To HAP or not HAP that is the question?

Moyglish

OK, so a family member has a bit of a dilemma, they're an unwitting landlord through unfortunate circumstances and as a result of another family member becoming incapacitated, they have been lumped with looking after a house and all rental duties etc..

The house has recently become idle and a family friend is desperate to move in as they are under pressure from their current landlord to leave where they are.

The family friend will be going onto HAP however the unwitting landlord isn't too au fait with the whole process and whilst would love to help the family friend, is afraid of making unnecessary problems and headaches for themselves.

House is tax compliant, registered with PRTB and all above board in that sense. However the house was rented well below market rate for the past few years, ie. If similar houses in the are were going €1000 PCM, the house was going €500

Unwitting landlord wants to know if it will be a major hassle getting the HAP payments paid directly to them and not the house owner, as the owner is currently incapacitated and the unwitting landlord has been acting as landlord /agent ever since.

The house is currently registered with the PRTB with the monthly rent at say €500, will getting HAP involved open up a can of worms if they want to try and bring the rental up to more market value rate of say €1000 PCM?

Rent was never increased prior to the Rent Pressure Zones being introduced due to owners Ill health and now it would appear that it cannot be raised more than 4% despite it being less than half the market going rate, which seems rather unfair but that's another day's work..

Any pitfalls to be made aware of in this scenario in taking on a HAP tenant? Unwitting landlord ideally would prefer to get in complete strangers, who wouldn't be on the HAP scheme, but on saying that, would like to help the family friend HAP tenant out if it wasn't going to create too many undue headaches with regards to paper work, increasing the rent and house inspections etc.. (house is fully up to standard but they're wary of inspectors coming out looking for problems and general nit picking..

Anything else they should be looking into or may not have thought of?

Any advice would be gratefully received as they're in a quandary over what to do at present and the family friend is keen on answer.

Thanks all.

Graces7

As far as I know, a landlord cannot legally refuse an HAP tenant for being on HAP,

Moyglish wrote: »

OK, so a family member has a bit of a dilemma, they're an unwitting landlord through unfortunate circumstances and as a result of another family member becoming incapacitated, they have been lumped with looking after a house and all rental duties etc..

The house has recently become idle and a family friend is desperate to move in as they are under pressure from their current landlord to leave where they are.

The family friend will be going onto HAP however the unwitting landlord isn't too au fait with the whole process and whilst would love to help the family friend, is afraid of making unnecessary problems and headaches for themselves.

House is tax compliant, registered with PRTB and all above board in that sense. However the house was rented well below market rate for the past few years, ie. If similar houses in the are were going €1000 PCM, the house was going €500

Unwitting landlord wants to know if it will be a major hassle getting the HAP payments paid directly to them and not the house owner, as the owner is currently incapacitated and the unwitting landlord has been acting as landlord /agent ever since.

The house is currently registered with the PRTB with the monthly rent at say €500, will getting HAP involved open up a can of worms if they want to try and bring the rental up to more market value rate of say €1000 PCM?

Rent was never increased prior to the Rent Pressure Zones being introduced due to owners Ill health and now it would appear that it cannot be raised more than 4% despite it being less than half the market going rate, which seems rather unfair but that's another day's work..

Any pitfalls to be made aware of in this scenario in taking on a HAP tenant? Unwitting landlord ideally would prefer to get in complete strangers, who wouldn't be on the HAP scheme, but on saying that, would like to help the family friend HAP tenant out if it wasn't going to create too many undue headaches with regards to paper work, increasing the rent and house inspections etc.. (house is fully up to standard but they're wary of inspectors coming out looking for problems and general nit picking..

Anything else they should be looking into or may not have thought of?

Any advice would be gratefully received as they're in a quandary over what to do at present and the family friend is keen on answer.

Thanks all.

Mrs OBumble

Graces7 wrote: »

As far as I know, a landlord cannot legally refuse an HAP tenant for being on HAP,

LL can refuse to take a family friend though: it's not a good idea to mix this type of business with friendships.

