Landlords from hell

Rasmus

Retrovertigo wrote: »

So much bad information in this thread.

Of course a landlord will have a spare set of keys to his own property. You CANNOT change the locks on a property without his/hers consent. Truly is unreal that there are people that think otherwise.

Well, he was talking about France here I think.

Retrovertigo

pickarooney wrote: »

Here = France, as per my first post (and clearly implied by the rest of that one). Again, what seems logical to you would be antithetical to someone used to another system and vice versa.

Ah apologies so although my post still applies to any of the other posters advocating doing it on any property within this country.

getzls

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

The vast majority of leases I've signed in my time have specifically stated that the tenant does not have permission to do this.

That's likely true.
Wrong though.

getzls

Zulu wrote: »

Who determines if it's not required? You? Me? Certainly, I won't let a ex-tenant decide.

The purpose of a lock is security. If you (as a tenant) decide to change the locks without my permission, I would lose any trust in you. Therefore I wouldn't trust your intentions with keys etc., so I'd change the lock. Changing the lock would require that I get duplicate keys cut for myself (2 copies), a copy for the future tenants (2 copies), a copy for the management company in case of emergency. No problem getting receipts for that.

Whatever. You disagree; you think it's acceptable to change the locks on a landlord without first notifying them, that between you and your landlord.
As a landlord myself, I'm simply stating that it's not a good idea (for the reasons I've highlighted).

Well, can you afford to pay a deposit on your next rental without your current deposit? If so, good for you, feel free to put your money where your mouth is. And maybe in a few months/year when the PRTB finally make a ruling, you'll get all your deposit back.

...to you perhaps. Look you think you're right - fair enough. Change the locks without the landlords permission, see how you get on.

Me? I'd be eager to get the tenants out, and they woudn't be getting the full deposit back. Simple.

Really Zulu the tenant can change the lock at his will.

And no key for the landlord.

getzls

Retrovertigo wrote: »

So much bad information in this thread.

Of course a landlord will have a spare set of keys to his own property. You CANNOT change the locks on a property without his/hers consent. Truly is unreal that there are people that think otherwise.

And another wrong post. You can.

GeorgeClooney

steddyeddy wrote: »

There is actually. Ill send you a pm!

Pass that on the me as well. I've got an axe to grind with my ex-landlord.

Retrovertigo

getzls wrote: »

And another wrong post. You can.

Dangerous advise to be giving out. You don't know what you're talking about and I'm speaking as a landlord myself unless you have some proof you can show me? See below.

http://www.landlordsonline.ie/q-a/damage-to-property/my-tenant-has-changed-the-locks-to-my-property/

Sections 16 and 17 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 specifically prohibit the altering of a locking system on a door giving entry to the property without the landlord’s written consent and we have found that the PRTB will endeavour to expedite serious cases such as this. Therefore, when referring the dispute you should advise the PRTB that your tenant has changed the locks with the intention of preventing you from accessing your property and request that the PRTB expedite the case given the seriousness of the situation for you.

jjbrien

I have had 2 bad experiences with bad landlords in the past.

First one was when I was living in Waterford for a summer I found a house owned by a church minister who had rooms to rent. I thought well hes a church guy so he cant be that bad how wrong was I. Firstly you would come home to find your mail opened and he had taped the back of the emvlope to make it look like he didn't open them. The house had no heating and he had one of them coin meters that you had to put old money into to get heat and power in the house. We were all decent people in the house and then he allowed someone who had just got out of prison to live in the house and all that guys criminal buddys started coming to the house and doing all sorts of stuff that the guards didnt like. Then after talking to some of tha taxi drivers around the city they said oh you live in one of the ministers houses. Did you know he isnt a church minster at all he just made himself one and that he had been in prison himself. My family had sent money for my birthday in the mail and of course he stole it.


The second bad landlady I had was a few years ago. A friend and I rented this nice basement apartment her house was on top of it and we had firstly there was a door at the side of her house that we had to use that door put us right in her living room, there was a stairs to the side which led to our apartment. We had separate keys etc to our place. We would come home and she would start yelling at us saying you better clean them dishes at are in the sink down there and on one occasion she was able to tell my house mate that there was a stake gone off in the fridge. We could not move out of there fast enough.

Another landlord/lady I had was I rented a room back in 2006 in a house in Drumcondra after I had moved in my housemates said wait let us take you to see the landlord and landlady. I went ok and we went out the back door of the house to my surprise they had converted the shed of the house in the back garden into a flat for them and were living in it.

Rasmus

getzls wrote: »

Really Zulu the tenant can change the lock at his will.

And no key for the landlord.

You're going to have to provide a source for this info.

Miguel_Sanchez

getzls wrote: »

That's likely true.
Wrong though.

What do you mean wrong? If it's in a lease then it's agreed that you as a tenant will not do this.

Retrovertigo has quoted from the Residential Tenancy Act where it shows that tenants are forbidden from doing so. Why do you think a tenant can do it and a landlord should be denied a key to his own property?

We're talking about tenant's rights in Ireland mind - are you talking about the UK?

steddyeddy

Well there is a lot of venom towards landlords in Ireland in general. I can in part understand that. Due to a turbulent home situation I have lived in various accomadations from a young age. A home is one of the most important aspects of any persons life and any infringment on that by a landlord or anyone else is going to generate a large amount of animosity.

I have acted as a landlord for another landlord for some time and I apreciate there are bad tenants. The thing is I have rented in other countries and there seems to be a difference in the attitudes of some of the landlords here. I dont think all landlords are like that but I think the regulation of landlords is an absolute joke here.

