Galway Accommodation Agency ?

JJayoo

I gave my months notice to the Galway accommodation agency, and was told that the only way I would get my 400euro deposit back was for me to advertise and find a new person for my room, and then get my deposit directly from them. Also if i was unable to find someone the remaining people in the house would have to foot the entire bill.

I found this a bit dodgy, but this was my first time using an agency, so prehaps its just standard practice.

Just wondering has anyone else used this company and is this the norm??

amiable

JJayoo wrote: »

I gave my months notice to the Galway accommodation agency, and was told that the only way I would get my 400euro deposit back was for me to advertise and find a new person for my room, and then get my deposit directly from them. Also if i was unable to find someone the remaining people in the house would have to foot the entire bill.

I found this a bit dodgy, but this was my first time using an agency, so prehaps its just standard practice.

Just wondering has anyone else used this company and is this the norm??

I'd need more information.
How long have you been there.
Did you sign a lease?
How many others in the property?

jkforde

That's doesn't sound right, are you the rental agreement signee? Maybe talk to the Citizens Information Centre down the street from the library, I've found them very helpful before.

JJayoo

I did not sign a lease, but did sign a form which had some contact details.
Have only been here for a few months. There are two other people in the house.

amiable

And the form that you signed, what did it say?

JJayoo

Name
phone number
home number/other contact
pps number
email
Work address.

That was pretty much it, I was never going to sign a contract locking me into a hopuse for a certain amount of time.

Xiney

who did you pay the deposit to?

if it was the outgoing tenant, you're sunk.




I've said it before, this kind of arrangement should be illegal.

softmee

People who are staying in the house should give you deposit back and then get it from person who will move in. Simple

By the way, why was it 400??? Did you pay all together 1200 of deposit? It's never that high! If thats 3 bedroom house it shouldnt be more then 1000.

Jamey

Had the same problem with the same agency before, and would recommend everyone to avoid them. It took months of me plaguing them to give me back my deposit, and they had some stupid excuse that 'the person that originally signed the lease' should give me my deposit. The person who had signed the lease was a complete stranger, and had signed it 5 years previously, and loads of different people had passed through the house at this stage.

After weeks and weeks of going down arguing them, threatening them with solicitor's letters, and a good few visits to Threshold along the way, they gave me back half or a quarter of my deposit, saying that the carpet in the house was burnt...which was a complete fib.

skelliser

I would suggest that this is illegal.

JJayoo

They told me that the deposit they received once they took over the property is pretty much theres and they keep that.

We asked for a rent reduction and were told they would contact the landlord, this hass been going on for two months.

One of the guys who has been in the house for a while had to bring his tv up as we didn't have one :mad:, things like tvs are "housekeeping"

The reason i first posted is because of this post
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056086068

"Speaking ahead of the launch, Threshold’s Chairperson, Aideen Hayden,
said: “Increasingly, the rented sector has replaced social housing in providing
for people in need. Last year, the State spent over €500 million on rent
supplement, yet tenants experienced increased problems of poor standards in
accommodation and unacceptable practice by some landlords, including
unjustified retention of deposits and illegal evictions."

I would advise getting proper advice from someone experienced in this area- go to Threshold yourself and see what can be done, if they can't offer any advice then check out citizens information - they might have something.

Eviledna

Go straight to threshold and ask for their advice. I've found them to be invaluble in the past for things like this.

JJayoo

Thanks for all the info guys

swe_fi

It seems to be quite common to try and hold deposit back for various reasons, I've heard of this before, nearly happened to me as well.

Seek advise from the professional sources of course but have you actually called in to the Agency office? I mean not just phoned them. It might help if you have not already tried that, if you get the right person. Simple but often effective. This kind of crap is often down to dumb individuals in companies, I've never dealt with this crowd so can't say what they are like.

What is not clear to me at least from what you are posting is Who you actually paid the deposit to and did you get a receipt which states like "Deposit of amount X paid on date Y"?

magentas

swe-fi he paid deposit to tenant that was moving out as he moved in.
It's a really bad way to do it but very common.

The agency just want to to "cut your losses"
they're hoping you won't be bothered fighting it and move on but it's not 2005 and people can't afford to walk away from €400 and besides the money, you need to put your foot down so that it doesn't affect the other tenants and the agency need to realize that they can't get away with this carry on.

Stand your ground and demand your deposit back.
Don't go to Citizens Advice, they will only send you to Threshold so you'll be wasting their time and yours.
Go to Threshold on merchants road, they're very helpful and it's a free service.

Head The Wall

Have you discussed this with the other tenants, I would be choosing to not pay the rent for the last month and let either them or the tenants find someone else to move in

Dr. Greenthumb

Rented an apartment with a couple of friends from Galway Accommodation Agency in 2001 or so. When we left they refused to give us our deposit. We argued and threatened them but rather than issuing solicitors letters etc we just went straight to the small claims court and won.

Can't remember the fee for the SCC (wasn't much) but it was quick and painless. Also saved on giving a solicitor money for letters that get you nowhere.

Sponge Bob

I think the SCC route is closed now and you must use the PRTB who will rule in your favour, eventually.

jkforde

totally forgot. rented off them back around 2004 and had the same crack. think the agent's name was Con or Ken or something like that, a most pleasant and agreeable gentleman as I recall! we all buggered off and after harassing him we got our monies back.

ErnieBert

You say that you have only been there a few months. i suspect that the form that you signed committed you staying for a minimum of six months, maybe more. If that is the case, then the Agency are doing you a favour in advising you to get someone new into the property.

However, if this is not the case, then it's time to email/phone them informing them that you will ringing Joe Duffy on RTE One. That should ruffle a few feathers.

Jamey

jkforde wrote: »

totally forgot. rented off them back around 2004 and had the same crack. think the agent's name was Con or Ken or something like that, a most pleasant and agreeable gentleman as I recall! we all buggered off and after harassing him we got our monies back.

Ken indeed.

Very smug if I remember, was happy to sit back and laugh at you arguing with him. There was an older woman working there at the time too (we used to call her Ken's mother - not sure if she actually was!) and she was even worse, always threatening to call the guards when we would go in and try get our deposits back...

dollybird2

This shower are cowboys. Rented off them once, never will again.
After telling us to wait for our permit and park outside the apartment we were clamped by their own clampers. When we spoke to them about this they said that the clamper had to earn his wage and he didn't know that we were waiting for the permit. Ended up paying for clamp to be removed as it was more hassle than it was worth.
This left a lasting impression on my dealings with this company so I kept a log of all rent paid, all bills paid, took dated photographs of the property, an inventory stamped by them etc. Upon moving out I had a solicitor come while the house was photographed and inspected.
When we moved out they wouldn't pay our deposit on the basis the carpet was stained and not cleaned so I took all my documentation to the PRTB. We had a hearing and they were ordered to pay our deposit back.

Never ever again!

jquig91

A friend and I are going through the exact same thing now. We moved out in May and they keep saying that they have to wait for the bills from the cleaner and the painter. I don't know why we have to foot this bill though because when we moved in the place was an absolute tip and all the walls were marked so obviously they didn't make the previous residents pay for this! I have advised everyone I know in Galway not to rent from this agency, they are absolute scammers!!

biko

We'll stop here. If anyone from Galway Accommodation Agency wants to contact me about this thread feel free to send me a message.