Social Housing Neighbors

ZilkyG

Has anyone had experiences with neighbors who are housed by the council? We live in a private apartment block in the city center and a few months back an apartment beside us was bought by the council. Like a good politically correct person, I thought nothing of it. The minute this family moved in, they began wreaking havoc. Loud trance music playing until all hours during the week (the whole block is very 9-5), they leave rubbish everywhere and can't be bothered to bring binbags down to the communal bin area, and leave them outside of their apartment, and it stinks! I've once asked them to clear the binbags and the big lumbering idiot who lives there with his woman told me to **** off. Myself and other neighbors have called the council on several occasions, but it seems to fall on deaf ears! Has anyone had any experience dealing with anything like this? We're at our wits end. The idea of looking for a new apartment in the current climate is bad enough, but its depressing me to think that after 3 happy years in the same apartment, we may have to move on because of these scroungers.

CrankyHaus

Complain enough to the Council and eventually it will be more hassle to keep them there than to move them. That means complain, get your neighbours to complain and then all complain to your Councillors and TDs. Report any crimes to AGS, record every incident.

ZilkyG

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Complain enough to the Council and eventually it will be more hassle to keep them there than to move them. That means complain, get your neighbours to complain and then all complain to your Councillors and TDs. Report any crimes to AGS, record every incident.

One of my neighbors was essentially told by the council that there is a housing crisis and that there was nothing that could be done. Hopefully, the council rep wasn't telling the truth. How long would it usually take for the council to kick them out (let's say if they were recieving weekly complaints)?

Berserker

ZilkyG wrote: »

One of my neighbors was essentially told by the council that there is a housing crisis and that there was nothing that could be done. Hopefully, the council rep wasn't telling the truth. How long would it usually take for the council to kick them out (let's say if they were recieving weekly complaints)?

Do you live in Ballsbridge by any chance? My brother rents there and he is having the exact same problem. They problem tenants live in the floor above him and he can hear music and shouting at silly o' clock. A number of people in the complex have complained to the council and the police. The council staff gave them a near identical response to the one you received and the police told them that it's going to be very difficult to get rid of them. A female guard told my brother that people like these know their rights inside out. Every complaint needs to be recorded but it's going to take time to move them on, in the current environment. His lease is up in January and he is thinking about moving.

CrankyHaus

ZilkyG wrote: »

One of my neighbors was essentially told by the council that there is a housing crisis and that there was nothing that could be done. Hopefully, the council rep wasn't telling the truth. How long would it usually take for the council to kick them out (let's say if they were recieving weekly complaints)?

No idea how long it would take, but it's a long process so the earlier you get started the better.

Fobbing off like what your neighbour got is par for the course for Councils, they'll change their tune once you turn the screws, especially if TDs and Councillors are getting onto them.

Ultimately if the Council is the Landlord and does nothing when it knows there is a problem it may be exposed to litigation, such as for private nuisance. I wouldn't bother paying for legal just yet, complaints and recording everything should do the job without the cost. If other options are exhausted go legal.

Wheeliebin30

We need to house all da homeless!!!

Unfortunately this is the way society is going and while people think all the 10,000 homeless are innocent lovely lawbiding upstanding citizens.

That is very far from the truth.

Graces7

Taking someone to court for noise nuisance is incredibly easy, OP

https://www.threshold.ie/download/pdf/noiseregs.pdf

I have never actually done it as the written warning has been enough.

I think it costs E20? The Environmental Health Officer at your local council will advise

PS assuring you as a council tenant that we are not all like that; far from it, and expressing sympathy and empathy.

Mrs OBumble

ZilkyG wrote: »

One of my neighbors was essentially told by the council that there is a housing crisis and that there was nothing that could be done. Hopefully, the council rep wasn't telling the truth. How long would it usually take for the council to kick them out (let's say if they were recieving weekly complaints)?

Your chances of getting them evicted are next to none. The council have nowhere to move them to.

You need to focus on getting them to want to move.

