Some Silly/Stupid Questions About Renting An Apartment

Robdude

I realize this might sound silly but I keep hearing/reading things and I'm trying to understand what it really means. I'm just asking for clarification, I'm not implying that these things should be one way or another.

I am currently renting/in a lease and these are things I've heard/read/question...

1.) First - there are exposed electrical wires in a closet that are joined with electrical tape. I know this is a building code violation and considered a fire hazard where I come from. Is this acceptable in Ireland? I've been told it depends when the building was built - but I don't know how to tell when the building was built.

2.) What's this about 'every room MUST have natural and artificial light'. Is someone pulling my leg? For example - my apartment has two windows; one in the bedroom and one in the front room. There is no source of natural light in the Kitchen, hallway, or bathroom. This seems perfectly reasonable to me; but I was told this is not right?

3.) I have the 'basement flat' apartment; and the way the building is laid out, the front door/main entrance for everyone else is directly over the dinning room table. It's incredibly loud whenever someone opens the main door and there is another door down the hall that is closer to my bed. Other people in the building frequently come in/go out at all hours of the night and the doors are very loud, loud enough to wake me up in the middle of the night. I've even started sleeping with ear plugs in; but it doesn't matter. My co-workers told me that 'the law says' everyone is entitled to 'quiet enjoyment' but I don't see how that can be possible when we're talking about opening/closing a door and walking down the hallway.

Please forgive my ignorance. Thank you in advance for any information you can give.

CIARAN_BOYLE

http://www.ipoa.ie/userfiles/File/Statutory%20Instrument%20on%20Standards.pdf

The above is a statutory instrument related to rental regulations.

Regarding the wires

Electricity and Gas
13. Installations in the house for the supply of electricity and gas shall be
maintained in good repair and safe working order with provision, where necessary,
for the safe and effective removal of fumes to the external air.

I wouldn't say exposed wires are in good repair and safe working order but thats only an opinion


the rules on lighting

Lighting
10. (1) Every room used, or intended for use, by the tenant of the house as
a habitable room, shall have adequate natural lighting.
(2) Every hall, stairs, and landing within the house and every room used, or
intended for use, by the tenant of the house shall have a suitable and adequate
means of artificial lighting.
(3) The windows of every room containing a bath and/or shower and a watercloset
shall be suitably and adequately screened to ensure privacy.

I don't know what the definition of a habitable room is but I'd say the hallway doesn't count at any rate

Regarding noise I'm pretty sure that a complaint (section 108) can be made to the courts regarding noise that is “so loud, so continuous, so repeated, of such duration or pitch or occurring at such times that it gives you reasonable cause for annoyance" and the property owners can be forced to take reasonable acts to reduce the noise irritation. A door should not be very loud and the landlord may have to replace the doors or do something else to reduce the level of noise. If walking down a hallway makes a lot of noise the landlord may have to take reasonable action of installing carpet which should reduce the noise heard. That said it may be more realistic to make a complaint to the PRTB
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1992/en/act/pub/0007/index.html

By the way here is an information leaflet on noise pollution
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Environment/Miscellaneous/FileDownLoad,1319,en.pdf

EDIT Just found this link http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/BuildingStandards/FileDownLoad,1647,en.pdf with a definition for habitable room. I assume that the same definition applies.

Habitable room: A room in a dwelling used for living or sleeping purposes but does not include a kitchen having a floor area of less than 6.5 m2.