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Stories of landlord deposits being kept

  • 04-10-2018 08:28AM
    #1
    Introverted Moment
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23 ✭


    Let's here your stories about the difficulty of getting back deposits! Just how common is it? It would be the sort of thing that would drive me mad. Not just because of the money. It hasn't happened to me yet, but I've heard a few stories of it.

    Have you been in a situation where you wondered if it was really worth the hassle... giving that you known damn well how difficult it may be to actually get. Also, a lot of people wouldn't know what their options are if they wanted to fight in a situation like this, i.e, whether there's some sort of small claims court that caters for this or not.

    Is it often more difficult if it's not an official lease? Say if you were just a college student renting off other students for the summer who are already renting off someone else.


Comments

  • #2
    dexter_morgan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 145 ✭✭dexter_morgan


    Would you like to see posts about how difficult it is to evict an non paying tenant? Landlords offering them their deposit back, months arrears and an extra sum of money just to get them to leave peacefully!


  • #3
    xzanti
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 10,463 Mod ✭✭✭✭xzanti


    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=38


  • #4
    Foweva Awone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,740 ✭✭✭Foweva Awone


    Over the past 15 years or so I'd say I must have been through approx 10 tenancies in different parts of the country, I've never had any issues with the deposit. Usually towards the end of the tenancy I ask whether I can use the deposit to cover the final months rent, they will usually do an inspection and then agree to this. I'm a good tenant, I pay my rent on time and ask for very little from the landlord during the tenancy, so I guess this pays off. (Or maybe I've just been unusually lucky!)


  • #5
    BarryD2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,732 ✭✭✭BarryD2


    Had this experience years ago when renting from a couple who emigrated. They eventually decided to sell and we had to move. However they asked a relative to handle the handover who seemed to think that the deposit could be used for fixing up the place for sale. She was entirely unpleasant and obnoxious in this role and we had a good row. Didn't help that the real owners were on far side of the world. Left a bad taste in the mouth afterwards for a while as we had been good reliable tenants.


  • #6
    wexandproud
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭wexandproud


    dexter_morgan wrote: »
    Would you like to see posts about how difficult it is to evict an non paying tenant? Landlords offering them their deposit back, months arrears and an extra sum of money just to get them to leave peacefully!
    plus in my own case the cost of fixing/replacing doors in kitchen , new fridge , replace couch in living room new mattress on both beds , repaint , clean carpets all after 14 months and only paying 9 months rent , but oh ya us small scale landlords are creaming it in and its our fault people cant get places to stay
    F..king filthy animals both of them i wouldn't ask them to share with pigs , wouldn't be fair on the pigs


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  • #7
    Your Face
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,275 ✭✭✭Your Face


    wexandproud wrote: »
    plus in my own case the cost of fixing/replacing doors in kitchen , new fridge , replace couch in living room new mattress on both beds , repaint , clean carpets all after 14 months and only paying 9 months rent , but oh ya us small scale landlords are creaming it in and its our fault people cant get places to stay
    F..king filthy animals both of them i wouldn't ask them to share with pigs , wouldn't be fair on the pigs

    Did they wreck the place or was it a ****ehole to begin with?


  • #8
    wexandproud
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭wexandproud


    Your Face wrote: »
    Did they wreck the place or was it a ****ehole to begin with?

    Comments like yours are the reason i never get too involved in discussions on here , absolute childish nonsense . Actually it was about 6/8 years old former holiday apartment down here , couple from dublin owned it and it was like new when i bought it .
    These were first tennant's and they wrecked it i couldn't care less if they never had a roof over their heads again .


  • #9
    Pulsating Star
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 702 ✭✭✭Pulsating Star


    Once ever I was in the position of having to manage tennants (students) leaving a place on behalf of another. To this day I am sorry I gave them back their deposit. I did the serious amount of cleaning and tidying myself, they hadn’t allowed the time needed and had places to go. It hadn’t been long after getting my own college accommodation deposit back and knew how important it was.

    Making them do it themselves or keeping the deposit would have been as good a lesson for them as they learnt in college .
    More fool me , I learnt also.


  • #10
    Introverted Moment
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23 ✭Introverted Moment


    BarryD2 wrote: »
    Had this experience years ago when renting from a couple who emigrated. They eventually decided to sell and we had to move. However they asked a relative to handle the handover who seemed to think that the deposit could be used for fixing up the place for sale. She was entirely unpleasant and obnoxious in this role and we had a good row. Didn't help that the real owners were on far side of the world. Left a bad taste in the mouth afterwards for a while as we had been good reliable tenants.
    So you didn;t get it back?


  • #11
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    I once "coincided" with a landlady and we walked to an ATM together so I got some of my deposit back,,, the rest took many months.


