Is it possible to have a housemate/tenant removed?

dobby896

Hi, I wasn't too sure where to post this so this may be in the wrong forum.

However, we have been having issues with another housemate in the house. To cut a long story short, he is a pathological liar and goes to extremes to gain attention. While this may sound like a total non-issue, his behavior went to another level on Friday night when he feigned an illness, was screaming and shouting loudly as if he was writhing in pain and called an ambulance to the house. The paramedics knew that it was attention seeking, were very impatient with him and he was diagnosed with tonsillitis in the hospital. The paramedics and nurses were querying mental illness and other psychiatric issues.

While anyone suffering with mental illness will always be afforded my sympathy and support if needed, his is more quite alarming, we have seen the extremes he would go to for attention, even contacting emergency services, and quite honestly, due to his ongoing erratic and impulsive behaviour, we have all started to fear for our own personal safety as we do not know how far he will take it.

My question is, and I'm well aware that this may sound exceptionally cold, but if all the other tenants were to lodge a complaint to the landlord, would it b be within the landlord's powers to ask him to leave the house or do you think we should all cut our losses and either tolerate it or move ourselves?

DellyBelly

I don't think the landlord would be able ot get rid of the tenant for you so therefore if I were you I'd move on myself. Couldn't be dealing with a nutter especially considering they are nothing to do with you (i.e not family)

Sardonicat

I'd go with the advice above, OP. You're feeling in your gut this guy's potential to get very nasty. You should pay attention to that. Involving the LL could bring things to a head. As unfair as it is, you need to get away from this man before you become a target. What age is he, out of interest?

dobby896

Sardonicat wrote: »

I'd go with the advice above, OP. You're feeling in your gut this guy's potential to get very nasty. You should pay attention to that. Involving the LL could bring things to a head. As unfair as it is, you need to get away from this man before you become a target. What age is he, out of interest?

It's just a nuisance as I really like the house, its close to work and affordable (by Dublin's standards). I think he's 25/26, not 100% sure but what I thought was him just being a drama queen at the start has reached new heights over the course of the last few months.

It's quite unnerving especially as I've an aunt with a borderline personality disorder and she set her house on fire years ago, no one died/was injured thankfully but the whole house was gutted.

NSAman

Is it just the two of you (you say “we”)? How is the tenancy set up?

afkasurfjunkie

Can you contact his family?

ShaShaBear

I completely understand your concerns but have to be honest - it would be in your best interests to move. Generally with anyone who is that mentally-unwell, I wouldn't feel comfortable with them knowing where I live if they felt slighted in any way. And if the landlord initiates getting them out, that's when they could dig their heels in and escalate.

dobby896

NSAman wrote: »

Is it just the two of you (you say “we”)? How is the tenancy set up?

There is 5 of us in the house altogether, he shares his room with another tenant.

dobby896

afkasurfjunkie wrote: »

Can you contact his family?

He is from India so we have no knowledge of who they are or how to contact them. However, we have informed another Indian friend who is has over here and hoping they will get in touch. He told me before that his mother is a doctor so I was slightly relieved as she'd be in a good position to help, however, that has since transpired to be another lie, his mother is a housewife.

dobby896

ShaShaBear wrote: »

I completely understand your concerns but have to be honest - it would be in your best interests to move. Generally with anyone who is that mentally-unwell, I wouldn't feel comfortable with them knowing where I live if they felt slighted in any way. And if the landlord initiates getting them out, that's when they could dig their heels in and escalate.

Yeah that's a very good point, safest bet.

NSAman

Difficult situation to be in dobby, and in fairness to you I understand your concerns about his living with you.

what have the other three tenants said in relation to all this?

I know it is not easy to live with one housemate who is a disruptive influence on everyone else (been there in my student days).

The chap obviously has some mental health issues and those can be magnified if living away from nearest and dearest. It may be the only option but to inform family of the situation. If they help then great, if not, the dilemma is exacerbated for you and the other tenants. Kicking the guy out may lead him into a worst situation, by the sounds of it, that is not something you wish to do.

As others have said, moving might be the easiest option, but if the other 3 tenants want the same thing then perhaps inform the landlord quietly as well as having a discussion (all 4 of you) with the chap himself.

dobby896

NSAman wrote: »

Difficult situation to be in dobby, and in fairness to you I understand your concerns about his living with you.

what have the other three tenants said in relation to all this?

The chap obviously has some mental health issues and those can be magnified if living away from nearest and dearest. Kicking the guy out may lead him into a worst situation, by the sounds of it, that is not something you wish to do.

As others have said, moving might be the easiest option, but if the other 3 tenants want the same thing then perhaps inform the landlord quietly as well as having a discussion (all 4 of you) with the chap himself.

The other tenants feel the same way and have all been feeling quite uneasy for months.

Exactly, the reason why we have taken time to consider our options is because we are all quite terrified of doing or something to him which could cause him to act impulsively and harm himself.

Yes, maybe a very quiet and calm chat with him could work. I also found out today that he has actually lost his job (after telling us that the servers were down at his work so he was given paid leave), so I cannot see how he will be able to afford rent without a reliable income.

dobby896

I'm assuming a tenant like the rest of us? We occupy the house on the basis of a lease and not a license. However, the lease is quite short and doesn't go in to detail about eviction etc.

