House insurance does not cover students

nikunj.m

Hello everybody..
I am in a bit of a fix. I just moved in to my new place. But yesterday, my landlord tells me that the house insurance policy does not cover for students staying. He never mentioned that before when I moved in last month. I have been told to vacate the house in 2 weeks time. Is it for real what he said about house insurance thing, or is he just making it up?
What shall I do? I have no idea.

Ray Palmer

Making it up

Sulla Felix

Call his bluff: Ask to see the policy.

P_1

Some insurance policies don't cover students alright but I think the onus is on the landlord to change provider in that case. I don't think a clause in an insurance policy is grounds to cancel a lease over though.

quietsailor

most general house insurance policies don't cover renting out the house, you need to have a specific LandLord policy (increased 3rd party/public liability is the difference I think)

The LL should be able to get one of these policies though - AXA do them - so the wrong policy is no reason for you to leave.

quietsailor

also ANY policy a LL holds cannot insure your belongings - you'll need to take out a policy for your own belongings

ted1

nikunj.m wrote: »

Hello everybody..
I am in a bit of a fix. I just moved in to my new place. But yesterday, my landlord tells me that the house insurance policy does not cover for students staying. He never mentioned that before when I moved in last month. I have been told to vacate the house in 2 weeks time. Is it for real what he said about house insurance thing, or is he just making it up?
What shall I do? I have no idea.

He is extracting the urine. A policy like take may even be illegal

hfallada

Tell him to call SA Faughan. They sell building cover for student let houses. But he cant insure your contents. Its a basic rule of insurance, you can insure your own car but not your neighbour. Its called insurance interest.

I imagine he found someone who is desperate for accommodation and willing to pay more than you

Ihaveanopinion

According to the PRTB, a landlord (or tenant) can give notice and cancel a tenancy without a reason in the first six months.

The landlord can not hold insurance for your belongings. He is talking pants. However, he is not obliged to give reason to cancel the lease - he is obliged to give you 28 days notice however

Doop

Did you sign a lease? His house insurance is his problem not yours. I imagine he met you showed you the house etc, that was the time to enquire as to what you do with yourself, not after youve moved in.

Ray Palmer

P_1 wrote: »

Some insurance policies don't cover students alright but I think the onus is on the landlord to change provider in that case. I don't think a clause in an insurance policy is grounds to cancel a lease over though.

I worked in insurance and there is no way that is true. If you can point to such a policy I will be amazed.

Also mention the landlord can end the tenancy with in 6 months for no reason if a lease hasn't been signed. If a lease has been signed he can't make you leave.

djimi

Ihaveanopinion wrote: »

According to the PRTB, a landlord (or tenant) can give notice and cancel a tenancy without a reason in the first six months.

The landlord can not hold insurance for your belongings. He is talking pants. However, he is not obliged to give reason to cancel the lease - he is obliged to give you 28 days notice however

Just to clarify this, the above is only applicable where no fixed term lease has been signed. A fixed term lease trumps this termination clause.

nikunj.m

Thanks guys for all the replies.
The fact is, the landlord didn't show me the room. A previous tenant was moving out, he put an ad on daft, everything worked out and I moved in.
Couple of weeks back, he asked all of us to sign a lease I think. It was on yellow sheet, with a description of the house and stuff. Two of us signed it. 3rd guy said that he will be moving out, so the landlord told everyone to move out as he wants to renovate the property (he wanted the guys out as he thought the house was not tidy enough). But I just moved in last month and had nothing to do with the cleanliness issue. Last week, he agreed to let me stay. But this Tuesday, he came up with the insurance thing.
He had a talk with the insurance people, and they said that its only for full time professionals (?). I asked him if he could change the insurance to include students, but he was not that interested to do that.
I have asked him to show the insurance policy and also the agreement that I signed.

D3PO

if you signed a lease he cannot make you move out. Tell him your not moving and if he continues to pressure you to do so that you will contact the PRTB to raise a complaint.

nikunj.m

But the thing is, I don't have any proof! It was just one copy and he took it with him. What if he denies that I signed it?

D3PO

nikunj.m wrote: »

But the thing is, I don't have any proof! It was just one copy and he took it with him. What if he denies that I signed it?

