Open viewing: renting in Dublin... help!!

Pink11

Hi all,

Have the horribly stressful job of finding a new place to rent in Dublin.

As usual every house viewing is turning into an X factor audition and I can't help but take it really personal when I'm turned down. Disheartening to say the least...

Anyway, I have an open viewing tonight and wondered if anyone has any tips? Should I arrive early? Come at the end? How do they work? Must we line up and take turns looking? Is it a waste of time going period?

jimmii

Just started looking ourselves it really has gone a bit crazy! The prices seem to have gone nuts as well €900-€1000 for a Studio apartment wtf!! Its not London lads calm down! I can never be bothered with those group viewing things it just comes across as wanting to turn it into an auction. If you think you are very serious about the property arrive early and if you want it let the Landlord know so you are first on their list.

Pink11

jimmii wrote: »

Just started looking ourselves it really has gone a bit crazy! The prices seem to have gone nuts as well €900-€1000 for a Studio apartment wtf!! Its not London lads calm down! I can never be bothered with those group viewing things it just comes across as wanting to turn it into an auction. If you think you are very serious about the property arrive early and if you want it let the Landlord know so you are first on their list.

Prices are crippling and it's depressing.

Thanks, I think I'm going to leave it because it says move in immediately and I have paid rent in my current place until March 1st. I am so desperate to find a place though... it makes me nervous not having anything lined up

Kristopherus

Pink11 wrote: »

Hi all,

Have the horribly stressful job of finding a new place to rent in Dublin.

As usual every house viewing is turning into an X factor audition and I can't help but take it really personal when I'm turned down. Disheartening to say the least...

Anyway, I have an open viewing tonight and wondered if anyone has any tips? Should I arrive early? Come at the end? How do they work? Must we line up and take turns looking? Is it a waste of time going period?

I would be very slow to view a property at night. There's so much more you can see in daylight - ambience of the property, surroundings, waste disposal, general demeanor of the area, neighbourliness, etc. Best of luck.

RoyMcC

References, a cheque for the deposit and possible a few months in advance (taking obvious precautions like getting a receipt and a legal rental agreement) will certainly be looked upon favourably.

Miguel_Sanchez

Kristopherus wrote: »

I would be very slow to view a property at night. There's so much more you can see in daylight - ambience of the property, surroundings, waste disposal, general demeanor of the area, neighbourliness, etc. Best of luck.

I'd agree with that but unfortunately the way things are right now unless you're viewing at the weekend then it's going to be viewing at night.

I went to see a place recently and the landlord said he had 50 couples viewing it and he was moving someone in the next day despite the fact that he wasn't finished doing it up yet.

It's gone back to the bad old days for renters in Dublin. :mad:

jimmii

Big time we found somewhere that looked absolutely ideal it had been on daft for two hours and were thinking excellent hopefully we are going to be first to call rang up and it had already gone. Sickened!

January

Moved from Dublin City

cherrybb

On Daft I dont even get a response of my emails?!!
why people dont respond , they have a different etiquette?

Shedite27

Heard a story recently where someone really like the place on daft, so rang the estate agents prior to viewing, faxed/emailed all their refernces and other required info, then viewed it and handed over the cash on the night. Seems to be the way to go.

stateofflux

im in a similar boat to you OP and it is a terrible time to be looking for a place as there are nearly 40% less available rental properties available in Dublin compared to 12 months ago coupled with increasingly huge demand.

As was advised already...

get in lightning fast, look smart at viewing,
have all your refs ready and deposit/1st months rent.

don't settle for something you will regret as the rental prices are fluctuating like a yo yo as estate agents and landlords are getting very cheeky.

keep trying and good luck

LemonWorld

I really don't envy you OP! I was in the same situation last October. Eventually got my place after going to an open audition viewing with 4/5 others. It was ridiculous watching us all crammed in awkwardly to this tiny 1 bed!

Like others have said, you really just have to be ready to say yes and have references and money to hand over on the spot.

It also might help if you try and get in first with the questions re refuse/security/communal facilities/etc; make yourself seem like a responsible tenant who knows what they're doing and how to take care of their property. When I went back to sign lease on mine that's what LL said swung it for me.

TheDoc

Similar to the OP myself.

I'd giving my landlord notice and paid last months rent and am looking. Had two places taken where we'd agreed everything verbally. Had agreed to drop in the following day with deposit etc.

got a call I'd imagine they got someone else interested and were able to kick the rent up.

Prices are going stupid. I pay a very reasonable rate for where I am, but I just need somewhere bigger and fibre broadband. Can't justify going higher in my budget for the sort of places on offer.

