"Health and safety"

LegacyUser

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or opinions on the whole area of privacy while renting, and the right to privacy while renting. And the right to keep one's data private while renting.

Landlords seem to be able to do just whatever the hell they like re. the obtainment of information. As we all know in todays world information is power.

I'm speaking specifically of the way many Landlords maintain complete ease of entry to a premises that a person is renting "for health and safety reasons"

So here's an example.

Landlord is worried that a tenant may be storing illegal substances in a rented place.
So for "health and safety" reasons enters the premises while the tenant is not there, to suss the place out. Rifles through the tenants belongings and then makes a decision about whether or not there actually exists a *health and safety issue*





THoughts ?

Ickle Magoo

Moved from PI

ztoical

Speriments wrote: »

Landlord is worried that a tenant may be storing illegal substances in a rented place.
So for "health and safety" reasons enters the premises while the tenant is not there, to suss the place out. Rifles through the tenants belongings and then makes a decision about whether or not there actually exists a *health and safety issue*

A LL cannot enter a rented property when the tenant is not there or without the tenats premission nor are they allowed 'rilfe' through their belongings even when doing an inspection of the property they are only allowed look in rooms, they can't open drawers or presses. They should contact the tenant at least 24 hours in advance that they need to access the property and if the time doesn't suit the tenant they can say no.

Victor

Speriments wrote: »

Landlord is worried that a tenant may be storing illegal substances in a rented place.
So for "health and safety" reasons enters the premises while the tenant is not there, to suss the place out. Rifles through the tenants belongings and then makes a decision about whether or not there actually exists a *health and safety issue*

If this happens, make a complaint to the Garda. Your landlord is not your mother (and we hope you mother has stopped at this stage also).

The only reasonable grounds for a landlord to enter a property without permission is if there is a real and present risk to the property, e.g. a broken water pipe.

not even wrong

Speriments wrote: »

Landlord is worried that a tenant may be storing illegal substances in a rented place.
So for "health and safety" reasons enters the premises while the tenant is not there, to suss the place out. Rifles through the tenants belongings and then makes a decision about whether or not there actually exists a *health and safety issue*

By "illegal substances" what do you mean exactly? If the landlord has a reasonable suspicion that you're running a marijuana-growing operation or a CIRA bomb factory out of your rental apartment, then yes, there is a real risk to the public and your landlord, the management company or more likely the police are entitled to investigate. If on the other hand they heard a rumour that you've got €10 worth of hash under your mattress then they're not.

djimi

If the landlord feels that something illegal is going on then surely its up to them to inform the Guards who will investigate and obtain a search warrant to enter the premises if necessarily. The Gardai cant just wander into your house for a look around if they suspect youre up to something, and your landlord most certainly cant, in fact they would be guilty of trespassing if they tried to.

Victor

not even wrong wrote: »

By "illegal substances" what do you mean exactly? If the landlord has a reasonable suspicion that you're running a marijuana-growing operation or a CIRA bomb factory

Landlords should not investigate such matters personally, but should refer the matter directly to the Garda. What if someone had booby-trapped the cache?

Aside from the matters of (b) being arrested by the Garda when they are found to have traces of explosives on their hands and clothes (b) contaminating the crime scene or (c) being found dead in a bog.