What are my rights?

BoozyBabe

Okay, I know I'm jumping the gun, but I'm wondering what sort of rights I have.

I'm a pretty new landlord. My property is advertised again for rent.

I've had an enquiry. Mid 20's couple with 3yr old child.
Living in Ballymun flats.
Man not supposed to be there cos of single parent, so not sure if could give references.

Shortly gonna be kicked out, I don't know why.

Basically I've yet to meet them. Will allow to view property anyway, but tbh I'm not really keen on renting out to them, doesn't sound great.
Defo won't without some sort of reference.

But, something in me is saying not fair to judge book by cover & to give chance etc.

If I did give them a chance, what rights do I have if things didn't go according to plan & I needed / wanted them out?

I.E not paying rent,
Thrashing house

Also, can I state no smoking on contract & no pets?
What happens if I do & they do smoke or keep pet anyway?

I know I prob sound like a bit of a snob, but I've put a lot of effort into the house, it's immaculate & I'd like it to stay that way, so I'm pretty careful about how I let live in it.

Then again, with changing times, I mightn't have the luxury of being so fussy.

So anyway, what's my rights with regards kicking them out (if it was needed) at short notice?

What about only giving a 3 month contract? Could I get rid then with no hassle if it wasn't working out? Or then decide to give 1 yr contract if I was happy with the situation?

Like I said, I'm a bit clueless

mikemac

BoozyBabe wrote:

I've had an enquiry. Mid 20's couple with 3yr old child.
Living in Ballymun flats.
Man not supposed to be there cos of single parent, so not sure if could give references.
Shortly gonna be kicked out, I don't know why.

How did you find this out? I doubt they volunteered this information.

jackal

I would always trust your instincts rather than worrying about being pc with regard to judging a book by its cover.

Its much easier to refuse people in the first place than to get them out after they move in, so if you have any doubts, pass on them. Be tough when/if you meet them. You are the landlord - the boss - so you make the rules. No pets/smoking/couples/students/rent allowance are all very commonly stated in rental ads. The trick is to weed out people that are in breach of your requirements for tennants *before* they have the keys to *your* property, as once they are in, if they turn out to be bad tennants, you will end up losing time and money at a minimum.

jdivision

If it's near Ballymun and you're looking for tenants you could also contact DCU accommodation office. Students will be back soon. You can specify mature or postgrad students for the accommodation (less chance of house being wrecked). I think you should meet the people from Ballymun anyway though, if they were living in the flats they're probably eligible rental supplements from the State which would guarantee your receipt of it. On the other hand if they need to move quickly they may have been evicted for anti-social behaviour. If your property is in the Fingal area (some parts of the area around Ballymun are actually in Fingal) this might be of interest (although whether it counts as north Co Dublin or not is open to question.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/LivingInFingal/Housing/RentalAccommodationScheme

TwoShedsJackson

But, something in me is saying not fair to judge book by cover & to give chance etc.

Forget about this anyway, it's your investment and you don't want it wrecked. This pair sound dodgy so by all means meet them and let them view the place, but they sound like trouble so I would not be remotely interested in renting a place to them unless they had a reference saying they were perfect tenants. Even then I'd be doubtful.

Victor

BoozyBabe wrote:

Shortly gonna be kicked out

Being kicked out is not a good sign.

BoozyBabe wrote:

Man not supposed to be there cos of single parent, so not sure if could give references.

While these rules are antiquated and are expected to be revised (on the basis that is it better to have a family together), they seem to be breaking the rules.

I suspect the two points are not linked. They would merely change the level of payment, not evist them.

The_Conductor

Boozybabe- if you are fully aware that they are breaking rules where they are living at the moment, you must assume that they would have no hesitation in breaking any rules or clauses that you might insert into their lease. I'm sorry- but leopards don't tend to change their spots......

I know that it may sound harsh- but at the end of the day you are not in the market to put a roof over the head of a family who are being evicted from their current abode- you are in the market to safeguard your investment to the best of your abilities, to repay your mortgage to the bank, and ensure that your prospective tenants are likely to appreciate your property and keep it to your own high standards.

S,

Mezcita

Wouldn't go near them. The old "I've had to take the apartment of the market at the last minute" excuse should do the job here.

Remember, you want tenants who you can give the keys to and then feel happy about walking away. Trust your own instincts.

Alternative is that they don't pay up on time or damage the place which will cost a lot more than the idea of it being empty for a few weeks.

patrickolee

Boozy babe, run a mile. Trust your instincts.

the_syco

BoozyBabe wrote:

Man not supposed to be there cos of single parent, so not sure if could give references.

In English: woman is claiming single parent allowance. If the CC found out that her partner was living there, she wouldn't recieve as much money. This scam is ongoing, but is being cracked down by DCC.

BoozyBabe wrote:

Shortly gonna be kicked out, I don't know why.

And who really gives a flying f*ck. They have no reference, and they're getting kicked out. NEEEEXT...!

BoozyBabe wrote:

If I did give them a chance, what rights do I have if things didn't go according to plan & I needed / wanted them out?

HAHAHAHA. Then you're f*cked.

BoozyBabe wrote:

I.E not paying rent,
Thrashing house

All possible reasons for getting kicked out in the first place.

BoozyBabe wrote:

So anyway, what's my rights with regards kicking them out (if it was needed) at short notice?

Short notice being the 28 days BY LAW that you have to give them, right?

=-=

Rent it out to mature students (3rd years) who have a reference from last years landlord, and your cool. The place I stayed in for the 2nd year of college was quality. Really nice. Kept in good condition. But of course, you needed a reference from a previous landlord. Which kept out the w*nkers who saw being away from mammy as reason for 24/7 party zone.

mel123

All u have to do is tell them u have had pleanty of viewings, so there are people with priority before them....as someone said, they are already running a scam so dont sound like very honest people to be renting your house!!!

mad m

Cancel the appointment with them before you meet them,whats the point. Trust that gut feeling, its 9/10 times right.

Supercell

Unfortunately, even though I'm a renting a long time, I'd have to say run away..fast.

Landlords never kick out good tenants unless they have a bloody good reason - i only ever was kicked out once - in 2001 when the market was falling, the landlord sold the place..bet he wishes now he waited till 2006 !!
I had been there five years and he gave me plenty of notice and it was all amicable.

If you sniff trouble at all..and you must be if you're posting here - there's another 100 people, no doubt, willing to take the place if its nice and the rent isnt excessive, you can pick and choose,
I'd recommend going with your gut instinct here - find someone else..

Gran Hermano

OP, unless your goal in life is to become a registered charity you'd be
best going with your hunch and telling them it's off the market.

Much better to go with your instinct now rather than face bother
in the future.

liberty 2007

Hi, lot of neg. stuff here. Unfortunatly their right.
If you dont give them a lease, up to the first 6 months u can give months notice, but, TRY ENFORCE IT.
Only had one experience with bad tennent, but when it's bad, it's bad.
You can't sleep at night with the worry

K_P

Having worked for a local authority I can tell you it is incredibly hard to be evicted from local authority housing. If they're about to be evicted it must be for something seriously dodgy. I'm all for being open minded and all that, but seriously, trust your instincts on this one.