Free houses or not Free houses ... "tenants" to be sued

What works is when an example is made - evict them, have all the cameras there, fully expose these freeloaders to the public. Give it loads of air time and as much publicity as possible.

Sure DCC is owed 50 million in arrears from these type of wasters.

Ah sure there is no free houses blah blah.

No one is scamming the system blah blah.

The usual army will be along soon to make excuses for these poor unfortunate souls.

I lived in a council house for years I can't fathom how you could run into arrears. The rent is calculated so there is absolutely no hardship on you, your looking at about 15% of income. It should be deducted at source anyway to avoid this crap (by revenue or social welfare).

It shouldn't but it's way too lax the system. These are people flat out refusing to pay rent, 20k in arrears is a **** joke. Deduct it at source is the best solution, I can't understand why it's not done already.

The main reason for arrears is extra income in the household not being declared, or being declared years later, and then the differential rent is adjusted upwards.

Na the main reason is they just don't want to pay it. The council's are unbelievably reasonable if you get into arrears, they'll put you into generous repayment plans provided you engage and stick to them.

Emotional blackmail should never be allowed as a cover for law breaking and theft.

What chance do landlords have when this can go on with a public body with all the resources at its disposal.

The annoying thing is the little rent that is to paid month on month most likely is also tax payer money

But if someone has a house and they're not even paying the 50 euro a week for it i.e. they're paying zero, then it's a free house, right? I mean, it shouldn't be, by the rules, but if they're getting away with breaking the rules, then they're getting the house for free.

It should be deducted at source, perhaps not at first but if there is rent not being paid rather than wait and allow the debt to rise the local authority should be more proactive in tackling the non payment.

I work with a girl on lone parents living in an apt, I think HAP. Anyway she pays 100 per week towards her rent out of her lone parents payment and its deducted at source.

If you're the council and you evict them, you have to house them again.

For the same reasons social welfare tenants are not wanted by private landlords, when they are in arrears you will never get it back via the courts. Most court judgements I have seen were 5 Euros a week restitution, which was not paid.

I'm going to make a assumption and say the tenants being sued are working and clearly have the means to pay but choose not to. South Dublin has no "cap" on payments, unlike others, and I have seen some higher earning tenants getting salty about this.