Excellent tenant

bob_sponge

My tenant has been with me 8 years in a small studio apartment in Dublin 3. He is of pensionable age and an absolute gentleman. He worked in the building trade all his life and is incredibly handy and he has always made small improvements in the apartment (agreed with me in advance). He keeps the apartment in pristine condition and gets on well with all his neighbours. I am now selling the apartment as it’s been a disastrous investment for me, even at interest only the rent doesn’t cover the mortgage and I have to think of my own family.
I gave him notice in May which ran until the end of December. He is now staying on a week to week basis until the sale closes (later this month). He has had no luck finding an alternative place to rent. He is on rent supplement (not HAP). DCC have repeatedly advised him to overhold but he has refused to do so as he felt it was disrespectful to me. We have always got on very well, he is never any trouble at all. My heart is broken for him as he faces homelessness. I’ve been helping him with his search but anything he can afford is in such demand that he loses out. He isn’t Internet savvy so wouldn’t be any good on Daft etc. He was very upset last week given what happened that poor man in his tent on the canal as that is where he envisages ending up. He has been in to DCC countless times since getting his notice but they have not offered him anything.
I know there are quite a few landlords on here, I was wondering would anyone be in a position to consider him as a tenant? I would wholeheartedly recommend him.

Mad_maxx

bob_sponge wrote: »

My tenant has been with me 8 years in a small studio apartment in Dublin 3. He is of pensionable age and an absolute gentleman. He worked in the building trade all his life and is incredibly handy and he has always made small improvements in the apartment (agreed with me in advance). He keeps the apartment in pristine condition and gets on well with all his neighbours. I am now selling the apartment as it’s been a disastrous investment for me, even at interest only the rent doesn’t cover the mortgage and I have to think of my own family.
I gave him notice in May which ran until the end of December. He is now staying on a week to week basis until the sale closes (later this month). He has had no luck finding an alternative place to rent. He is on rent supplement (not HAP). DCC have repeatedly advised him to overhold but he has refused to do so as he felt it was disrespectful to me. We have always got on very well, he is never any trouble at all. My heart is broken for him as he faces homelessness. I’ve been helping him with his search but anything he can afford is in such demand that he loses out. He isn’t Internet savvy so wouldn’t be any good on Daft etc. He was very upset last week given what happened that poor man in his tent on the canal as that is where he envisages ending up. He has been in to DCC countless times since getting his notice but they have not offered him anything.
I know there are quite a few landlords on here, I was wondering would anyone be in a position to consider him as a tenant? I would wholeheartedly recommend him.

Could you perhaps try and get him to provide some sort of assurances to prospective buyer's, persuade him to allow viewings and to talk to those interested

Sell with him in situ, shouldn't be too difficult to find someone

godtabh

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Could you perhaps try and get him to provide some sort of assurances to prospective buyer's, persuade him to allow viewings and to talk to those interested

Sell with him in situ, shouldn't be too difficult to find someone

A bank wont give a mortgage with a sitting tenant. That would limit the sellers options.

Its a ****ty state of affairs but not one of the OPs making

Mad_maxx

godtabh wrote: »

A bank wont give a mortgage with a sitting tenant. That would limit the sellers options.

Its a ****ty state of affairs but not one of the OPs making

Plenty of cash buyers out there and i imagine most interested parties for a studio will be BTL buyers but no way seller can maximise sale with tenant in situ

bob_sponge

I have a buyer who intends to live there himself so has no interest in taking on a tenant.

Steer55

Has he tried any of the charities, Cluid might be able to offer advice.

jam_mac_jam

God this is awful. Fair play to you for trying to help him in this way.

I have no advice to offer just that I am glad there are people out there like you and I hope this man gets sorted. Its very hard for single men in this situation. So sad.

Elessar

I'm so sorry to hear this. There are specific organisations that provide housing for older people including Alone, there are some links below. Can he get in contact with each of these and see what might be available?

https://www.ageaction.ie/how-we-can-help/information

https://alone.ie/what-we-do/housingwithsupport/

https://www.foldireland.ie

I hope this gentleman finds something. Fair play to you for being compassionate.

KaneToad

Hopefully your tenant can get sorted. But, realistically speaking, he may be looking at having to move outside of Dublin. While not ideal, it could be an opportunity to start a new chapter in his life. There are many fine communities around the country where he could be very happy. He's clearly made a great impression on you and it's likely he would do so on any new people he meets.

handlemaster

I would think a move out of Dublin would be the answer.

