Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Houseshare gone wrong!

Options
  • 05-07-2015 7:51pm
    #1
    Jordan537
    Registered Users Posts: 274 ✭✭


    Evening All.

    5 days ago I moved into a Houseshare, a big 4 bedroom house with double garage, newly built and very modern.

    On arrival I found all the lads im sharing with are of foreign backgrounds and their English is not the best, I said "hiya mate, how ya doing" to one when I was first moved in and he completely ignored me.

    I have now gotten to the stage of a quick smile.

    One of the biggest problems I have is this... I was told I would be sharing with 3 others. however, there is a fourth in the space above the garage, on the plans of the house its down as "games room".

    However, a squatter, a mate of one of the house sharers is living up there on a mattress on the floor and living out of suitcases and boxes and still using all the facilities the house has to offer.

    The guy above the garage living also feels he can tell me where I can and cant park my car on the driveway.

    I haven't signed any contract and I can leave anytime with just a month notice.

    Everyone is of foreign background and I feel like im invading there space and they have "taken over the house"

    What do you all think is my best option with this?

    Regards.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    Move out.


  • Options
    #3
    pablo128
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,221 ✭✭✭pablo128


    Ring the landlord and tell them there's a squatter over the garage!


  • Options
    #4
    Jordan537
    Registered Users Posts: 274 ✭✭Jordan537


    This the email I have put together and sent off... How does this sound?

    Evening "Person1".


    I sent you an email on the 3rd July regarding a single occupancy rental, however, I'm not sure you received this.


    The house is a fantastic House, however I do have a few problems I want to bring to your attention.


    The first and probably the most important is the person living above the Garage. I'm not sure you are aware but we have a "squatter" living
    above the Garage with a mattress on the floor and living out of suitcases and boxes. He is also using all the facilities in the house.


    The one residing above the Garage also feels he is able to tell me where and where not to park.


    I was told I would be sharing with 3 other people, 4 including myself. This is not the case.


    The people sharing apart from "Person2", who I am told is leaving at the end of the month are of foreign backgrounds and their English is not the best, I have made an attempt to talk however I am ignored!


    I feel this property is not for me, although I would like to stay within your company due to the warm welcome and service I received from yourself.


    this is the reason I have asked if you have any properties for one occupant coming up, or indeed in the near future?


    Best Regards.


    "Person3".


  • Options
    #5
    Baxterly13
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭Baxterly13


    Do not sign the contract! Give your one month notice and leave!!!
    Jordan537 wrote: »
    Evening All.

    5 days ago I moved into a Houseshare, a big 4 bedroom house with double garage, newly built and very modern.

    On arrival I found all the lads im sharing with are of foreign backgrounds and their English is not the best, I said "hiya mate, how ya doing" to one when I was first moved in and he completely ignored me.

    I have now gotten to the stage of a quick smile.

    One of the biggest problems I have is this... I was told I would be sharing with 3 others. however, there is a fourth in the space above the garage, on the plans of the house its down as "games room".

    However, a squatter, a mate of one of the house sharers is living up there on a mattress on the floor and living out of suitcases and boxes and still using all the facilities the house has to offer.

    The guy above the garage living also feels he can tell me where I can and cant park my car on the driveway.

    I haven't signed any contract and I can leave anytime with just a month notice.

    Everyone is of foreign background and I feel like im invading there space and they have "taken over the house"

    What do you all think is my best option with this?

    Regards.


  • Options
    #6
    Kristopherus
    Registered Users Posts: 11,907 ✭✭✭✭Kristopherus


    Baxterly13 wrote: »
    Do not sign the contract! Give your one month notice and leave!!!

    He does'nt have to give a month's notice. He can walk out the front door tomorrow if he wishes.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    leave, life's too short for that grief

    btw - what nationality are they??


  • Options
    #8
    sweetie
    Registered Users Posts: 9,791 ✭✭✭sweetie


    So you moved into a house without meeting any of the prospective housemates?....


  • Options
    #9
    Wanderer78
    Registered Users Posts: 28,805 ✭✭✭✭Wanderer78


    run!


  • Options
    #10
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,669 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    sweetie wrote: »
    So you moved into a house without meeting any of the prospective housemates?....


    There are two sorts of house-shares in this country. Real ones (group of people sign a join lease and really share the house), and boarding-house-with-shared-kitchen types (tenants sign a "lease" for their own room, and share the other facilities, with people they don't choose).

    IMHO the latter shouldn't be called house shares. But they are.

    OP, you are justified in complaining that there is one more person living in the house than you were promised. (And I cannot see why you would want to stay with a property management company that did this: they may claim they "didn't know" - but they would if they were doing regular inspections.)

    As to the rest: Tenants who have been there longer and so know the lay of the land are usually a good source of information about where you should/shouldn't park. There is no requirement for them to have any minimum standard of English, or to be indigenous, or to interact with you beyond the absolute minimum. If you want to set standards for your house-mates in these areas, then you need to find yourself either a real house-share or a 1brm place.

    Good luck with the house-hunting.


  • Options
    #11
    enfant terrible
    Registered Users Posts: 4,550 ✭✭✭enfant terrible


    Don't give up on house shares after this experience, there are good people out there too.

    Just meet them first next time.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    sweetie
    Registered Users Posts: 9,791 ✭✭✭sweetie


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    There are two sorts of house-shares in this country. Real ones (group of people sign a join lease and really share the house), and boarding-house-with-shared-kitchen types (tenants sign a "lease" for their own room, and share the other facilities, with people they don't choose).

