Landlord passed away

novemberbass

Hi!
I've been renting the same place for over 10 years, and I just got news my landlord has passed away from their spouse, who is also in bad health. They were always really nice to deal with and very fair with the rent and they knew they could get more but didn't up it in the recent rental madness going on.

I was asked not to pay it into the same account and await instruction as to where to pay it, which I hadn't got yet, but I forgot about the standing order I had set and now it's gone into the deceased's account.

I'm just looking for any advice on what may be best to do with the rent, can the payment be reversed and I can get in touch to find out where to pay it to?

Also, they have a few children between them and I wouldn't be surprised if the place is sold so I'm just trying to prepare for what may happen in that regard?

I've read it can take around 18 months for probate and all that to go through? Given I've been here over 10 years, how much notice do I need to be given? Also, not that I can afford it, but would I be entitled to any first refusal when it comes to buying the place, or it's solely dependent on who's the highest bidder?

Can the rent still only go up 4% per year under new ownership too?

Cheers for any help on this!

Salary Negotiator

Ring your bank and ask if the payment can be reversed, though I doubt it can.

You've no option of first refusal and your notice period is 224 days.

New owners are tied to the same laws as the previous, so assuming you are in a RPZ then increases are limited to 4% p.a.

You don't have first refusal but easier to sell to you that wait out the notice period maybe?

GooglePlus

The estate will pass mostly to the spouse, so she will have first say of what happens to anything.

I can imagine that this will be passed to the children soon, who will see euro signs, so prepare to dive back into the hell hole that is the Irish rental market.

belfe

I don't know about the legal status of it, but I think that is reasonable that you continue paying to that account until further notice, is the deal that you signed and the money in the account will be to the same people that owns the apartment. Their spouse/children will heir the accounts but also the obligations, including your contract, so if they want to sell, that is something that is very likely to happen, they will still need to give you the appropriate notice.

belfe

belfe wrote: »

I don't know about the legal status of it, but I think that is reasonable that you continue paying to that account until further notice, is the deal that you signed and the money in the account will be to the same people that owns the apartment. Their spouse/children will heir the accounts but also the obligations, including your contract, so if they want to sell, that is something that is very likely to happen, they will still need to give you the appropriate notice.

Indeed, I would be worried about changing account in case someone is trying to hide money.

Graces7

Probate varies. I rent from the council who installed this demountable on land owned by the man who was to live here. He died nearly 8 years ago and as a relative is disputing the will it still has not gone through probate. An extreme case I know but these things can take forever. .
ie the land under my home will belong to someone else.

A terribly stressful situation for you; so sorry

novemberbass wrote: »

Hi!
I've been renting the same place for over 10 years, and I just got news my landlord has passed away from their spouse, who is also in bad health. They were always really nice to deal with and very fair with the rent and they knew they could get more but didn't up it in the recent rental madness going on.

I was asked not to pay it into the same account and await instruction as to where to pay it, which I hadn't got yet, but I forgot about the standing order I had set and now it's gone into the deceased's account.

I'm just looking for any advice on what may be best to do with the rent, can the payment be reversed and I can get in touch to find out where to pay it to?

Also, they have a few children between them and I wouldn't be surprised if the place is sold so I'm just trying to prepare for what may happen in that regard?

I've read it can take around 18 months for probate and all that to go through? Given I've been here over 10 years, how much notice do I need to be given? Also, not that I can afford it, but would I be entitled to any first refusal when it comes to buying the place, or it's solely dependent on who's the highest bidder?

Can the rent still only go up 4% per year under new ownership too?

Cheers for any help on this!

novemberbass

Thanks everyone, very helpul, the 224 days notice is somewhat reassuring, I was just hoping I wasn't going to be given a month to move out! I guess I'll just leave the money gone this month and try figure out with them what to do with the subsequent months.

I don't really want to say no if they ask me to put rent in another account, making any claims as to why, it probably wouldn't go down well!