Just don't blame the refusal on HAP.

LionelNashe

Sounds like the unwitting landlord wants to avoid taking a HAP tenant so that they can illegally raise the rent beyond the 4% limit. That's just messing, and any consequences will rebound on the incapacitated owner if it comes to light, who can probably do without the stress.

amcalester

Time to do some renovations so that the LL can charge the market rate.

Or, if the rent is at 50% market rate stick it on the Daft and take the best tenant available, at that price the LL will have their pick.

No point having the worst of both worlds, low rent and increased paperwork/administration etc that goes with a HAP tenant.

Glass fused light

Dont do business with a family friend unless all of the family are willing to fall out with all of the renters family.

The family member needs legal advice as to the options available.
They need to be clear as to,their responsibility when acting for the family member as well as being an agent for the LL business plus the tax and RTB

If it's 50% below mv it can be off the market for 6 months and still make the same return for the next 6 if the rent can increase. So If the house has no occupants can a family member move in and break the embargo on the rent etc

Graces7

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

LL can refuse to take a family friend though: it's not a good idea to mix this type of business with friendships.

Just don't blame the refusal on HAP.

casuistry that would not stand up with RTB

amcalester

Glass fused light wrote: »

Dont do business with a family friend unless all of the family are willing to fall out with all of the renters family.

The family member needs legal advice as to the options available.
They need to be clear as to,their responsibility when acting for the family member as well as being an agent for the LL business plus the tax and RTB

If it's 50% below mv it can be off the market for 6 months and still make the same return for the next 6 if the rent can increase. So If the house has no occupants can a family member move in and break the embargo on the rent etc

I think it’s 2 years it had to be off the market for the restriction to be lifted.

GGTrek

Moyglish wrote: »

OK, so a family member has a bit of a dilemma, they're an unwitting landlord through unfortunate circumstances and as a result of another family member becoming incapacitated, they have been lumped with looking after a house and all rental duties etc..

The house has recently become idle and a family friend is desperate to move in as they are under pressure from their current landlord to leave where they are.

The family friend will be going onto HAP however the unwitting landlord isn't too au fait with the whole process and whilst would love to help the family friend, is afraid of making unnecessary problems and headaches for themselves.

House is tax compliant, registered with PRTB and all above board in that sense. However the house was rented well below market rate for the past few years, ie. If similar houses in the are were going €1000 PCM, the house was going €500

Unwitting landlord wants to know if it will be a major hassle getting the HAP payments paid directly to them and not the house owner, as the owner is currently incapacitated and the unwitting landlord has been acting as landlord /agent ever since.

The house is currently registered with the PRTB with the monthly rent at say €500, will getting HAP involved open up a can of worms if they want to try and bring the rental up to more market value rate of say €1000 PCM?

Rent was never increased prior to the Rent Pressure Zones being introduced due to owners Ill health and now it would appear that it cannot be raised more than 4% despite it being less than half the market going rate, which seems rather unfair but that's another day's work..

Any pitfalls to be made aware of in this scenario in taking on a HAP tenant? Unwitting landlord ideally would prefer to get in complete strangers, who wouldn't be on the HAP scheme, but on saying that, would like to help the family friend HAP tenant out if it wasn't going to create too many undue headaches with regards to paper work, increasing the rent and house inspections etc.. (house is fully up to standard but they're wary of inspectors coming out looking for problems and general nit picking..

Anything else they should be looking into or may not have thought of?

Any advice would be gratefully received as they're in a quandary over what to do at present and the family friend is keen on answer.

Thanks all.

