Single parent problem

LadySunray

Hello to all.I am facing some difficulties at the moment and i dont know where to go,who to talk to,so i decided to share it here.
I am from Croatia,single mom,and ive been in Ireland for the past year.Just recently i brought my son here,to apartment that ive rented with my sister.She went back to Cro and shes not coming back,and im here with my son and two friends who are helping me out.My landlord told me ill have to move out in aprox 2 months cause she needs someone to be here for a year for sure and who she can trust to pay every week/month,and thats not me...Im working,we all are,but its pretty hard for us to find a place to live and pay for dep and rent is such a short time....on one hand maybe its easier if i try to find something with my son tho people are not really crazy about children in the property,and then again i need someone to watch out for my son.on the other hand my friends can help me with my son,and we could live all together but we need 3,4 bedroom house,so around 4ke.....
Its not impossible that we gather the money,and i do not believe that my only option is to end up in a shared house...but i dont know how to organize and what are my other options ....anyone has any suggestions?

Airyfairy12

If youre in or around Dublin area or another city its madness trying to rent in those areas, especially on your own. You'll end up homeless as rent is only getting worse. Would it be possible to try and look for something in a smaller/cheaper area where you could find work and cheaper childcare? Theres some really nice towns in the west close enough to Galway. Anywhere in the East of the country is going to be super expensive.

LadySunray

well ive been thinking about that as well but i cant afford to be jobless,and im not sure how i will be able to move to another town,and get a job,and get a sitter....and my friends are not willing to leave their jobs.ive seen great houses in galway,cork,and similar...starting all over,with a kid?...i ended up in this situation so quickly im lost.....

TheChizler

Do you like where you're living? If you're there as long as you say and are paying rent on time and if yoyre not living with the landlord you can't just be kicked out like that.

LadySunray

yeah its fine,what i liek the most is that its close to my work but the landy said that the contract we have is for a year and shes not sure ill be able to afford it for so long and so she doesnt want me here,also i broke the contract cause instead of my sister,my friends are here so im not supose to get deposit back,but she will give it to me anyway cause of the situation.....

TheChizler

Ring Threshold and get them to explain your rights to you, she can't keep your deposit for things like that and she seems to have accepted the change in people staying there so can't kick you out as long as you're paying rent. After 6 months you have strong rights.

pc7

I would suggest asking about your lease in the accommodation and property section. I don't believe your landlord can ask you to leave as you are there longer than 6 months, regardless if your lease is only a year. But more qualified answers can be found there.

LadySunray

sry for late reply all....im not here for 6months,thats the thing i guess....i called treshold,they said to contact the rtb so they can determine if its ok for us to stay or no......thats one thing.and that is a good temporary solution....i still have to figure out what to do about the living,because this is kind of living on the boundary,always have to worry about what i do and how i get on landlords nerves.and i need to settle down and eventually sign my son for school and some other activities.
if anyone has any advice on that part,any knowledge of where to go and do,look for help etc...please let me know thank you

TheChizler

Your lease is for a year so she can't kick you out before then, at which stage you will have the rights you get after 6 months (called Part 4 rights).

LadySunray

ok,thank you
and do you know a place,site,where i can post an ad about search for house to rent?

Big Bag of Chips

Is your name on the lease? Or was it your sister's lease and you, and others moved in? Do you pay the rent in full on time every month? Can you afford the rent?

LadySunray

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

Is your name on the lease? Or was it your sister's lease and you, and others moved in? Do you pay the rent in full on time every month? Can you afford the rent?

My sisters and mine is on the contract.we pay weekly and its right amount and we pay on time,if not that same day then day after.now yeah,we are all working.even if one looses the job, we could still be able to pay.
The thing is that for some reason,landlord is stuck to having someone who is going to stay for a year for sure,which i cant guarantee,and who will pay the rent every week,which we do and will....apartment has some issues,and i believe there will always be something to fix,thats why i dont want to stay. But paying for it is doable for us all.

