Breaking and entering?

matt360

Hi all,
So my post heading is a slight exaggeration!
I moved into new apartment a month ago. Electricity is paid for through a meter with €2 coins. Approximately 2 weeks ago when I put in a coin i noticed that the box seemed empty as it didn't make the usual 'jingle' of coin on coin. I thought I may have been imagining it so I just text my landlord telling him that when he came to collect the money from the meter to let me know as I would like to keep coins and I would give him cash for it. He replied "no problem"
Yesterday I put another coin into the meter and the coin box was empty again.
I've never had an electricity meter so I don't know if this is common practice, a landlord just letting himself into his/her tenants home. I don't particularly mind as I know he has a key but I just find it a bit weird to know that someone has been in my place without my permission although I do realize that it is his property.
So I'm just wondering how to approach him about it.
Sorry for the long post.
Thanks.

foggy_lad

matt360 wrote: »

Hi all,
So my post heading is a slight exaggeration!
I moved into new apartment a month ago. Electricity is paid for through a meter with €2 coins. Approximately 2 weeks ago when I put in a coin i noticed that the box seemed empty as it didn't make the usual 'jingle' of coin on coin. I thought I may have been imagining it so I just text my landlord telling him that when he came to collect the money from the meter to let me know as I would like to keep coins and I would give him cash for it. He replied "no problem"
Yesterday I put another coin into the meter and the coin box was empty again.
I've never had an electricity meter so I don't know if this is common practice, a landlord just letting himself into his/her tenants home. I don't particularly mind as I know he has a key but I just find it a bit weird to know that someone has been in my place without my permission although I do realize that it is his property.
So I'm just wondering how to approach him about it.
Sorry for the long post.
Thanks.

Are you sure it is the Landlord?

matt360

foggy_lad wrote: »

Are you sure it is the Landlord?

Nope. Just assuming its him.
I suppose I should ask him

seamus

So breaking and entering isn't specifically an offence in Ireland, the offence is burglary. But even then it doesn't apply here because criminal law has not been violated.

The landlord is not permitted to enter the apartment without your permission, except in an emergency. Doing so is civil trespass.

Of course, there's the question of whether the meter is inside the actual apartment or just inside the building. If it's the latter then he may be doing nothing wrong. If it's the former then he should not be entering the apartment.

What you can do is say that you would like to arrange a regular time for him to empty the meter when you're there as you would prefer that he didn't enter the apartment when you're not around.
Some people would go off all guns blazing and write a letter demanding that he desist and make a complaint to the PRTB, but I think the softly-softly approach is best to begin with. So ask him to arrange a regular collection time or to at least text you the day before.

Ultimately you have every right to say, "It doesn't suit me for you to come in today, please leave it till tomorrow", and he must comply.

matt360

seamus wrote: »

So breaking and entering isn't specifically an offence in Ireland, the offence is burglary. But even then it doesn't apply here because criminal law has not been violated.

The landlord is not permitted to enter the apartment without your permission, except in an emergency. Doing so is civil trespass.

Of course, there's the question of whether the meter is inside the actual apartment or just inside the building. If it's the latter then he may be doing nothing wrong. If it's the former then he should not be entering the apartment.

What you can do is say that you would like to arrange a regular time for him to empty the meter when you're there as you would prefer that he didn't enter the apartment when you're not around.
Some people would go off all guns blazing and write a letter demanding that he desist and make a complaint to the PRTB, but I think the softly-softly approach is best to begin with. So ask him to arrange a regular collection time or to at least text you the day before.

Ultimately you have every right to say, "It doesn't suit me for you to come in today, please leave it till tomorrow", and he must comply.

Cheers Seamus,
I was being a bit sarcastic with 'breaking and entering'
Ya Ill get in to him this even and just arrange a certain date each month.
Thanks.