OP, I shall give you my point of view (I am a landlord of a few properties). Your post is packed full of very bad ideas on multiple fronts from a business point of view:

1) Massive error: mixing family friends with business is a recipe for disaster which will very likely cause BIG family issues down the line and recriminations (happened to me in a different context/country). These people being family friend will always expect a favourable treatment down the line (I can think about a lot of stupid requests and missing/late payments even if well below market rate,  ...) even if they have been handed a big present (paying half the market rent!). On the long term this will be deleterious to the tenancy and to your relationship with your family and with the Irish law being so favourable to the tenant, the landlord will pay dearly for this error. Good deeds never go unpunished in Irish tenancies! The govvie will make sure of that!

2) Renting to a desperate person is never a good business idea. Desperate people should go to social services, this is their job, it is not the landlord's job. Have you have ever seen a bank loaning money to desperate people needing money! When they did it last time they caused a massive crisis in Ireland. Well you are the bank now and the loan is the property. Think about it in this way.

3) Screw HAP. I shall tell it in very uncertain terms, the discrimination law is an abuse of the Irish govvie on landlords and if taken to the highest courts would probably be considered uncostitutional since any business should be able do discriminate on economic grounds. It is convenient socialist/communist thinking in the making from a lazy government that does not want to build social housing. From a business point of view is absolutely a no go, since you will sign totally loopsided terms with a public entity that will expect a lot from you (recurrent inspections from obtuse council inspector which will 99% fail and will cost you a lot of money to rectify unless you know the law well and you threaten them back), council will pay you (well) in arrears and will discharge the whole credit risk of an unpaying tenant on you. Personally I do not like receiving money from the government or any public entity (especially the Irish govvie), I just want the public leeches to leave me in peace.

My strong suggestion: get rid of this do-gooder bad business idea. You have three options:

1) Put the property on the open market and select working professionals with good references (who also need property to rent and have to commute long distances because of all these voluntarily unemployed people staying put in places close to where there is work). Since it is a few years that rent is not increased, the OP can peform no renovations to the property and increase rent more than 4% (for example 8% if 4 years without increases), the exact calculation depends on the number of years rent has not been increased, please use this calculator: https://onestopshop.rtb.ie/calculator/rpz

2) Perform a substantial renovation of the property (this will be a major hassle) while vacant and re-rent it at market rate

3) Probably the best option at the moment: if the property is a house or decently sized apartment where a family can live, sell it on the open market to an owner occupier. In this way you will get rid of all the problems that the current Irish government is causing to landlords.
I know the usual socialists/communists in this forum will crucify my post (one of them has already posted in this thread with her dogooder nonsense and great ignorance of the legal process), but I revel in their disdain. :D

There were some good posts in this thread that also said that you should avoid this family friend and avoid the worst of both worlds. If you want to help your family friends, you could do the following: hand him over the deposit for a property as a present without expecting any thanks. In the long term it will be way less hassle and will not cause relationship issues in your family.

Del2005

Graces7 wrote: »

casuistry that would not stand up with RTB

The house won't confirm with HAP standards and there's nothing, yet, to force landlords to make the house meet HAP standards. So they can easily refuse HAP on the basis that the house won't meet the standards required for HAP.

mikemac2

Don’t rent to the family friend

If circumstances change in a few years and a decision is made to sell or something else the tenant and their family will paint your family as the devil.

If ye do want to go down the HAP road well I’m sure there are many in that area who would love to take on the house and would be fantastic tenants.

GGTrek

Del2005 wrote: »

Graces7 wrote: »

casuistry that would not stand up with RTB

The house won't confirm with HAP standards and there's nothing, yet, to force landlords to make the house meet HAP standards.  So they can easily refuse HAP on the basis that the house won't meet the standards required for HAP.