You didn't get a copy of your lease :eek::eek:

Well if hes going to play silly buggers you can do the same in return. Im not advocating it but if you tell him you will be overholding and know exactly how severe penalties will be against him for trying to illegally evict you with the PRTB he may backoff.

That said your starting off in a really bad place with the LL and the relationship is always going to be a negative one. I like to fight for my rights as much as the next person but sometimes you have to be practical aswell.

Unless there is no prospect of finding another place at that rent price in the area you want id just look elsewhere to be honest but I wouldn't be setting one foot out of the building when leaving without my deposit back in cash if that were the case.

The LL sounds like a sneaky scumbag so no way would I put myself in a position where id be chasing a depsit that hed likey retain.

nikunj.m

He said he would be registering us as tenants. So we signed another document, giving our details and occupation and stuff.
I am looking around on daft, but it really sucks at the moment.
Can he evict me saying that he wants to renovate the house? I read a clause somewhere which gives the LL the right to do so, and giving a 28 days notice in writing (which he hasn't).

D3PO

nikunj.m wrote: »

He said he would be registering us as tenants. So we signed another document, giving our details and occupation and stuff.
I am looking around on daft, but it really sucks at the moment.
Can he evict me saying that he wants to renovate the house? I read a clause somewhere which gives the LL the right to do so, and giving a 28 days notice in writing (which he hasn't).

there are many reasons he can ask you to leave under part 4 however as you have signed a Lease for a fixed term none of these reasons can be used during the term of the lease.

your issue is you don't have a copy of the lease, so are at a disadvantage. However you do have one and if he denys it take a case with the PRTB and tell him your refusing to move out.

If he doesn't follow very specific steps to evict you its an illegal eviction.

Point this out to him and also point out to him that an illegal eviction could result in him being fined many thousands of euro by the PRTB and make it clear you will be raising a case for attempted illegal eviction if he continues to pursue trying to make you leave.

The_Conductor

Its actually quite common for some insurance companies who underwrite landlord insurance policies, to refuse to quote for certain categories of tenants- such as students- contrary to some of the information posted above.

There is a good infocentre article on it on Irishlandlord.com here

Its actually not unusual at all- and its entirely allowable for insurance companies to discriminate in this manner- from their perspective they are simply enumerating an underwriting risk category- and the liklihood of a claim from a landlord as a result of having students as tenants- is far higher than it is from other categories of tenants.

It is considered a legitimate ground for discrimination.

D3PO

The_Conductor wrote: »

Its actually quite common for some insurance companies who underwrite landlord insurance policies, to refuse to quote for certain categories of tenants- such as students- contrary to some of the information posted above.

There is a good infocentre article on it on Irishlandlord.com here

Its actually not unusual at all- and its entirely allowable for insurance companies to discriminate in this manner- from their perspective they are simply enumerating an underwriting risk category- and the liklihood of a claim from a landlord as a result of having students as tenants- is far higher than it is from other categories of tenants.

It is considered a legitimate ground for discrimination.

yes but as the OP has signed a lease its up to the LL to rectify the insurance situation by going to another company.

Ray Palmer

The_Conductor wrote: »

Its actually quite common for some insurance companies who underwrite landlord insurance policies, to refuse to quote for certain categories of tenants- such as students- contrary to some of the information posted above.

There is a good infocentre article on it on Irishlandlord.com here

Its actually not unusual at all- and its entirely allowable for insurance companies to discriminate in this manner- from their perspective they are simply enumerating an underwriting risk category- and the liklihood of a claim from a landlord as a result of having students as tenants- is far higher than it is from other categories of tenants.

It is considered a legitimate ground for discrimination.

I think that is a misinterpretation. Using a property as student accommodation as opposed to letting to students is different. That is what insurance companies are asking about. It isn't a subtle difference either.

The LL can't do what he is doing if the lease has been signed.

P_1

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I worked in insurance and there is no way that is true. If you can point to such a policy I will be amazed.

Also mention the landlord can end the tenancy with in 6 months for no reason if a lease hasn't been signed. If a lease has been signed he can't make you leave.

RSA's landlord policies stand to mind. One of their grounds for refusing cover was if the property was let to students. I did say some policies, not all policies.

Ray Palmer

P_1 wrote: »

RSA's landlord policies stand to mind. One of their grounds for refusing cover was if the property was let to students. I did say some policies, not all policies.

Point to the policy?