Property stolen by housemate.

LegacyUser

Basically living a house that is split into 5 flats. So while we aren’t realy housemates, we do share the washing machine behind the house and the hallway for the house.

Landlord is sound and while there been issues with some other tenants everything has been resolved.
I’m not aware of any grudges against me and I can’t see why there would be.
While nationality doesn’t realy affect anything, there is myself, two Irish guys, one German girl and some other lad from Eastern Europe.

Own a 50cc scooter and a bicycle and I always stored the helmets in the hallway and the four other tenants pass them every day.
It’s handy for me to leave them there and I wasn’t the least bit worried about someone stealing them. Like who would rob a helmet???

Left the house around 8:15am this morning and both helmets were there.
I usually call back to the flat at lunchtime and my cycle helmet was gone. Maybe that’s not serious to most people but I only bought it last week and it cost me €80.
I knocked on the other tenants doors but nonone is home, I presume out working.

I’m only friendly with two of them (Irish lad & German girl) , I rarely chat with the other two (new Irish tenant & guy from Eastern Europe)

I’ve tried ringing the landlord but she’s away from the weekend and got a voicemail. I don’t know her mobile number, just her office landline.

Never been in this situation before. Is worth contacting the gardai? Or would they laugh me out of the station as it’s an €80 helmet and also it was stolen indoors so maybe they will call it a civil matter.

I am 99% certain who took it (new Irish tenant) but I have no proof and I go home down the country tonight so I can’t confront the other tenants until Sunday.
I did have an minor argument with him last week over leaving full binbags in the hall until bin collection and that caused an obstruction and it smelled.
But that was last week so I though it was sorted.

What’s my next step?

Duggy747

Possibly one your flatmates borrowed the helmet today, they'd want to be pretty stupid or sly to steal it and think nobody would notice. Leave it until Sunday and ask questions nicely like "Anyone seen my helmet?". It's only been since this morning so wait yet.

Victor

To be honest, its a silly place to leave something of value.

Did you check the bins?

LegacyUser

You leave your personal belongings in a public hallway and then expect that the police take you seriously.
Get a grip.
Who knows who else is coming in and out.
The only person you can blame is yourself.

LundiMardi

why don't you just store them in your bedroom? Why the hallway?? It's pretty stupid to leave your own property out when there are practically strangers walking around the house.

dodgyme

ah just learn from it. If it can be nicked it will. Same thing happened to me, well me missus. She used to park the new bicycle behind electronic gates under cover. She only used to lock the bike to itself if you know what I mean. I told her to lock it to a disused gate which was in the rain but she insisted. It old her it would be nicked and it was by someone in the flats. Q.E.D

seamus

Yeah, I think the main problem is that you've no idea who's coming in and out. One of the tenants may have had a friend over, who then swiped the helmet on his way out the door, unknown to your housemate?

Aside from asking the question in a friendly way, I don't there's much else you can do. The Gardai may question your housemates. This will probably yield nothing except tension between you and them.