Just to show the ignorance of the original poster about the legal process, the RTB has no jurisdiction about discrimination cases. Such cases should be taken to the Workplace Relations Commission which is a totally different body:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/enforcement_and_redress/equality_tribunal.html
"The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) now deals with all complaints of discrimination in employment and access to goods and services."
A quick look at the news also makes this clear: https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2017/0821/898813-housing-assistance-payment-case/
"Three tenants have been awarded compensation after the Workplace Relations Commission found they had been discriminated against by a landlord who refused to accept the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). (this was to extend the tenancy)" My view in this case was that the landlord should have appealed to a less biased court (the WRC is another RTB always very pro-plaintiff) and get the expansion of such such powers reversed or even better reverse the whole shenanigan: http://workplacerelations.ie/en/Appeals/ As usual the problem with such appeals is money for legal expenses and probably the landlord was on his own, while the tenants had the support of a public funded institution like FLAC.
The  main problem in this forum is that ideology often obfuscates the mind and it is very difficult to have a serious discussion afterwards. Even worse when this ideology is translated into legal cases.

ted1

You register a tenancy not a house. So as it’s empty it’s nit registered with the prtb

Why do the friends have to leave their existing place?

What happens when the friend says. Here buddy can I pay you the rent next month as you know it’s herself birthday.

Don’t mix family or friendships with business

the_syco

Moyglish wrote: »

The house has recently become idle and a family friend is desperate to move in as they are under pressure from their current landlord to leave where they are.

Why does their current LL want them out?

Mooooo

With regard to rent etc being paid to friend who does not own the house due to owners being out of action, that would need to be put on a legal footing. Depending on whether or not the owner is capable of making the decision. If they can it should be straight forward but if owner is mentally unable to, ie Alzheimer's, some other issue such as being in coma after an accident etc, then not so straight forward

1eg0a3xv7b82of

good advice. basically you would want to have a masochistic streak to be a landlord in todays climate.
Either sell it or go air bnb.

Air bandb is the only way to make any real money out of a rental property.
I know revenue are getting sticking their snouts in but there is a few years left in it yet.

GGTrek wrote: »

OP, I shall give you my point of view (I am a landlord of a few properties). Your post is packed full of very bad ideas on multiple fronts from a business point of view:

1) Massive error: mixing family friends with business is a recipe for disaster which will very likely cause BIG family issues down the line and recriminations (happened to me in a different context/country). These people being family friend will always expect a favourable treatment down the line (I can think about a lot of stupid requests and missing/late payments even if well below market rate, ...) even if they have been handed a big present (paying half the market rent!). On the long term this will be deleterious to the tenancy and to your relationship with your family and with the Irish law being so favourable to the tenant, the landlord will pay dearly for this error. Good deeds never go unpunished in Irish tenancies! The govvie will make sure of that!

2) Renting to a desperate person is never a good business idea. Desperate people should go to social services, this is their job, it is not the landlord's job. Have you have ever seen a bank loaning money to desperate people needing money! When they did it last time they caused a massive crisis in Ireland. Well you are the bank now and the loan is the property. Think about it in this way.

3) Screw HAP. I shall tell it in very uncertain terms, the discrimination law is an abuse of the Irish govvie on landlords and if taken to the highest courts would probably be considered uncostitutional since any business should be able do discriminate on economic grounds. It is convenient socialist/communist thinking in the making from a lazy government that does not want to build social housing. From a business point of view is absolutely a no go, since you will sign totally loopsided terms with a public entity that will expect a lot from you (recurrent inspections from obtuse council inspector which will 99% fail and will cost you a lot of money to rectify unless you know the law well and you threaten them back), council will pay you (well) in arrears and will discharge the whole credit risk of an unpaying tenant on you. Personally I do not like receiving money from the government or any public entity (especially the Irish govvie), I just want the public leeches to leave me in peace.

