Renting problem - what do we do?

scarlettfever

Me and the three girls I'm currently living with were due to move into a new house yesterday. However, once we arrived in the house we found that the heating was broken (the radiators don't heat up when you turn them on). I have spent all of today trying to get through to the agent but can't get hold of him on the each of these numbers:

His mobile: Apparently his number is 'not in use' any more
His office landline: No answer
Reception for his agency: Going through to voicemail; apparently the lines are down today but we can ring x number for urgent calls
Urgent calls number: No answer

So no joy. Fortunately there's a 1 week overlap between the house we're leaving and the one we're moving into otherwise we'd be basically homeless as without heat the new house is too cold to live in.

Also, the agent has repeatedly assured us that parking on the street we're moving to is free (this was very important to us as two of us have cars) but one of my friends spoke with one of the neighbours and apparently the parking is permit only.

This is annoying in itself as it means the girls have to pay €70 each when they were assured it was free but what's worse is that it takes 2 weeks to apply for a permit so my friends have nowhere to park their car for the next two weeks. We live in the city centre so there is literally nowhere for them to park. We have no idea what to do about the situation.

Anyway I was wondering what people should advise us to do. We've paid our deposits and one months rent - would it be plausible to just go back on the whole thing and get all this back as the house is basically unlivable in at the moment and the agent lied about the parking (we wouldn't have taken the house if we'd known it was permit only).

Obviously if we can't move in until next week we'll be asking for a weeks rent back but would it be realistic to ask them to pay for the permit aswell? Seeing as we took the house on condition of free parking?

And where can my friends put their cars in the mean-time? We're moving to the drumcondra area so if any-one knows of any free parking around there that's be great!

Any advice on any of the above would be much appreciated!

shoegirl

scarlettfever wrote: »

Also, the agent has repeatedly assured us that parking on the street we're moving to is free (this was very important to us as two of us have cars) but one of my friends spoke with one of the neighbours and apparently the parking is permit only.

This is annoying in itself as it means the girls have to pay €70 each when they were assured it was free but what's worse is that it takes 2 weeks to apply for a permit so my friends have nowhere to park their car for the next two weeks. We live in the city centre so there is literally nowhere for them to park. We have no idea what to do about the situation.

Anyway I was wondering what people should advise us to do. We've paid our deposits and one months rent - would it be plausible to just go back on the whole thing and get all this back as the house is basically unlivable in at the moment and the agent lied about the parking (we wouldn't have taken the house if we'd known it was permit only).

Oh dear, doesn't sound good.

First for the heating, keep ringing all the numbers that ring, all day, every day, every half an hour - keep a rota between you all, start at 7am and keep going until 10pm. It might just be that the oil need a fill or gas needs to be switched on at the supply end. That is something they need to help you with either way, or repair if it is not working.

Parking. This is harder. Its easy to be naive on this, MANY landlords put in misleading adverts about parking and central heating. (Here is a good example - I can tell you for a fact that this road is permit parking only, it takes 3 months plus to get a permanent permit, aggressive clamping goes on and there is no central heating whatsoever in that house). Unfortunately there really is no such thing as free parking in Dublin, or any other Irish city (aside from pockets that are often unofficially policed by stolen traffic cone based systems). I'm surprised you didn't notice this when you went to look at the place as any area which is permit controlled usually is lathered with signs on poles indicating that is the case. Didn't anybody notice that?

Victor

Visit the agent.

scarlettfever wrote: »

However, once we arrived in the house we found that the heating was broken (the radiators don't heat up when you turn them on).

What type of heating is there? Is there a boiler you need to turn on?

Also, the agent has repeatedly assured us that parking on the street we're moving to is free (this was very important to us as two of us have cars) but one of my friends spoke with one of the neighbours and apparently the parking is permit only.

What do the signs on the street say?

This is annoying in itself as it means the girls have to pay €70 each when they were assured it was free but what's worse is that it takes 2 weeks to apply for a permit so my friends have nowhere to park their car for the next two weeks. We live in the city centre so there is literally nowhere for them to park.

How did you expect free parking in the city centre? Talk tot he council and explain that you are moving into a new premises and would there be some way to come to an arrangement, e.g. if you were to buy visitors permits for the 2 weeks.

Obviously if we can't move in until next week we'll be asking for a weeks rent back

Not unreasonable

but would it be realistic to ask them to pay for the permit aswell? Seeing as we took the house on condition of free parking?

Possibly pushing it. The landlord isn't charging you for parking, the council is.