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Curiosity: disclosing name of landlord

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  • 23-06-2014 12:57pm
    #1
    H3llR4iser
    Registered Users Posts: 4,028 ✭✭✭


    Hello all,

    I have just been back on the market, looking for a new place to rent; One thing that struck me is how every single agency refuses to disclose who the landlord of a property is before you actually sign a contract.

    If I am buying goods or services, I want to know who I am buying them from, as I might base my choice based on previous experience. If you buy a laptop and it's good, you're likely to buy another one from the same vendor; When you bring your car in for service and the garage does a fine job, you're likely to go there again. Should the laptop turn dodgy, or the mechanic just pretend to turn a few bolts and charge 500 euro, you'd look to spend the money somewhere else next time.

    As renting is technically a business where the tenant buys a service from the landlord, it makes no sense to me that the identity of the latter is only disclosed after significant commitment to the transaction had been made (deposit, documentation etc.). I guess there will be some vaguely believable claim about protecting the landlord's privacy and so on involved, but in truth It simply seems like a way of offering market opportunities to bad landlords...


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    #2
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,867 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    H3llR4iser wrote: »
    Hello all,

    I have just been back on the market, looking for a new place to rent; One thing that struck me is how every single agency refuses to disclose who the landlord of a property is before you actually sign a contract.

    If I am buying goods or services, I want to know who I am buying them from, as I might base my choice based on previous experience. If you buy a laptop and it's good, you're likely to buy another one from the same vendor; When you bring your car in for service and the garage does a fine job, you're likely to go there again. Should the laptop turn dodgy, or the mechanic just pretend to turn a few bolts and charge 500 euro, you'd look to spend the money somewhere else next time.

    As renting is technically a business where the tenant buys a service from the landlord, it makes no sense to me that the identity of the latter is only disclosed after significant commitment to the transaction had been made (deposit, documentation etc.). I guess there will be some vaguely believable claim about protecting the landlord's privacy and so on involved, but in truth It simply seems like a way of offering market opportunities to bad landlords...

    Think you hit it on the head there. The agency won't care who they're dealing with as long as they get their cut.

    The other issue is that while you're entirely correct that renting is a professional business/service, far too many people (on all sides of the transaction) don't see it like that, and in the absence of EFFECTIVE regulation they pretty much can - and do - do what they like.

    Unfortunately, as this is unlikely to change anytime soon, this means that you will have to take your chances I'm afraid.

    For what it's worth I completely agree with you and thankfully I've never had to deal with an agency in Dublin as I don't think I'd have the patience for what I read here.


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    #3
    davesangel
    Registered Users Posts: 66 ✭✭davesangel


    I completely agree with both of you. I have rented a few properties directly from the owner/landlord, and a few from agencies, and the agencies don't care. It's usually the way that with agencies, if you have a problem then it'll take ages to get it fixed, whereas if it is the landlord then it's more likely to get solved (except my current one). In fact, with one agency-let property, I was waiting ages on something getting fixed (damp/mold which caused actual fungi to grow beneath the units of the kitchen!) I ran into the landlord one day randomly and he hadn't even heard about the issue and said that if he'd been given my details by the agency then he would have been straight round to fix it himself.

    It really does feel sometimes that everything is biased against those who are renting in Dublin.


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    #4
    vandriver
    Registered Users Posts: 3,462 ✭✭✭vandriver


    Surely an agency won't give out the landlords name in case you contact him directly, and cut a better deal leaving the agency and it's commission out of it?


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    #5
    pc7
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 14,121 Mod ✭✭✭✭pc7


    I had a RA tenant and on one of the forms I was required to fill in my name/home address etc. Now they knew my name but no way did I want them knowing my home address. I told Social Welfare this and they let me tell them directly. If you are dealing with an estate agent that's who is getting paid to deal with you not the landlord.


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    #6
    Phil_Lives
    Closed Accounts Posts: 228 ✭✭Phil_Lives


    Land Registry will show the owner of a particular property.
    Visiting Land Registry office takes time that you can't afford.


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    #7
    pc7
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 14,121 Mod ✭✭✭✭pc7


    I think you can search PRTB by address?? that would show you if there was a dispute at the address (not 100% sure though)


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    #8
    Lemlin
    Registered Users Posts: 22,249 ✭✭✭✭Lemlin


    H3llR4iser wrote: »
    Hello all,

    I have just been back on the market, looking for a new place to rent; One thing that struck me is how every single agency refuses to disclose who the landlord of a property is before you actually sign a contract.

    If I am buying goods or services, I want to know who I am buying them from, as I might base my choice based on previous experience. If you buy a laptop and it's good, you're likely to buy another one from the same vendor; When you bring your car in for service and the garage does a fine job, you're likely to go there again. Should the laptop turn dodgy, or the mechanic just pretend to turn a few bolts and charge 500 euro, you'd look to spend the money somewhere else next time.

    As renting is technically a business where the tenant buys a service from the landlord, it makes no sense to me that the identity of the latter is only disclosed after significant commitment to the transaction had been made (deposit, documentation etc.). I guess there will be some vaguely believable claim about protecting the landlord's privacy and so on involved, but in truth It simply seems like a way of offering market opportunities to bad landlords...

    I myself believe it is because the agency is afraid that they will be cut out of the transaction and lose their own fee. As a landlord myself, I've dealt with agencies and they often give very few details about the name of the tenant until contracts are signed. For example, they will tell you the age, employment status, if they have pets etc. but will not disclose a full name.

    In this age of Facebook and social media, it can be remarkably easy to track someone by a name so I don't really blame them.


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