My strong suggestion: get rid of this do-gooder bad business idea. You have three options:

1) Put the property on the open market and select working professionals with good references (who also need property to rent and have to commute long distances because of all these voluntarily unemployed people staying put in places close to where there is work). Since it is a few years that rent is not increased, the OP can peform no renovations to the property and increase rent more than 4% (for example 8% if 4 years without increases), the exact calculation depends on the number of years rent has not been increased, please use this calculator: https://onestopshop.rtb.ie/calculator/rpz

2) Perform a substantial renovation of the property (this will be a major hassle) while vacant and re-rent it at market rate

3) Probably the best option at the moment: if the property is a house or decently sized apartment where a family can live, sell it on the open market to an owner occupier. In this way you will get rid of all the problems that the current Irish government is causing to landlords.
I know the usual socialists/communists in this forum will crucify my post (one of them has already posted in this thread with her dogooder nonsense and great ignorance of the legal process), but I revel in their disdain.

There were some good posts in this thread that also said that you should avoid this family friend and avoid the worst of both worlds. If you want to help your family friends, you could do the following: hand him over the deposit for a property as a present without expecting any thanks. In the long term it will be way less hassle and will not cause relationship issues in your family.

jimmycrackcorm

Del2005 wrote:

The house won't confirm with HAP standards and there's nothing, yet, to force landlords to make the house meet HAP standards. So they can easily refuse HAP on the basis that the house won't meet the standards required for HAP.

I stand to be corrected but afais once you take on HAP your obliged to confirm to the standards. I. E. The inspection happens after sign up. But there are no payments made if the property is not compliant.

Del2005

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I stand to be corrected but afais once you take on HAP your obliged to confirm to the standards. I. E. The inspection happens after sign up. But there are no payments made if the property is not compliant.

You are obliged to do nothing. HAP insist on standards that are not required for the property. So you have to take a HAP tenant on but your house won't meet their standards, so you don't upgrade the house and issue eviction notices for non payment of rent.

the_syco

Del2005 wrote: »

so you don't upgrade the house and issue eviction notices for non payment of rent.

And a year later you get your house back, after a year of no rent, and your "friend" will probably go around telling people you made them homeless.

GGTrek

the_syco wrote: »

Del2005 wrote: »

so you don't upgrade the house and issue eviction notices for non payment of rent.

And a year later you get your house back, after a year of no rent, and your "friend" will probably go around telling people you made them homeless.

:D As I said no good deed goes unpunished in Irish Tenancies.

GGTrek

Just be aware that if you decide to sell, a good option I think, you will crystallise Capital Gains Tax at 33%, which if the owner bought the property many years ago could be really substantial, and probably a deal breaker.

GGTrek wrote: »

OP, I shall give you my point of view (I am a landlord of a few properties). Your post is packed full of very bad ideas on multiple fronts from a business point of view:

1) Massive error: mixing family friends with business ..
2) Renting to a desperate person is never a good business idea...
3) Screw HAP...



My strong suggestion: get rid of this do-gooder bad business idea. You have three options:

1) Put the property on the open market and select working professionals with good references ..

2) Perform a substantial renovation of the property...

3) Probably the best option at the moment: sell it on the open market to an owner occupier. In this way you will get rid of all the problems that the current Irish government is causing to landlords. ...

Mrs OBumble

Mooooo wrote: »

if owner is mentally unable to, ie Alzheimer's, some other issue such as being in coma after an accident etc, then not so straight forward

In that case, whoever has their power of attorney should be managing the tenancy as well as their bank accounts and tax affairs. If it was an accident and no one has a POA, then I'm sure there's a process for the court to appoint someone to do the job.

ToonArmy1984

Query from a family member thinking of doing HAP (landlord perspective) Are the local Authority and revenue in direct contact with landlord payments. If I receive 1000pm from HAP will revenue have oversight of this amount?

ToonArmy1984

ToonArmy1984 wrote: »

Query from a family member thinking of doing HAP (landlord perspective) Are the local Authority and revenue in direct contact with landlord payments. If I receive 1000pm from HAP will revenue have oversight of this amount?

If theyre going into rental with the idea of hiding from revenue, they're just storing up a whole lot of trouble for themselves.

tvjunki

ToonArmy1984 wrote: »

Query from a family member thinking of doing HAP (landlord perspective) Are the local Authority and revenue in direct contact with landlord payments. If I receive 1000pm from HAP will revenue have oversight of this amount?