Thank you for the advice, its a difficult situation alright! I suppose the 4 of us need to come to some decision on it, just nervous about what he could do if we asked him to vacate.

TheBoyConor

Then you will have to go the route of having him removed by yourselves.

If you are concerned for your safety then contact the gardai saying that ye are in fear (if that is the genuiniely the case) and they might be able to talk to him and encourage him to move along.

You could apply for a safety order, or protection order. I dunno which is the applicable one here.

Graham

Mod Note

Folks I've unapproved one post from this thread.

To be frank, I'm not sure of the legality of what was suggested.

the_syco

dobby896 wrote: »

There is 5 of us in the house altogether, he shares his room with another tenant.

Did the landlord put them both together, or is one subletting to the other? Check the lease regarding if subletting is allowed.

dobby896

the_syco wrote: »

Did the landlord put them both together, or is one subletting to the other? Check the lease regarding if subletting is allowed.

Yeah they were put together by the landlord, they pay less rent for that room as its shared

Graces7

dobby896 wrote: »

Yeah they were put together by the landlord, they pay less rent for that room as its shared

How does the room mate feel about him?

dobby896

Graces7 wrote: »

How does the room mate feel about him?

The same as the rest of us, very uneasy around him

Wesser

He probably has a personality disorder.
Manipulative and attention seeking.
Can be very difficult to handle

Graces7

dobby896 wrote: »

The same as the rest of us, very uneasy around him

A very difficult situation. Can you explain to the landlord at all? Has he a referral to social services or anyone who can support him?

Maybe call Citizen;s Info or his GP?

TheBoyConor

He is not the responsibility of the other tenants in the house.

The GP will not tell them anything at all.

If he is a lodger or tenant, then the other housemates must find a legal means of having him ejected from the premises with advice to go to alternative or emergency accommodation and emergency mental health services.

If he is a danger to himself or others then the Gardai need to be involved.

Graces7

TheBoyConor wrote: »

He is not the responsibility of the other tenants in the house.

The GP will not tell them anything at all.

If he is a lodger or tenant, then the other housemates must find a legal means of having him ejected from the premises with advice to go to alternative or emergency accommodation and emergency mental health services.

If he is a danger to himself or others then the Gardai need to be involved.

This was to alert the GP as he might be able to put in support.Sometimes it is needful to take responsibility for our actions if we expect others to do the same as is being rightly done here.

TheBoyConor

How are they supposed to get the name of the GP? if he is a foreigner with a mental illness it is quite likely he doesn't even have a GP here in ireland.

Wild goose chase. Get rid of him out of the house legally asap is my advice and then whatever happens him after that is his own business.

Ray Palmer

Landlords are devil until they are needed to do dirty work. Short answer is the landlord can't really do anything other than chat to them.

The reality is the person is unlikely to be a danger to anybody else around them but may be a risk to themselves.

The best course of action is if possible contact his family. With regards to doctors and getting him committed that is not really an option in Ireland. It also sounds like an overreaction.

Some people lie all the time but that isn't really an issue unless you are working with them.

Caranica

TheBoyConor wrote: »

.
Wild goose chase. Get rid of him out of the house legally asap is my advice and then whatever happens him after that is his own business.

He has tenancy rights so how do you propose to do this?

TheBoyConor

Not if he is a licencee he doesn't.

That is the first thing i asked the op to establish - is he an licencee or a tenant, as that will inform the way to go about ejecting him from the house.

If he is a tenant, then the landlord is, in practical terms, powerless to remove him legally as any landlord with a problem tenant will tell you. Then it is down to the other residents to encourage or persuade him to leave. If it is genuinely warranted by the circumstances and behaviour, the others could exclude him from the property perhaps by changing locks themselves. their basis for doing so could be that they feared for their own safety if he continues to have access to the house. This may involve the gardai and a barring order if things get very extreme and behaviour escalates.

It should be noted that in the above scenario would not be in breach of any RTA 2004 obligations as the landlord would not have any part in the process. It is the other housemates that are effecting the expulsion of the problem resident.

If he is a lodger on the other hand, then reasonable notice from the landlord is all that is needed. In the case of a mentally unstable and unpredictable individual that is potentially a danger to those around them, I would consider reasonable notice to be the time it takes for the gardai to arrive to supervise the removal of his things into a secure area outside the house and change the locks.

Graces7

So a ?mentally? ill man is left homeless? When a few phone calls could ensure he has some support.

Simple humanity.

Ray Palmer

Graces7 wrote: »

So a ?mentally? ill man is left homeless? When a few phone calls could ensure he has some support.

Simple humanity.

Phone calls to whom would help? There is not much a person not related to him can do.

TheBoyConor

I did in my previous post tell the OP that they should advise the man to engage with the mental health services and to seek alternative accommodation, if necessary by contacting emergency accomodation support services. And that is as a good will gesture. They are not obliged to do so at all.

At the end of the day, these people have their own lives and responsibilities to get on with. They are not his minder.

meijin

dobby896 wrote: »

Yeah they were put together by the landlord, they pay less rent for that room as its shared

as already clarified...

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Not if he is a licencee he doesn't.

... your suggestion is pointless