There are certain things that will get the landlord in trouble like tax but try chasing down a deposit, or dealing with a landlord who constantly enters a residence without permission. There isnt a lot of comeback for tenants regarding things like that. Look on the accom forum and there has been a landlord talking about getting rid of tenants with a days notice. Another talked about being in charge. Like a previous poster said is right. There's no regulation preventing a landlord acting like a douche. Myself like other people had to physically throw a landlord out of the house after he walked in on the house when and I caught him going through my clothes for some reason.

A lot of landlords are landlords by accident having inherited properties and then applying for tenants. Landlords need regulation in this country. A persons residence should be a very important thing. I get that landlords run a business but there is always going to be a social aspect to housing and interfering in a persons sense of home should have consequences.

Zulu

getzls wrote: »

Really Zulu the tenant can change the lock at his will.

And no key for the landlord.

Well, indeed they can, but in doing so they would be in breach of their lease, and in breach of the tenancy act as posted by another poster.

So while you are correct in a literal sense, you are wholly incorrect in the spirit of this thread.

...unless you can provide evidence to the contrary? But I doubt it.

steddyeddy

If a landlord entered my property as happened before I would attempt to change the locks. The last time it happened we had a young female tenant in the house and she thought she was alone in the house and crossed the toilet to a room wearing a towel only to find the landlord had entered and was just staring at her. We called him and said if it happened again we would call the gaurds. Its not good enough for a strange man to be in the house without asking first.

steddyeddy

Ps guys havent read the whole thread so anyone who wants the name of that site pm me!

Bruce7

jjbrien wrote: »

Another landlord/lady I had was I rented a room back in 2006 in a house in Drumcondra after I had moved in my housemates said wait let us take you to see the landlord and landlady. I went ok and we went out the back door of the house to my surprise they had converted the shed of the house in the back garden into a flat for them and were living in it.

Ha! I think I stayed there for a few weeks in 1997. It was a terrible kip, kitted out with ancient furniture, that had about 12 students living in it. I was having a look around the ground floor shortly after moving in, and went into the shed only to find some guy sleeping in there. The landlord didn't live there at the time, but he was in the place every single day, poking around and keeping tabs on everyone. He used to go through the rubbish for some reason. They called him Columbo.

Around the same time I rented a flat in Portobello for a while and the landlord was there one Friday to collect the rent, and a rat popped out from behind the cooker, and ran across the counter. I expected him to be horrified, and apologetic, and to immediately take action, but he didn't bat an eyelid. He just advised us to bring the rubbish outside more often.

I probably wasn't the greatest tenant in the world either, when I lived in these places, but landlords can't really expect tenants to have more respect for their property than they have themselves.

CruelCoin

lounakin wrote: »

What is there to be done when your landlord makes your life miserable but always barely within the law...
I just don't get it... why wouldn't you want your tenants to be happy? Surely it is in your own interest!
There should be an online site where people could review those landlords so that they'd have to make an effort to get tenants.

Tenants have a habit of causing damage to the property far and beyond what the usual deposit will cover.

If you want to keep your property in any kind of decent shape, you have to be a prick....

Rasmus

CruelCoin wrote: »

Tenants have a habit of causing damage to the property far and beyond what the usual deposit will cover.

Talk about a gross generalization.

CruelCoin

Rasmus wrote: »

Talk about a gross generalization.

Speaking from experience bub. I never said all. The majority do though.

Grudaire

CruelCoin wrote: »

Speaking from experience bub. I never said all. The majority do though.

<citation needed>

:pac:

But seriously I call bullsh*

Miguel_Sanchez

CruelCoin wrote: »

Speaking from experience bub. I never said all. The majority do though.

That's totally unfair.

Perhaps the majority of your tenants do. But maybe that just means you should pick your tenants more carefully?

RainyDay

Bruce7 wrote: »

Ha! I think I stayed there for a few weeks in 1997. It was a terrible kip, kitted out with ancient furniture, that had about 12 students living in it. I was having a look around the ground floor shortly after moving in, and went into the shed only to find some guy sleeping in there. The landlord didn't live there at the time, but he was in the place every single day, poking around and keeping tabs on everyone. He used to go through the rubbish for some reason. They called him Columbo.

jjbrien wrote: »

Another landlord/lady I had was I rented a room back in 2006 in a house in Drumcondra after I had moved in my housemates said wait let us take you to see the landlord and landlady. I went ok and we went out the back door of the house to my surprise they had converted the shed of the house in the back garden into a flat for them and were living in it.

It wasn't this guy, was it, by any chance; http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1220/galvink.html

lounakin

CruelCoin wrote: »

Tenants have a habit of causing damage to the property far and beyond what the usual deposit will cover.

If you want to keep your property in any kind of decent shape, you have to be a prick....

In our case we're trying to keep the place up and the landlord doesn't want to fix anything.

Fran1985

CruelCoin wrote: »

Tenants have a habit of causing damage to the property far and beyond what the usual deposit will cover.

If you want to keep your property in any kind of decent shape, you have to be a prick....

No they don't, and no ya dont.

I've never met anyone who rents to cause any damage to any property. Im sure it happens, not as often as is made out. As it happens, im also a landlord. I fix things that break within a 7 day period for my tenants, and drop them up a bottle of jameison for Christmas. as a result they treat the place like its their own, even as far as painting it out of their own pocket( I got it done just before they moved in) once I appove colours. So not all tenants are as described and actually treating tenants with respect works better than being a prick

El_Dangeroso

I suspect a prick landlord is more likely to get prick tenants.

Zulu

I've never had to "be a prick", and, thankfully, I've had great tenants (by and large) to date.

That said, I'm very picky about who I let rent the properties.