When you sign the Hap forms you have to give your pps No.You also have to give proof you own the house in the form of mortgage or copy of deeds. You have to give a tax clearance certificate.

ToonArmy1984

tvjunki wrote: »

When you sign the Hap forms you have to give your pps No.You also have to give proof you own the house in the form of mortgage or copy of deeds. You have to give a tax clearance certificate.

Ye they have done all that. The question still remains, do revenue have oversight of the HAP payment? Basically they are worried that the HAP payment will result in a higher tax bill and a wondering whether a cash alternative is better.

The Student

ToonArmy1984 wrote: »

Ye they have done all that. The question still remains, do revenue have oversight of the HAP payment? Basically they are worried that the HAP payment will result in a higher tax bill and a wondering whether a cash alternative is better.

To get HAP you as a landlord need to register with the RTB as part of the registration you are required to quote the rent paid. The RTB share information with The Revenue Commissioners so yes they will find out!

Disgruntled Tenant

GGTrek wrote: »

OP, I shall give you my point of view (I am a landlord of a few properties). Your post is packed full of very bad ideas on multiple fronts from a business point of view:

1) Massive error: mixing family friends with business is a recipe for disaster which will very likely cause BIG family issues down the line and recriminations (happened to me in a different context/country). These people being family friend will always expect a favourable treatment down the line (I can think about a lot of stupid requests and missing/late payments even if well below market rate, ...) even if they have been handed a big present (paying half the market rent!). On the long term this will be deleterious to the tenancy and to your relationship with your family and with the Irish law being so favourable to the tenant, the landlord will pay dearly for this error. Good deeds never go unpunished in Irish tenancies! The govvie will make sure of that!

2) Renting to a desperate person is never a good business idea. Desperate people should go to social services, this is their job, it is not the landlord's job. Have you have ever seen a bank loaning money to desperate people needing money! When they did it last time they caused a massive crisis in Ireland. Well you are the bank now and the loan is the property. Think about it in this way.

3) Screw HAP. I shall tell it in very uncertain terms, the discrimination law is an abuse of the Irish govvie on landlords and if taken to the highest courts would probably be considered uncostitutional since any business should be able do discriminate on economic grounds. It is convenient socialist/communist thinking in the making from a lazy government that does not want to build social housing. From a business point of view is absolutely a no go, since you will sign totally loopsided terms with a public entity that will expect a lot from you (recurrent inspections from obtuse council inspector which will 99% fail and will cost you a lot of money to rectify unless you know the law well and you threaten them back), council will pay you (well) in arrears and will discharge the whole credit risk of an unpaying tenant on you. Personally I do not like receiving money from the government or any public entity (especially the Irish govvie), I just want the public leeches to leave me in peace.

My strong suggestion: get rid of this do-gooder bad business idea. You have three options:

1) Put the property on the open market and select working professionals with good references (who also need property to rent and have to commute long distances because of all these voluntarily unemployed people staying put in places close to where there is work). Since it is a few years that rent is not increased, the OP can peform no renovations to the property and increase rent more than 4% (for example 8% if 4 years without increases), the exact calculation depends on the number of years rent has not been increased, please use this calculator: https://onestopshop.rtb.ie/calculator/rpz

2) Perform a substantial renovation of the property (this will be a major hassle) while vacant and re-rent it at market rate

3) Probably the best option at the moment: if the property is a house or decently sized apartment where a family can live, sell it on the open market to an owner occupier. In this way you will get rid of all the problems that the current Irish government is causing to landlords.
I know the usual socialists/communists in this forum will crucify my post (one of them has already posted in this thread with her dogooder nonsense and great ignorance of the legal process), but I revel in their disdain.

