Landlord Harassment (Old thread)

oxplox

Hello all,
Would appreciate a little advice. Former landlord keeps harassing me with text messages. He says I can't have my deposit back and in fact, I owe him money (not true) and he will keep harassing me until I give in and pay him. He has also called my employer in an effort to get a forwarding address. When they didn't let him have it he threatened to give them bad press. He also threatened to contact my family and friends and tell them I'm a filthy, horrible person. (isn't that extortion?)

As this all constitutes criminal harassment the Gardai have been notified and the landlord has been warned to stop. However, he hasn't stopped. I'm not sure exactly what I should do, as I have already told him if he thinks I owe him money he should go to the PRTB and file a case. However, he's not registered with the PRTB and has not been paying tax on his rental income, has no BER, and entered the premises without notice or permission - I believe he is what is generally referred to as a "rogue landlord"

I'm not sure if I should take him to court for harassment because he says I broke things in the house and for the life of me I can't think of anything I might have damaged - but what if he trumps up "evidence"? There was no inventory when we moved in so it seems impossible to prove what was there and what condition it was in. I feel that I improved the property - fixed the dryer, painted the interior, planted grass seed in the mud pit of a garden, etc. so I'm pretty upset that this person is being so hostile when I made the effort to spruce the place up (only lived there for 6 months, too).

I know in Scotland landlords must be "fit and proper" - meaning they can't have a criminal record for harassing or scamming tenants. What recourse do we have in Ireland? Can the courts order them to appoint an agent to handle rental affairs and order them to have no direct contact with their tenants?

I'd especially like to hear what the guys at Irishlandlord.com have to say about this situation as they are always rattling away about how terrible tenants are.

the groutch

tell him to give you your deposit back and stop harassing you, or you'll report him to the Revenue Commissioner for tax evasion. That should change his tune very quickly.

smk89

Then report him anyway! He deserves it by the sounds of it.

Victor

You don't seem to be so worried about your deposit.

Potentially start your own PRTB claim for deposit + harassment.

Ray Palmer

oxplox wrote: »

However, he's not registered with the PRTB and has not been paying tax on his rental income, has no BER, and entered the premises without notice or permission

Unless you actually ranf the PRTB you can't know he isn't registered. You can't possibly know if he is paying tax or not. The lack of BER has little standing. While he shouldn't enter the property it is hard to prove he did

Harrasment isn't covered as such by PRTB but you could contact the police about it. You may have no standing as if he feels he is right trying to contact you and decaslring what he "knows" is true may not be seen as harrasement. It will not been seen well in the PRTB but it might very well not be criminal nor be considered by the PRTB

Terrible LL but you need to be realistic about what you actually "know" and what you can actually do about it.

I'd ask him for his claims to be in writing which he will probably hang himself with.

BostonB

oxplox wrote: »

... he's not registered with the PRTB...has no BER...

Maybe they should start issuing fines to tenants who move in knowing this.

petethebrick

Threaten to report him to the revenue commissioner's if he doesn't return your deposit immediately. If he doesn't do so. If his harassment continues organize a few mates and call around to his place to give him a proper warning. A few bricks through his window during the night should shut him up

Victor

Advocating violence is not acceptable.

tricky D

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Unless you actually ranf the PRTB you can't know he isn't registered.

When new tenancies are registered with the PTRB as required, the tenant(s) get a letter from them.

Ray Palmer

tricky D wrote: »

When new tenancies are registered with the PTRB as required, the tenant(s) get a letter from them.

Actually they are meant to but in reality they don't always get it. It is a very baddly organised place.

Grolschevik

tricky D wrote: »

When new tenancies are registered with the PTRB as required, the tenant(s) get a letter from them.

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Actually they are meant to but in reality they don't always get it. It is a very baddly organised place.

Yeah, I know for a fact that my landlord is registered, but I never got a letter.

Doc Ruby

Victor wrote: »

Advocating violence is not acceptable.

Apt username though.

Jayiid

Going through something very similar now myself, how did this pan out for you?