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  • #12
    topper75
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,942 ✭✭✭topper75


    Galls me to think of either side being ****ed over in the deal. Horrible to withhold a deposit and horrible to refuse to pay rent or disprespect a place.

    What do they do typically in other countries to combat the problems?
    Could there be some kind of independent escrow set up?
    We can't be reinventing the wheel here.


  • #13
    DubDani
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,157 ✭✭✭DubDani


    About 15 years ago one owner I lived with didn't want to return my deposit for the room I had been renting in D18, without any real reason. So when he advertised an open day for the room in the Evening Herald I placed myself in front of the house at the advertised time and told all the people coming to look at the place that he wasn't returning deposits and some other (true) stuff that would turn people off. 

    After about 30 minutes he rushed out to hand me my money and asked me to P*** off, to which I obliged with a smile.


  • #14
    Loves_lorries
    Site Banned Posts: 272 ✭✭Loves_lorries


    Introverted Moment wrote: »
    Let's here your stories about the difficulty of getting back deposits! Just how common is it? It would be the sort of thing that would drive me mad. Not just because of the money. It hasn't happened to me yet, but I've heard a few stories of it.

    Have you been in a situation where you wondered if it was really worth the hassle... giving that you known damn well how difficult it may be to actually get. Also, a lot of people wouldn't know what their options are if they wanted to fight in a situation like this, i.e, whether there's some sort of small claims court that caters for this or not.

    Is it often more difficult if it's not an official lease? Say if you were just a college student renting off other students for the summer who are already renting off someone else.

    it happens but is far less common than incidences of tenants refusing to pay rent and then subsequently refusing to vacate .


  • #15
    Introverted Moment
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23 ✭Introverted Moment


    DubDani wrote: »
    About 15 years ago one owner I lived with didn't want to return my deposit for the room I had been renting in D18, without any real reason. So when he advertised an open day for the room in the Evening Herald I placed myself in front of the house at the advertised time and told all the people coming to look at the place that he wasn't returning deposits and some other (true) stuff that would turn people off. 

    After about 30 minutes he rushed out to hand me my money and asked me to P*** off, to which I obliged with a smile.
    Fair play to you.

    I wouldn't have smiled though. I'd have demanded more and would've boxed him if I didn't get it.


  • #16
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Loves_lorries wrote: »
    it happens but is far less common than incidences of tenants refusing to pay rent and then subsequently refusing to vacate .

    Have you the stats to prove that please?

    Problms re deposits being returned in most of my 9 tenancies and I have never refused to vacate or refused to pay rent.


  • #17
    marieholmfan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,744 ✭✭✭marieholmfan


    dexter_morgan wrote: »
    Would you like to see posts about how difficult it is to evict an non paying tenant? Landlords offering them their deposit back, months arrears and an extra sum of money just to get them to leave peacefully!

    Not especially this is about scumbag landlords not the tiny minority of bad tenants.

    wexandproud wrote: »
    plus in my own case the cost of fixing/replacing doors in kitchen , new fridge , replace couch in living room new mattress on both beds , repaint , clean carpets all after 14 months and only paying 9 months rent , but oh ya us small scale landlords are creaming it in and its our fault people cant get places to stay
    F..king filthy animals both of them i wouldn't ask them to share with pigs , wouldn't be fair on the pigs

    Nobody asked you. Literally. Nobody asked you. Nobody cares.
    wexandproud wrote: »
    Comments like yours are the reason i never get too involved in discussions on here
    Good idea because this is literally the opposite of what was asked for.
    wexandproud wrote: »
    Actually it was about 6/8 years old former holiday apartment down here , couple from dublin owned it and it was like new when i bought it .
    These were first tennant's and they wrecked it i couldn't care less if they never had a roof over their heads again .
    But I thought ...


  • #18
    DEFTLEFTHAND
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,500 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    Lost 250 about 10 yrs ago.

    College accom crowd went into receivership.

    I badgered them for a couple of months, got a solicitor's letter sent but no joy.

    Just had to eat it. It was very upsetting though, 250 is a lot of money to a student.


  • #19
    ceadaoin.
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,574 ✭✭✭ceadaoin.


    Not Ireland but we just moved out of a place that we rented for 5 years. Paid to get the carpets cleaned and hired a professional cleaner before we left who said she would come back for free if there were any issues. At Check out the letting agent said the place was in great condition and signed it off. Few weeks later landlord tried withhold half our deposit for carpet and house cleaning. (Coincidentally the amount of rent he owed us back for leaving early and also the same cleaner we used) We complained and showed the evidence and they backed down. Landlords, scamming people the world over.


  • #20
    Introverted Moment
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23 ✭Introverted Moment


    Loves_lorries wrote: »
    it happens but is far less common than incidences of tenants refusing to pay rent and then subsequently refusing to vacate .