LadySunray

LadySunray wrote: »

the contract we have is for a year and shes not sure ill be able to afford it for so long and so she doesnt want me here

LadySunray wrote: »

for some reason landlord is stuck to having someone who is going to stay for a year for sure,which i cant guarantee

Why can't you guarantee you'll stay for a year? You've signed a contract for a year and the landlord could enforce this ... and they're well within their rights to expect you to stay for a year. Instead they're giving you a way out of the contract instead of locking you into it.

It works both ways, either you uphold your side of the one year contract or you walk away as the landlord seems to be happy with that. But don't sign contracts that you can't fulfil. I hope I'm not coming across as being mean but that's not a smart thing to do. In another situation, if you wanted to leave, the landlord could pursue you in the courts for the entire year's rent.

This is the Boards Accommodation & Property forum where you'll get good advice on renting and rights.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=38

And this is Ireland's most popular renting search site:

http://www.daft.ie/

LadySunray

Because even tho its a two bedroom apart. Its freakin small for 4 people.i rented it for a year cause i was with my sister.i was counting on three people in the place....that would work.but now its 4 of us.and lately we have problems with eletricity,today we noticed it shuts down when we turn on the water heater,so we cant heat the water now and everytime we try,electricity turns off.also since everything is electric there,sometimes if the washingmachine that is in the kitchen is working,and i have wet hands,i get shocks if i touch something metal....also the building is wooden,and the sounds inside are strange,like when i walk or cough or close rhe door,i have a feeling everyone hears it,and as for the flooring,neighbours down can hear the footsteps,so i have to walk quietly all the time,and that is hard to keep up with the boys,especially a child that likes to jump and run...i have to warn him all the time to be quiet....its getting frustrating and annoying to deal with everything...its not impossible, but really annoying....and i need my friends with me atm,cause other then their help with payment,they help with caring of my son while i work...tho for both of them the place is far from work,but one can use the bus,other has to walk from the centre,for hour and a half,cause he is night shift and finishes before buses start to drive.....and i dont know who could replace them...i cant afford a nanny right now...

Big Bag of Chips

What do you want, OP? most of what you've listed out isn't your landlady's fault or responsibility. If there are problems with the house then you can ask for them to be fixed. As a single parent you're options are very limited. If you're not happy with where you live then you need to sort that out. Your friends help you, but you cannot depend on them so much that you expect them all to move with you to a more expensive property, or another location. Your child is your responsibility and whilst they're great to help you, they're not responsible for you, your son or your living arrangements.

You need to try figure out what you want. And maybe accept that what you want isn't available to you in Dublin. And if you have to move, then you can't expect your friends to be interested in moving with you.

-You could all look for a cheaper house in Dublin.
-You could move to a cheaper house/houseshare yourself and organise alternative childcare.
-You could move to a different area of the country and organise alternative childcare.

Some areas have community creches which are much lower cost than other childcare.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/pre_school_education_and_childcare/community_childcare_subvention_programme.html

https://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/earlyyears/20170124CityAndCountyChildcareCommitteesList.htm&mn=chir&nID=6

None of the options are going to be easy for you, and not as easy as things are now with your friends so handy to mind your child, but you will have to, at some stage, come to a better arrangement than what you have now. If your friends circumstances change (they get into relationships, want to move out) you will have to make arrangements then anyway.

The_Conductor

Ok- its a 2 bed apartment with 4 people living in it?
This would normally have alarm bells ringing for numerous reasons- and indeed, is in breach of local authority guidelines and legally is over-crowded.

When you and sister signed a joint lease for the property- you became jointly and severally liable for the property. Despite this lease- your sister has left the country- and instead of reassigning the lease- which you were entitled to do, with the landlord's permission- you instead installed 2 other people in the property- i.e. you are effectively subletting the property without the landlord's permission.

The fact that these are your friends- and are looking after your son- is neither here nor there- you have an over-crowded apartment, you have illegally sublet the apartment to others, and to top everything off- you're there less than 6 months, and don't want to agree to staying for any period of time.