There were some good posts in this thread that also said that you should avoid this family friend and avoid the worst of both worlds. If you want to help your family friends, you could do the following: hand him over the deposit for a property as a present without expecting any thanks. In the long term it will be way less hassle and will not cause relationship issues in your family.

Landlords with this attitude are the reason the housing crisis in Ireland is so bad. Landlords with zero respect for their tenants. Landlords who are only interested in the maximum amount of money they can get for their property, with the least amount of expenditure.
Landlords in Dublin charging €1200/month for a house, then kicking the tenants out and pretending to do substantial refurbishment, then doubling the rent, because other leeching leeches are doing the same, so they can get away with it.


Unfortunately, most of 'the govvie' have a conflict of interest, because they're also renting out loads of houses, so I doubt we'll ever see a cap on rental prices, but it would be nice if it did happen, just to see Landlords crying in the pub.


Landlords have no idea how easy they have it. They get away with far too much.
I think landlords should be taxed at 75%, and the money spent on affordable social housing, and 'the govvie' should set up a buy to let scheme, where landlords who couldn't rent out their overpriced houses (and were crying too much in the pub as a result) could sell them to the government, who would then rent them out at reasonable rates.

We live in hope.

GGTrek

Disgruntled Tenant wrote: »

GGTrek wrote: »

OP,
I know the usual socialists/communists in this forum will crucify my post (one of them has already posted in this thread with her dogooder nonsense and great ignorance of the legal process), but I revel in their disdain.

Landlords with this attitude are the reason the housing crisis in Ireland is so bad. Landlords with zero respect for their tenants. Landlords who are only interested in the maximum amount of money they can get for their property, with the least amount of expenditure.
Landlords in Dublin charging €1200/month for a house, then kicking the tenants out and pretending to do substantial refurbishment, then doubling the rent, because other leeching leeches are doing the same, so they can get away with it.


Unfortunately, most of 'the govvie' have a conflict of interest, because they're also renting out loads of houses, so I doubt we'll ever see a cap on rental prices, but it would be nice if it did happen, just to see Landlords crying in the pub.


Landlords have no idea how easy they have it. They get away with far too much.
I think landlords should be taxed at 75%, and the money spent on affordable social housing, and 'the govvie' should set up a buy to let scheme, where landlords who couldn't rent out their overpriced houses (and were crying too much in the pub as a result) could sell them to the government, who would then rent them out at reasonable rates.

We live in hope.

I just put in bold what I think you are and that I revel in your disdain. Keep living in hope that your socialist "paradise" one day will happen.

Disgruntled Tenant

GGTrek wrote: »

I just put in bold what I think you are and that I revel in your disdain. Keep living in hope that your socialist "paradise" one day will happen.

What you think I am is of no importance to me. What is of importance to me is that tenants are realising that they do have a voice, and that they don't have to allow landlords to ride roughshod over them and their rights.

I'm currently looking into setting up a charity, to help tenants whose landlords exploit them. I'm sure this will include "lowly educated tenants", as someone so succinctly put it in another thread.

As I'm sure you're well aware, some (probably most) tenants don't know the RTB system. I, on the other hand, am well aware of it, and as they say, knowledge is nothing if not shared.
It's beyond time that landlords were held accountable for their actions and inactions. If they want to run a business, they should do so responsibly, just as every other business owner has to. My plan is to make sure others are aware of this, and to help them to help the RTB enforce landlords' obligations.

Wabbit Ears

GGTrek wrote: »

I just put in bold what I think you are and that I revel in your disdain. Keep living in hope that your socialist "paradise" one day will happen.

Your prediction skills were spot on. Kudos!

On topic. Renting to a family friend in dire need is realistcially giveing them a free or next to free house. You'll never be able to raise the rent, never be able to sell it or anything of the sort. Refuse and youre teh bad guys for a while, Accept and you're the bad guy forever.

Lets be clear. people are never truely gratefull beyond a casual tip of the hat at a kind deed. You will suffer forever for even entertaining this and letting it get as far as it had.