    I couldn't have refused to vacate. Do you know why. Because some fecker had my deposit.


  • #21
    BoneIdol
    Closed Accounts Posts: 145 ✭✭BoneIdol


    Took 4 months and countless emails and eventually legal threats to get our deposit back on a dump we rented for 8 years. We also asked if they wanted a deep clean done on the place before we left which the estate agent said yes to but they completely gutted the place 2 weeks later which was a waste of 300 odd quid. We were never late with a single payment.


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  • #22
    Introverted Moment
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23 ✭Introverted Moment


    DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »
    Lost 250 about 10 yrs ago.

    College accom crowd went into receivership.

    I badgered them for a couple of months, got a solicitor's letter sent but no joy.

    Just had to eat it. It was very upsetting though, 250 is a lot of money to a student.
    How much did the lawyer's letter cost? I don't mean to rub it in.


  • #23
    Yer Da sells Avon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,737 ✭✭✭Yer Da sells Avon


    I've always been quite lucky. There was a delay of around a month once, because the landlord was living outside of the EU and the bank transfer went awry. I got the money in the end though, and the landlord was very apologetic, so it was fine. I've always been a good tenant though, always paying rent on time, sorting out minor plumbing issues myself, rather than unnecessarily bothering the landlord, returning the place to the state I found it before moving out, etc.


  • #24
    DEFTLEFTHAND
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,500 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    Introverted Moment wrote: »
    How much did the lawyer's letter cost? I don't mean to rub it in.

    Nothing thankfully.

    My father was the solicitor.

    I think the usual cost of something like that would be 50 plus VAT. You could ring a few offices and ask for a quote.


  • #25
    Markcheese
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,050 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    I don't see why the RTB couldn't hold the deposits, if required they could provide an inspection to determine whether it should be held or returned..
    And if there is a dispute referred to the RTB, any rents due could be placed in an escrow account, no rent paid, no process, straight to eviction order...

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



  • #26
    Laois_Man
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,758 ✭✭✭Laois_Man


    I was a Landlord for 10 years. Sold the property this year. During that time, I had 6 tenancies. I only ever kept all or part of a deposit once. And it happened to be the only time I let the property to Irish tenants. I don't know if that's consistent with the experience of others, that Irish tenants are the worst. But it was something I also noticed when doing viewings too - the Irish were the ones coming with bull**** stories about references.

    I was also a tenant for 4 years. So I have seen both sides of it

    The RTB should be tracking all tenancies from both the tenant and the landlord perspective and should have a rating for both, updated each time a new tenancy is registered. I know it won't happen - too much work. But it should - It's too much of a wild west scenario from both points of view.


  • #27
    Mint Sauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,293 ✭✭✭✭Mint Sauce


    Never a landlord, but an agent did try and wriggle/make excusses for not returning the full amount.

    First, they returned a deposit bassed on the current rent. A rent reduction was given during the tenancy, due to the economic crises at the time, advised them this was not the orriginal deposit given at the time, and more is owed from them. Their responce was to blame current computer systems, we advised them to check their records, their computer systems were not our issue or problem.

    Second, day or two later, came back and said I was correnct, however they still would not return the full amount as a week was not paid for at one point. Told them again to check records, as a week had never been missed the whole time (6 years) I lived there. Came back, and again agreed I was correct.

    Third. After agreeing I was correct, firstly on the original deposit given, then on that a payment was never missed, final reason for not returning the full amount, was they were docking us two/three days. We moved out on the Monday, they said they were docking us for still being in the house over the weekend as rent was due on the Friday. Our response, we have paid every Monday on time since moving in (we took over from other tenants that also paid on a monday), and that we also advised with notice we were moving out on Monday. We have never been warned or advised we were late with payments, and were never told that we would be liable those two days, their responce, that they (the agent) always give a few days grace. After further aguements, and them contacting the owners for advice, we were given the full deposit, as a 'Good Will Gesture', for being good tenents.

    Happy, we were not.


  • #28
    Church on Tuesday
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,858 ✭✭✭Church on Tuesday


    Currently in a dispute with a landlord who is withholding my deposit. One of the tenants was a druggie with a death wish, tried to take his life a few weeks back and a basic nuisance all round. This was on my second week there.

    Had enough when he landed back with a "buddy" of his he must have met in the mental health unit and then started drinking together during the day.

    Of course the landlord was willing to keep him on because it's money of course.

    There was no kettle, microwave, key for my door and the mattress was about to pop. Asked said landlord for these thing to be replaced, just got fobbed off.

    Naturally didn't feel safe with the druggie in the house so gave a 7 day notice to say I was off due to not feeling safe in the house and other issues.

    Was away for a week during this time, apparently the druggie basically ended up in the next doors house passed out somehow. When I contacted the landlord saying I was off was told the druggie was gone, but I'd made up my mind and made other arrangements.