Report every suspected crime to the guards. Every welfare fraud suspicion to Welfare. Every unlicensed dog or dumped bag of rubnish to the council. Etc. Relentlessly.

Graham

The RTB may be able to help if you're having issues with a neighbour who is a tenant.

I don't see anything that excludes social housing tenants:

https://onestopshop.rtb.ie/dispute-resolution/third-party-dispute-resolution-services/

CrankyHaus

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Your chances of getting them evicted are next to none. The council have nowhere to move them to.

You need to focus on getting them to want to move.

Report every suspected crime to the guards. Every welfare fraud suspicion to Welfare. Every unlicensed dog or dumped bag of rubnish to the council. Etc. Relentlessly.

Councils move tenants all the time. Any of the Dublin Councils have stock measured in the thousands and as other tenants move on vacancies open up. Nowadays Councils also pass problem tenants onto Housing Agencies. It's all just a matter of priority, which is something the OP can influence by raising enough of a fuss.

LionelNashe

Graham wrote: »

The RTB may be able to help if you're having issues with a neighbour who is a tenant.

I don't see anything that excludes social housing tenants:

https://onestopshop.rtb.ie/dispute-resolution/third-party-dispute-resolution-services/

Does the council have to register its tenancies with the RTB?

Graham

LionelNashe wrote: »

Does the council have to register its tenancies with the RTB?

Good question, no if the housing is provided by a local authority, yes if it's supplied by the voluntary housing sector.

I don't know if this would preclude a 3rd party RTB dispute against a local authority tenant. I can't find a clear answer either way.

Berserker

Graham wrote: »

The RTB may be able to help if you're having issues with a neighbour who is a tenant.

I don't see anything that excludes social housing tenants:

https://onestopshop.rtb.ie/dispute-resolution/third-party-dispute-resolution-services/

It's very hard to get them moved because of the shortage of housing apparently. His problem tenants are living in a very nice apartment in one of the most desired parts of the country. No amount of convincing by the council or otherwise is going to get them moved. Eviction is the only way and it's a very lengthy process.

He is considering moving to get away from it. He pays upwards of €2K a month in rent for that apartment and loves it and isn't going to get something on the same level in terms of quality for that amount but you can't put up with that kind of nonsense. He's discussed the problem with his landlady, who is massively sympathetic but can't do much more to resolve it, outside of lodging complaints. She is going to lose a tenant of two years who pays his rent on time to the day and keeps the place in immaculate condition, in her own words and he loses out on an apartment that he loves living in for the time being. There's only one winner in all of this!!

Xterminator

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/local_authority_and_social_housing/anti_social_behaviour.html

If you are a housing association tenant who is affected by someone's anti-social behaviour, you should contact the housing association.

It is the housing association that takes action on your behalf. If they dont - thats on them.

Graham

Berserker wrote: »

It's very hard to get them moved because of the shortage of housing apparently. His problem tenants are living in a very nice apartment in one of the most desired parts of the country. No amount of convincing by the council or otherwise is going to get them moved. Eviction is the only way and it's a very lengthy process.

I would imagine there's a few steps/approaches to be taken before eviction becomes a consideration.

Redneck Culchie

You don't get this sort of craic as much living rural. Sadly your local Labour/Sinn Fein/SocDem/PBP politicians will not be much help here, they will be on your neighbors side. Gardai won't do anything. The council controlled by the above parties will not do much.

Time to pack up and roll the dice somewhere else. It's not fair, it's not right but that is Ireland 2018. The good people get screwed.

LionelNashe

The ombudsman might be another way to complain:

https://www.ombudsman.ie/publications/information-leaflets/the-ombudsman-and-local-a/

What does the Ombudsman do?
The Ombudsman can examine complaints about the actions of a range of public bodies, including local authorities.

...