The people who are looking after your son- regardless of who they are- are entitled to minimum wage for doing so- and Ireland has the most expensive childcare system in the world (we've overtaken the US and Japan). Any, or all, of those caring for your son- could, if you ever had a falling out- pursue you for childcare costs.

You've introduced all these people- into an already small dwelling- without the knowledge or permission of the landlord- you've also got maintenance issues- you're not willing to sign up to staying for any period of time- and the landlord is unhappy........... I'm sorry- while I do sympathise in some regards with you- you've been niave in the extreme here- and frankly- in the absence of an agreement on your part to agreeing to staying for a year- I can see where the landlord is coming from too.

The current situation is wholly untenable. You need to find alternate, suitable, accommodation- you can't have 4 people in the 2 bedroom apartment as you currently do.

With respect of your son- you need to formalise your childcare arrangements- it is not a single parent problem, as your thread title suggests- every parent, myself included, has childcare issues- and at one stage my childcare costs, despite my having a very reasonable job- came to significantly more than my net income- never mind any other bills. This is part of modern living. There may be subsidised childcare available for those on low wages- you need to explore what your options are.

You do not have a right to introduce random strangers into a property you're renting- a landlord has a right to know who is living there- the rights and obligations of both landlords and tenants are spelt out in the Residential Tenancies Act. You are entitled to peaceful enjoyment of your rented property- however, that does not extend to bringing in additional unauthorised residents into the property- which you don't seem to have grasped.

Many of us manage our childcare without the benefit of family/friends to assist us- you're making personal choices here- and wrapping the whole shebang up as a 'the landlord doesn't like me keeping children' issue- which I assure you, it is not.

You need to sit down- and try to figure what you're doing.
Bringing an entourage on-tow, to provide subsidised/cheap/free childcare- has a cost associated with it- that is- you need to provide reasonable accommodation for your entourage- and legally they are also entitled to be paid for their services- you're doing neither.

I honestly think you need to sit down and figure what you're doing. The landlord is not the problem here.

LadySunray

So,i am not blaming my landlords for anything,im not saying they are all thats wrong with my life or anything wrong what so ever,why do you make it so? They are fine,fair people,not guilty of my situation.And they are aware of people in the property,as i said,i told them when i knew they have to stay.
Having 4 people in a two bedroom apartment is not a crime,maybe it is crossing legal boundaries but its passable.I know many that live the same and worse,not to mention shared houses and apartments that are really not in human condition but are still available out there and people live in them.....
People that i have in the apartment are my friends are no i dont have to pay them anything if we agree on that like that because of known to us reasons.
I dont know what kind of advocate you are,but the point of my story that you missed is,i got in a situation that was not expected at all,and could not be expected,and now i have to deal with that.I am unable to help myself by myself so i seek help from others who may help me to find at least first step,cause im totally lost and dont know where to even start from...
Thank you all for your advices and worries,i am taking everything in consideration and trying to move forward with it

dev100

So basically your landlord doesn't want to be seeking rent from you weekly . Can you start paying by the month ? It gives a better impression. Problems with your heating and other things can be fixed you just need to demonstrate you can pay by the month and that's all a landlord will care about and not giving him or her any unneeded hassle

Unfortunately Ireland is becoming like America it's great if you have a good job/good salary and it's not the nicest if you are poor . To live in Dublin or suburbs is super expensive and you won't survive on 1 wage unless you get into local authority housing Minimum wage or slightly above it wage won't go far in Ireland. It really takes 2 normal wages to afford to live in Dublin. You need to look at the long term viability of living in Dublin it's a great place to live but if you can't afford it then your choices are limited

Are you living in the suburbs or the city centre ? What age is your son ? Are you in a well paid job ? Do you have a car ? Have you applied for corporation housing in your local area ? ( this will take a very very long time 10yrs plus ) Are you claiming all the correct benefits if you are in a low paid job ? Example family income support children's allowance etc . These things will help

I wouldn't be depending on your friends long term . It's a short term fix and you need to decide what's best for you and your child long term ....