    Was told once my room was clean, I'd get the deposit back "next week".

    Rang and txted all that next week and got no reply until I threatened the landlord with RTB action, that got a reaction to be told the deposit was now going to be kept. For no good reason.

    So have gone the RTB route now to try get it back.

    I'm a 31 year old man. From my experience of renting down the years I can say, and this will be unpopular with some, that most landlords are total gangsters and not to be trusted. Plain and simple.

    I have no sympathy for landlords.


  • #29
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    At one rental heavy rain saw water coming up through the floor ( was blaming the dog for the first puddle but it was the wrong colour!)

    They had laid flagstones atop bare earth.

    The waters rose and rose and I hastily evacuated after a frantic search

    LL first called my family begging me to come back as I was such a good tenant..

    Then he told the agent he was keeping my deposit as I had left the floors filthy.... The floors I was wading over in my wellies..

    Agent happened to be a JP so all was well..


  • #30
    Rasmus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,075 ✭✭✭Rasmus


    Happened to me twice. Both LLs just with-held unjustly. First time it took about 8 months to get it back (but I was awarded damages) and the 2nd time it was too stressful to even try to get it back as LL was very aggressive.


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  • #31
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    all makes me very very happy tht after nine private rentals I now reside in a council place...sweet relief


  • #32
    Wheres Me Jumper?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,288 ✭✭✭Wheres Me Jumper?


    as a LL i often ask for 3 months rent. i find this avoids issues arising.


  • #33
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Wheres Me Jumper? wrote: »
    as a LL i often ask for 3 months rent. i find this avoids issues arising.

    :confused:


  • #34
    ArnoldJRimmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,501 ✭✭✭ArnoldJRimmer


    Moved into an absolute dump in Ranelagh during the Celtic Tiger and lived there for around two years. Despite being model tenants, the landlord tried to withhold part of the deposit for two things. Firstly, the grill pan was well worn. This was a cheap grill pan we had bought ourselves as the one that was in the place when we moved in was unusable. Secondly, he complained about the mould in the bathroom. We had spent two years warning him that the ceiling was leaking from the apartment above, so much so that the damp was visible in other rooms in our apartment. Only so many times that you can clean mould without taking down the wall and everything else it has grown into. That ceiling eventually caved in after we moved out because of the structural damage done to his house

    Then a few years ago lived in a really nice apartment block for years. It was all good until a new management company took over who were absolute ****s. When I eventually moved out, they wouldn't give me my deposit back as it was a 'non-refundable' deposit. Load of absolute bullsh!t, but the lease was vague enough that they could get away with it


  • #35
    HalloweenJack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,374 ✭✭✭HalloweenJack


    I got screwed over by a landlady at one point, not in Ireland though.

    I moved out at the end of my lease and she happened to be away for a few months at the time and told me she'd settle up the deposit once the last round of bills came in. She had a new guy taking over my room (who I met btw, important for later on). No word from her for a few months. I tried texting and ringing, no response. I eventually got in touch with my ex-flatmate who told me that she came round a few months after I left and found the bed in my old room was broken. She reckoned it was my fault and withheld my deposit because of it.

    Now, the guy who'd moved in to my room was probably about 130kg whereas I weighed about 90kg at the time. The bed was perfectly fine before I left. It wouldn't surprise me that the added weight in the meantime would have destroyed it. Again, she refused to get in touch. It was a private contract so I had no legal means of going about making a deal. Cow.


  • #36
    Wheres Me Jumper?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,288 ✭✭✭Wheres Me Jumper?


    Graces7 wrote: »
    :confused:

    well from my experience tenants tend to treat your property very well, when you are holding 3 months rent as a deposit. :D


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  • #37
    uncommon_name
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 416 ✭✭uncommon_name


    Wheres Me Jumper? wrote: »
    as a LL i often ask for 3 months rent. i find this avoids issues arising.

    3 months rent, that is crazy money for somebody to try and come up with, especially with kids.
    I suppose you get away with it so why not!!


  • #38
    notsoyoungwan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 614 ✭✭✭notsoyoungwan


    Back when I was young and naive, I had a landlord claim that the lamp I had broken (which I admitted breaking, didn’t try conceal it) was an antique worth €200 and he withheld that from my deposit. I wasn’t assertive/tough enough to fight it and ended up having to suck it up. This was despite the letting agency messing up hugely throughout the year long tenancy, including giving me the key to move in before the previous tenant had moved out, sending the forms to the bank without putting their account details in so when the rent didn’t go in I got a threatening call from them, them not dealing with the complaint I made about the landlord letting himself in unannounced ‘to collect post’ whether or not I was there etc etc etc.

    Thankfully I’m no longer a tenant but I’m older and wiser now, and wouldn’t tolerate the above 5hit.


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