Letting Agent entered my property without consent

So because I didn't answer a phone call due to being very busy at the time, that gives her the right to enter the apartment 2-hours later?

Is that your position?

Let's frame this from another angle. Imagine if I were a woman, didn't get to answer a few calls that afternoon, and happened to have been unclothed; and all of a sudden a letting agent man walks in asking about painting rooms.

In other words, can you possibly see why laws exist to ensure that people cannot enter your home unannounced?

The only exceptions are emergencies. Asking about a damn painter isn't an emergency.

And based on your last comment, "drip, drip, drip", I won't engage with your posts going forward.

Thanks for confirming that.

The reason I brought it up is because when the alarm systems broke down, maybe within a month of my tenancy, I emailed the same letting agent and asked her about fixing them. She instead told me that it's something I will have to fix and that concierge might have a phone number to an electrician who would be able to assist me.

This is yet another cost that I had to absorb.

I'm looking into getting the RTB number. One way or another, I'm getting that rent credit.

On the proving she entered, I don't disagree it's impossible to directly prove. But there is circumstantial evidence that it is more likely true than not i.e. I didn't know she was going to arrive yet shortly after she left, I sent a text to my other half saying what happened. Now the only way that could not be true is to argue I deliberately lied to my other half. So whilst nobody has a camera pointed to their door all the time, her history of lies and deception, coupled with this circumstantial evidence, is sufficient to establish beyond reasonable doubt that what I am saying is true -- which it is.

Yes, the LA has been told that if they play fast and loose with my deposit, I will proceed with RTB on all the bases discussed in this thread (and others I have since come across).

They are already trying to "manufacture" circumstances to try and scam me further.

For instance, yesterday. When the washing machine broke down, I personally replaced it with a brand new one, and this was integrated like the old one. Yet she emails me saying that the washing machine will be physically removed from the property (they will probably sell it for easy money) because I did not receive "authorisation" to have it replaced; so that an empty gap is in the apartment -- either paid by me through my deposit or through the landlord paying for it. This is despite the fact in the clauses it states that I am personally responsible for fixing any maintenance issues, should they arise.

In my view, if letting agents behave anywhere near as like she has, they should be struck off the record and have their license revoked -- immediately and permanently.

I wish that was all I had to put up with.

This for me matters more than money now. I cannot let scammers get away with this, period.

I was shocked at a) the level of hostility I received and b) the assumption the tenant must by hiding something; i.e. that somehow the landlord / letting agent must somehow be acting legitimately, that somehow I was in the wrong (I must be hiding essential details).

I have been as honest as possible, and even posted emails and contract details.

For some, that's not enough -- apparently I'm still to blame for everything.

I'm perfectly aware the letting agent will try to get up to no good to try and make me look bad. It's a risk I decided to take, but I cannot allow them to scam me any further -- or for that matter, anyone else.

And if my pursuit of their behaviour ends up resulting in helping other people in the long-term, in whatever capacity, then it will be worth it in the end for me.

I have no issues paying for whatever I am required to pay.

But what I was scammed out of and lost out due to their lies far, far exceeds the bin charges by multiple times.

How do you think the RTB will react to how the letting agent acted post-tenancy i.e. I paid €450 for a washing machine to replace the old, then broken one and had the new one integrated, exactly as it was integrated beforehand.

After I left the tenancy, they are now arguing that the new washing machine must be disposed of from the apartment, and a new one bought to replace it.

Surely the RTB will consider this yet another malicious act to take as much of the deposit as possible?

I also replaced the fire alarms, and they are aware of this too, but aren't arguing the fire alarms must be disposed of.

They sent me the full deposit today -- (tomorrow was the final date I was willing to wait for it, or I'd escalate).

Clearly they understood perfectly well that RTB and Revenue would have a field day with their conduct to date, both in terms of the property and my tenancy. I wonder what they feared the most. They have done so much wrong. I also wonder how much they have scammed other tenants over the years; I'm absolutely convinced that I wasn't their first target.

Their sending me the full deposit is complete vindication of everything I accused them of, including her unlawful entry to my property.

They didn't even send me an email confirming it. The deposit was just sent back to my account without a word spoken.

They clearly do not want me to persist with the rent credit and other costs I have been forced to endure.

The question is, should this be pursued any further?