Bit of pressure on now to find somewhere in the next 2-3 weeks. Landlord is bang on so might be able to organise something temporary just incase, but at the end of the day he needs a final date so he can do whatever he needs before getting in new tenants

dubbie82

Moved back to Dublin just over a year ago and the place was crowded with people. Estate Agent told me he had between 50-60 applications.

I had everything ready, references from previous Landlord and work, ID, Bank details, Deposit and one months rent, etc. Rang Estate Agent first thing the next morning (viewing was the evening before) and I got the place simply because I matched all the requirements.

Fast forward one year, received letter of notication and rent went up by 25%, it's though but I won't get anyhing cheaper and i makes me mad because not one sinlge thing was updated. For example there were cracked tiles in the kitchen and bathroom when I moved in and they were supposed to be fixed but nothing was done, same goes for another list of small jobs. So I am looking to move as well but not much out there that is cheaper at this state and the competition is fierce.

The people in the flat next door to mine moved after the rent increase came because they could not afford it so Landlord put ad up on daft and the new tenants actually pay 925 euro for a one bedroom flat that in january 2013 was leased out for 600 euro.

As for dinnyiriwin, there is not one chance in hell I would ever going to pay 2 months deposit or even 3. I have yet to meet a landlord who does not just lodge that money into his bank account, I still have to meet a Landlord who has a inventory list prepared on moving in date which doesn't really make me trust them. I agree some tenants are taking the piss but unfortunately that works both ways.

Idbatterim

- Look respectable. Its not as easy as people think for a scumbag to look respectable. They just wont go to the effort. There are exceptions of course but in general.

One of the most unintentionally hilarious things I have read in boards for a long time and its not even in after hours

dinnyirwin

Idbatterim wrote: »

One of the most unintentionally hilarious things I have read in boards for a long time and its not even in after hours

Dont underestimate how hard it is for a gouger not to look like one. And how looking like one will kill all credibility you thought you had.
Its very very easy to get the impression that someone who couldnt be bothered taking care of their own personal hygiene might neglect hygiene where they live.

MouseTail

dubbie82 wrote: »

The situation in Dublin is crazy, it feels like rents are going up bu the day and I wonder why. Sure supply and demand but are there really more people moving to dublin than back in the Celtic tiger years, when people leave in hordes for australia and less people immigrate to Ireland looking for work?.

There is a chronic shortage of housing in Dublin, the population has doubled over the past 20 years, and even if all empty units were released it wouldn't go anywhere near meeting the housing needs. People simply fail to grasp this.

dinnyirwin

MouseTail wrote: »

There is a chronic shortage of housing in Dublin, the population has doubled over the past 20 years, and even if all empty units were released it wouldn't go anywhere near meeting the housing needs. People simply fail to grasp this.

Very large influx of people to Dublin from the rest of the country
in recent years too.

yoshiktk

dinnyirwin wrote: »

It really bugs me when people cant sort out simple things for themselves, which i used to do when I rented.

Why should they? If the landlords, not all but most of them, treat rented properties only as money factory no wonder that people treat it the same way.
It's hard to expect that people will invest their own money in something which wasn't maintained properly in first place.
Like I mentioned in other thread I was looking for a new house now and *** me but loads of properties which are on market look like cr*p.
It's double-edged sword. Both parties don't want to spend more money than they have to, its a shame that when this bubble breaks I think that we could be looking on another increase of rents but that's just my opinion.
Personally I don't mind sorting things by myself, I'm already thinking about painting the new apt, but if I feel that i'm the only one interested in keeping apt nice and tidy its hard to justify that.

dinnyirwin

ted1 wrote: »

2 months deposit, your having a laugh. Until there is an escrow in place with the PRTB holding it anybody who gives more than 1 month is daft.

As for bank statements, revenue would even ask for them.

I looked at a place about 5 years ago and the landlord was asking for everything you listed. The place was a kept badly and was dirty. I let rip and him and his wife and put them in the place. Rented the sane house 2 doors down that was much nicer and didn't require any if the above. Just a deposit and a conversation with the landlord and lady

Im pretty positive our paths wont cross then, so you just stick with whatever works for you.

dinnyirwin

yoshiktk wrote: »

Why should they? If the landlords, not all but most of them, treat rented properties only as money factory no wonder that people treat it the same way.
It's hard to expect that people will invest their own money in something which wasn't maintained properly in first place.
Like I mentioned in other thread I was looking for a new house now and *** me but loads of properties which are on market look like cr*p.
It's double-edged sword. Both parties don't want to spend more money than they have to, its a shame that when this bubble breaks I think that we could be looking on another increase of rents but that's just my opinion.
Personally I don't mind sorting things by myself, I'm already thinking about painting the new apt, but if I feel that i'm the only one interested in keeping apt nice and tidy its hard to justify that.

