landlord/Rent problems

dulli

Hi there,

I dont know if anyone can give me advice on this but it would be much appreciated.

I am currently living and renting a house with two other people for 600 euro per month. i've been renting there since feb 2008.We don't have any written lease agreement with the landlord, rent is paid either into the landlords account or cash in hand. Its a fairly casual agreement which i was mostly fine with until i lost my job at the end of march.

Ive been out of work and looking for employment since and have ran into some financial difficulties. Im claiming welfare and just getting by.

However, when approaching our landlord before applying for rent allowance, she told me that she could not accept rent allowance as she was not registered as the owner of the property and that if i went ahead and applied for rent allowance and rent relief that she would be contacted by the revenue about unpaid tax. She then basically said that it would not be worth her time to rent out the property and she would then have to sell it. This would mean that myself and my two house mates would basically have to leave. Her main place of residence is in clare.

On top of this, we received a bill for bin services stretching back to 2006, still unpaid which I'm pretty sure, correct me if i'm wrong are the landlords responsibility to sort out and she has been living on the ground floor of this 3 bedroomed house for the last 4 months and for half of the time that i have lived on the premises.

We also i should mention, asked her nicely to reduce the rent back in June and she explained that she could not afford to.

We have also mentioned to her several times about fixing and repairing several things in the house and she has yet to do so.

I'm in an awkward situation as my two housemates are fairly content to keep things as they are as they are still working full-time and can afford to pay their bills on time. And if i go ahead and claim rent allowance or relief and the landlady finds out, then we will all be told to look for somewhere else to rent. I get on with these people, its not a huge place for 3 people and dont want a falling out to ccur.

I'm looking around for another place to rent at the moment.

Now i realize that this situation is partly of my own making and i certainly will not rent another place without a written lease agreement again.

So Im just wondering if at this time, is there anything else i can do or any action i can take against the landlord at this stage? Where do I stand? Because I can't afford to go on living there much longer as things currently stand.

Cathmandooo

So the whole house is €1,800 a month in rent and you say it's a small enough place? Rent seems a little high, can't imagine the mortgage being that high but I could be wrong on that.

It sounds like if you do anything legal about your landlord that she'll be done for tax and you and your housemates will be asked to move out when she tries to sell. However, it sounds like a bit of a threat from her, 'report me and you and your mates will be out on your ear'. Not a nice situation.

IMO the yearly bin charge should be paid by the landlord, with the tenants paying the big tags.

If you can't afford the rent and don't want to risk rocking the boat on your housemates then I'd just go to a new place. Tell your landlady when you're moving out and fix up any bills with the housemates.

monkeypants

Register for the rent relief that you're entitled to and be prepared to move somewhere else that should be cheaper.

bangersandmash

Cathooo wrote: »

So the whole house is €1,800 a month in rent and you say it's a small enough place? Rent seems a little high, can't imagine the mortgage being that high but I could be wrong on that.

If it's a house in Dublin then the mortgage + associated costs could be much higher. However, by the sounds of things the landlord is not paying many of the costs associated with being a landlord - bin charges, maintenance, and most notably tax.

dulli wrote: »

However, when approaching our landlord before applying for rent allowance, she told me that she could not accept rent allowance as she was not registered as the owner of the property and that if i went ahead and applied for rent allowance and rent relief that she would be contacted by the revenue about unpaid tax. She then basically said that it would not be worth her time to rent out the property and she would then have to sell it.

So she's evading tax, and is suggesting that you should not get your entitlements to help her to continue to do so. To make matters worse, she's failing to pay the bin charges and maintain the property to a reasonable standard.

The success of her "business" is not your concern. I'd go along with Monkeypants. Claim any rent rent relief you are due, and move on. I know your employment circumstances may make it more difficult to find alternative accommodation. But it's also the case that rents in Dublin have dropped 10-30% since Feb 2008. A 3 bed that would have rented for 3 x €600 in 2008 will often now rent for 3 x €400. Rent reductions are quite the norm these days. That's something your housemates might want to consider.

louisa200

I would go threshold, and then start looking for another gaff, tell your landlady you need it in writing that she does not accept rent allowance otherwise you could have a long wait for rent allowance in your next gaf as you 'intentionally' made yourself homeless by just moving out...
I cant stand landlords who evade tax and who dont maintain a property... you have no rights atall living in the house as you have no contract, no proof that you have been paying rent and she in unregistered, so to me i wouldnt live somewhere, it is like having a job but having no contract or rights, you are open to abuse... start looking and go and see threshold, they are very good and will tell you exactly what to do... hths

dulli

Thank you all for your advice, I think moving out is the best option. Ive been used to living in flats/houses at home and abroad where there was an easygoing rent arrangement with the landlords. I should have known better. One of my housemates. who has live here prior to my moving in and so he had dealt with her before but he is far too chummy with her, likes an easy life and doesnt kick up a fuss about rent, repairs and bills etc. I know if i was living on my own or with others in my situation, I'd put up more of a fight. Its not that shes unfriendly but just has a way of getting our sympathies, she's fairly old and has been living on the ground floor of the house for the past few months so she can visit a sick relative close by on a daily basis. As far as a mortgage, I think she actually owns the place so i dont think think thats a factor. Bills then come to on average per month. electricity and heating about 50 -100 per month depending on how much heating oil we use. The bins we've sorted out ourselves and paid for a new provider, the collection charges she can sort out. I will certainly go to treshold and see what they have to say. I greatly appreciate all of your advice on this matter