes of yourself are left out of pocket because some arsehole of a landlord cant be bothered running their business properly and think that they can get away with riding roughshod over their tenants.

Either way, you have gotten the result that you are happy with. Just keep an eye on your landlord going forward; they quite obviously dont have much of a grasp of tenancy law and have shown themselves up very badly here. Wanting to be comfortable in your situation does not mean that you have to accept being taken for a ride whenever a problem arises.

I totally agree, it really makes me mad how inconsiderate and basically mean some landlords are. I work with a lot of young foreign guys who pay good rent to live in an apartment. But the way some of them are treated is appalling. One young French couple had no heating in their apartment last winter. As the weeks dragged by the LL bought them a plug in electric fire. I explained to her that these are very costly to run but she said they were getting nowhere with trying to get the LL to have heating repaired.
In my opinion the PRTB is too slow to respond and has too little power. We need some type of complaints body that is way more responsive and proactive. If someone is paying their rent they should have the normal basics they are paying for, ie heat, ability to wash and dry clothes etc.
Some stories I hear are genuinely disgraceful and give such a bad impression of this country.

odds_on

(h) Where the house does not contain a garden or yard for the exclusive use of that house, a dryer (vented or recirculation type) or access to a communal dryer facility.

A front garden with no walls restricting access would not be considered as "exclusive use" as anyone could go there.

A clothes horse is not of vented nor recirculation type as these are to avoid moisture in the property.

IMHO, the Op would be entitled to deduct the amount he paid towards the combo from the next rent.