I thought I just gave a good reason why.
I could easily have been charging them full rate as rents in general increased since they moved in. But I didnt, until they started costing me time and money. Then I charged the same rate I would charge any new tenant. So really I was giving them a discount of over €200 for being low effort tenants. When they started costing me, that "favour" was null and void.

I suppose I should always maximize the profit from my business, but I try to have an easier life these days and to return the favour to those who make it easier for me.

Do you think that someone shouldnt try to maximize the profit from their business?

ted1

dinnyirwin wrote: »

Im pretty positive our paths wont cross then, so you just stick with whatever works for you.

I can't imagine they will . It's being a while since I rented. I'm also a landlord

dinnyirwin

ted1 wrote: »

I can't imagine they will . It's being a while since I rented. I'm also a landlord

And a charming one at that im sure.

homerno

Mr.S wrote: »

Ring them if the numbers there.

Landlords / Estate Agents aren't usually the type of people that are glued to their inboxes and you'll be able to set up a viewing much quicker if you just call.

to add to that i notice a huge amount of my mail responses from daft go straight to my spam mail and i do not notice them for weeks! im not sure why this happens

syklops

Pink11 wrote: »

Hi all,

Have the horribly stressful job of finding a new place to rent in Dublin.

As usual every house viewing is turning into an X factor audition and I can't help but take it really personal when I'm turned down. Disheartening to say the least...

Anyway, I have an open viewing tonight and wondered if anyone has any tips? Should I arrive early? Come at the end? How do they work? Must we line up and take turns looking? Is it a waste of time going period?

We were looking for somewhere for three months and went to a viewing last weekend and we pulled out all the stops for it. We were pretty sure we wanted the place before hand, so treated it more like a job interview. I sent them a work reference and a reference from our current landlord prior to the viewing. We got dressed up in our finery and arrived on time. The effort paid off and we got it.

jameshead

Interesting to see that some people called it correctly less than 18 months ago.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79006148

bazh23

dinnyirwin wrote: »

Now I just leave the furniture thats there until its in a state that i cant rent the place without replacing it.

For example the agent called me three weeks ago saying the tenants in an apartment want a new mattress. They are in there 2.5 years and paying €700, which I was happy with (it more than covered my costs) while there wasnt a peep from them before.
So ive told the agent to arrange a new mattress and send them notice that the rent is going up

ted1 wrote: »

You sound like a landlord from hell. Furnishings like mattresses can be written off against incomes

I have to say the same. A landlord I would steer well clear of. My god, what a shocking attitude! Not to mention the dozen's of contradictions which go against the legal requirements of the Residential Tenancies Act. Landlords still seem to think that deposit is something they can hold over a tenant. It is only in exceptional circumstances when physical property damage is done where you can even start to offset against the deposit. Even in such cases you must give the deposit and make an application to the PRTB.

The very principle of renting standards now is simple - the property is to be kept in EXACTLY the same condition as it was when first rented. That means that apart from normal wear and tear, the tenant is fully entitled to request repairs to be done without risk of penalty. If you direcly penalise a tenant by increasing their rent, they are well within their rights to file a complaint to the PRTB. In all cases, you can't just issue eviction notice willy nilly... you must give a valid reason for eviction within the first 4 years. And you cannot issue eviction proceedings until you have given the tenant 14 working days notice to pay any arrears. It is only after this notice is served that you can give notice to evict. And it better be fully legit... i's dotted and t's crossed... if you don't issue a valid eviction notice, good luck trying to force a legal eviction.. I am so over rogue landlords... they are bloody blight on the system... 19 years of f***ing hell from dodgy landlords. Its funny how they are as nice as pie until it comes time to spend money or give you back your deposit! grrrr

bazh23

murphaph wrote: »

If you think it's bad now wait until the PRTB are administering this escrow system.

Right, i'm off to live in the Marshall Islands! :rolleyes:

Pink11

Thanks for all the replies guys - much appreciated.

I went to that opening viewing in the end. I had to line up for 40 minutes in the cold. Finally got in and viewed a big old damp room. Waste of time!

Thankfully I have secured a nice enough room near work so I'm delighted.

Best of luck to anyone else out there looking. I feel your pain.

Gong forward though... what the hell is going to happen!? Something needs to be done. I don't really have a solution or anything but Dublin is nuts for rentals!

The_Morrigan

That is great news OP.

I'm locking this thread and I'm going to pull out the side discussion on the deposits for users to it's own thread. I'll update this post with a new link in due course.



UPDATE: New thread for discussing deposits can be found here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057146369