The Ombudsman can examine complaints about how local authorities carry out their everyday executive and administrative activities. These include complaints about delays or failing to take action.

baaba maal

Get the contact details for the relevant Tenant Liaison Officer for the geographic area. You should also ask for a copy of the standard tenancy agreement as there may be conditions in it do with nuisance (leaving waste in a common area being one thing that should definitely be an issue for the LA).

mkdon

was in similar situation and ended up moving ....outrageous how scroungers can get away with this .....noothing will change...will be someone else's problem

Mrs OBumble

Graham wrote: »

I would imagine there's a few steps/approaches to be taken before eviction becomes a consideration.

A great many steps.

And there's got to be somewhere for them to go.

And you have to convince a judge to order it.


Forget about having them evicted. Focus on making them think that moving to a less nosey neighbourhood is a good idea.

Graces7

LionelNashe wrote: »

The ombudsman might be another way to complain:

https://www.ombudsman.ie/publications/information-leaflets/the-ombudsman-and-local-a/

Takes a looooooooooong time does the Ombudsman... nearly a year so far with one issue.

mariaalice

The council do evict people.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/pregnant-woman-loses-home-after-making-life-intolerable-for-neighbours-1.3308119

A young couple with no children getting an apartment from Dublin city council? do a bit of digging they may be on some sort of supported tenancy some organisation may be supporting them they may have a housing worker that may be able to help you.

Berserker

mariaalice wrote: »

The council do evict people.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/pregnant-woman-loses-home-after-making-life-intolerable-for-neighbours-1.3308119

It's a very long process though and the problem tenant is given lots of chances. Read the extract below.

Byrne had been taken before the District Court where the judge, despite having heard a litany of anti-social activities, had given her a last chance following an undertaking to the court that she would change her ways.

Liam O’Donovan, a manager in the council’s housing department, said Byrne had not lived up to her word and had received visits and written warnings about her behaviour. On one occasion armed gardaí had to be called to Ms Byrne’s home to remove a man who had no right to be there.

mariaalice

Berserker wrote: »

It's a very long process though and the problem tenant is given lots of chances. Read the extract below.

But the point is it can be done the op seem to think there is no option.

Wabbit Ears

Go with option 3, become the worst neighbour imaginable. report them to every possible agency for anything and everything. Bang on their walls and doors whenever any noise is made. Yell at them whenever you see them, every single time. Make them afraid to bump into you as doing so always. without fail, just leads to a torrent of abuse. Be relentless. If they put rubbish in the wrong place pile it against their door, shove it in their letterbox, lob it onto their balcony. Leave notes (always be nice and courteous and reasonable in writing) on their door and in their letterbox and push them under the door. Keep at it, enjoy it, revel in your ability to be an uncompromising arbiter of misery..

oh, they'll complain, you'll be the bad guy in their eyes but be content in the knowledge that they to will find the same apathy from the various bodies you contacted. You cant be evicted, you're not going anywhere. At the next management committee AGM you put your name forward to be a committee member and befriend the rest of your group. To everyone else you're the nicest person ever, but to them, youre the fcuking devil incarnate.


or.. you know, bitch and moan online and talk to agencies that will never solve this for you ever. Your choice.

Squatter

Berserker wrote: »

It's very hard to get them moved because of the shortage of housing apparently. His problem tenants are living in a very nice apartment in one of the most desired parts of the country. No amount of convincing by the council or otherwise is going to get them moved. Eviction is the only way and it's a very lengthy process.

He is considering moving to get away from it. He pays upwards of €2K a month in rent for that apartment and loves it and isn't going to get something on the same level in terms of quality for that amount but you can't put up with that kind of nonsense. He's discussed the problem with his landlady, who is massively sympathetic but can't do much more to resolve it, outside of lodging complaints. She is going to lose a tenant of two years who pays his rent on time to the day and keeps the place in immaculate condition, in her own words and he loses out on an apartment that he loves living in for the time being.

There's only one winner in all of this!!

The winner presumably being the witless Minister of Housing who continues to heap excrement on landlords while enhancing tenants' rights on the moronic basis that in some way such lunacy will help to solve the housing crisis?