    IMHO the latter shouldn't be called house shares. But they are.

    OP, you are justified in complaining that there is one more person living in the house than you were promised. (And I cannot see why you would want to stay with a property management company that did this: they may claim they "didn't know" - but they would if they were doing regular inspections.)

    As to the rest: Tenants who have been there longer and so know the lay of the land are usually a good source of information about where you should/shouldn't park. There is no requirement for them to have any minimum standard of English, or to be indigenous, or to interact with you beyond the absolute minimum. If you want to set standards for your house-mates in these areas, then you need to find yourself either a real house-share or a 1brm place.

    Good luck with the house-hunting.

    I'm actually from this country and have been both a tenant in a househare and a landlord but I still find it suprising that anyone moving into any sort of houseshare wouldn't meet with the people they would be living with; it beggars belief tbh.


  • Options
    #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    sweetie wrote: »
    I'm actually from this country and have been both a tenant in a househare and a landlord but I still find it suprising that anyone moving into any sort of houseshare wouldn't meet with the people they would be living with; it beggars belief tbh.

    More often than not it's just not practical to meet all the people in a house.

    I have lived in 3 house shares (currently living in the 3rd still) and I have never met all the housemates before moving in, it normally just been the person showing the room that you meet.

    You ring an add and arrange to meet, call to the house you get a quick tour of the house and then you leave and have to decide on the place (or decide on the spot if you want to be sure to get it), if housemates are out you don't meet them. Its simply not practical to be trying to go back and meet other housemates as it could take a few visits to meet them all and the room will just be gone. You would struggle badly to get a half decent room if you are not willing to make a quick decision.


  • Options
    #14
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,669 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Joel Huge Valley wrote: »
    More often than not it's just not practical to meet all the people in a house.

    Like I said, there are two types of house-shares.

    In Type I house-shares, the house-mates care about who they live with and make it their business to be at home at the right times so they meet candidates before any offers are made.

    Like sweetie, it blows my mind that people are willing to share houses otherwise. But they are - I know this from what I've read here.


  • Options
    #15
    eeguy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,478 ✭✭✭eeguy


    Joel Huge Valley wrote: »
    More often than not it's just not practical to meet all the people in a house.

    I have lived in 3 house shares (currently living in the 3rd still) and I have never met all the housemates before moving in, it normally just been the person showing the room that you meet.

    I've never moved into a house knowing all the people in it.

    Mostly I've moved into an empty house and the other rooms just filled up.
    I asked the landlords to give preference to someone I might get along with and most were obliging enough.


  • Options
    #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Like I said, there are two types of house-shares.

    In Type I house-shares, the house-mates care about who they live with and make it their business to be at home at the right times so they meet candidates before any offers are made.

    Like sweetie, it blows my mind that people are willing to share houses otherwise. But they are - I know this from what I've read here.

    From my experience the majority of houseshares are type II houseshares though. If you are looking for a place its going to be very very difficult, particularly with the way things are now to find a houseshare operating as type I. There is also rarely a discussion on a new tenant its totally the decision of the person who is showing the room and they make the call on the new person (often the person who is moving out that does the showing around too).

    I've viewed many places as well as the ones I've lived in and only one was it like you say where I met all the housemates on my viewing (and not one of the places I actually lived in).


  • Options
    #17
    Wompa1
    Registered Users Posts: 8,165 ✭✭✭Wompa1


    Ireland could do with a lot more affordable 1 bedrooms! Moved over to the US almost 4 years ago. It's great not having to share any more. Before I left Ireland, I was paying 550 a month in Galway for a nice 1 bedroom. It was worth the extra 150 a month to have my own space, even though I wasn't make much it improved my lifestyle immensely


  • Options
    #18
    charlietheminxx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,579 ✭✭✭charlietheminxx


    A 1 bed in Dublin would cost you €800 minimum now, and that'd be for a small one. Ireland just needs more rental accommodation to stop the crazy levels of demand.


  • Options
    #19
    Alf Veedersane
    Registered Users Posts: 24,552 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    I've lived in one of these houseshares, but on a much larger scale, back in college.

    The first year it was great. Everyone got on well enough and respected everyone else in terms of cleaning up after themselves etc.

    The next year was a disaster. 6 lads who all knew each other moved in. They seemed ok the first and second days. Then they spent the next 8 months or thereabouts being animals.

    I didn't meet anyone before either year. In both cases, everyone seemed normal the first couple of days so sometimes meeting someone before you move in doesn't give a true reflection.

    OP, it doesn't sound as if you're comfortable there on account of not being able to engage with the other housemates even if the 'squatter' does go.

    So cut your losses and move on.


  • Options
    #20
    tinz18
    Registered Users Posts: 329 ✭✭tinz18


    Alf Veedersane wrote: »
    In both cases, everyone seemed normal the first couple of days so sometimes meeting someone before you move in doesn't give a true reflection.

    Completely agree here. I met one of my housemates before I moved in in my last house share and she seemed lovely. The other girl was working. Turned out the first girl was cracked and a pain to live with (queen of passive aggression) while the girl who I didn't meet was the nicest ever. I've had other house shares where I was of two minds about the other housemates initially but we got along really well. You can rarely judge people based on a few snatched minutes what they'd be like to live with.


Advertisement