Gasherbraun

PM sent.

jimmycrackcorm

handlemaster wrote: »

I would think a move out of Dublin would be the answer.

This! Why does he need to live in Dublin particularly if he is off pensionable age.
Plenty off people like myself have to live in Dublin because of work, but there are many affordable places once you movie away from the pale.

katiek102010

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

This! Why does he need to live in Dublin particularly if he is off pensionable age.
Plenty off people like myself have to live in Dublin because of work, but there are many affordable places once you movie away from the pale.

Why should he have to move away from the area he has lived in his entire life
He will have friends and family in the area, a support network

katiek102010

Op would you have any legal comeback against the council for advising him to over hold such as a claim for any financial losses

sideswipe

Nothing to add/help but to say fair play to you Op for trying help. Fingers crossed a favourable outcome can be found.

paulieeye

katiek102010 wrote: »

Why should he have to move away from the area he has lived in his entire life
He will have friends and family in the area, a support network

Probably because of the lack of other accommodation. Have you been paying attention?

Fol20

katiek102010 wrote: »

Why should he have to move away from the area he has lived in his entire life
He will have friends and family in the area, a support network

You could also say that to a private renter where they need to move away from their support system and commute an hour a day because they can’t afford the area they want to live in. Why should it be no different for a person getting help from the government.

Mrs OBumble

katiek102010 wrote: »

He will have friends and family in the area, a support network

The same support network that has him living in a glorified bedsit(*) and isn't helping him find somewhere new to live? There are nicer people in most small towns around the country.

(*) Not getting at the OP here, I'm sure it's a nice studio as studios go. But they are what they are.

daithi84

Only option i can think at the moment is to look at house sharing options if he is facing homelessness. Temporary measure would allow him more time to look for a single apartment for himself. The council will also transfer his rent supplement into HAP payments which would help him with the rent.

Stone Deaf 4evr

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

The same support network that has him living in a glorified bedsit(*) and isn't helping him find somewhere new to live? There are nicer people in most small towns around the country.

(*) Not getting at the OP here, I'm sure it's a nice studio as studios go. But they are what they are.

Not sure what the point of that dig is? Maybe he likes his current accomodation, hence having stayed there for so long. If the vast majority of elderly people downsized to more modest 1 bedroom properties rather than knocking around an empty nest, it may go some way to helping take some pressure from families looking for larger homes.

endacl

EStone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

Not sure what the point of that dig is? Maybe he likes his current accomodation, hence having stayed there for so long. If the vast majority of elderly people downsized to more modest 1 bedroom properties rather than knocking around an empty nest, it may go some way to helping take some pressure from families looking for larger homes.

Dunno. I’m kinda looking forward to rattling around my empty nest. I worked hard enough for it. Few years yet to go...

handlemaster

katiek102010 wrote: »

Why should he have to move away from the area he has lived in his entire life
He will have friends and family in the area, a support network

Because he can't afford to live there simple. We would all like to live in the best location etc.. it's a choice.. we can't have it all.

Sleeper12

katiek102010 wrote:

Op would you have any legal comeback against the council for advising him to over hold such as a claim for any financial losses

This is the norm & happens every day of the week. Charities & Councils advise overholding

A good lesson for those who don’t think owning your own home is vital.

Mitzy

There is a Facebook page called The Homeshare that helps older people remain in their homes by letting them rent out rooms in their homes in exchange for companionship and helping them out with some household chores.
Might be worth looking into.

listermint

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

A good lesson for those who don’t think owning your own home is vital.

True statement but it's only this way because the market is so bloody distorted.

The asset driven nature of housing since the early 90s has ruined home ownership the world over. Not just here.

It's an absolute mess for all concerned and no end in sight

SusieBlue

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

A good lesson for those who don’t think owning your own home is vital.

Much easier to save to buy your own home if you’re able to live with your parents until your mid 30’s without paying them a cent for the privilege, despite having a well paid professional job.

road_high

handlemaster wrote: »

I would think a move out of Dublin would be the answer.

Forcing an older man away from his network or friends and family could kill someone like that, the mental strain alone. I’ve seen that before with men when the rugs been pulled from under them

road_high

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

A good lesson for those who don’t think owning your own home is vital.

Absolutely it must be terrible to be elderly and facing eviction like this with no safety net. I guess him buying the apt himself is out of the question or any housing organisation helping him in that regard

John_Rambo

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

A good lesson for those who don’t think owning your own home is vital.

You do know this isn't an option for some people?

@paulieeye it's an awful predicament to be in.

Graces7

There is nothing wrong with bedsits.

Period. Lived in them many years in the UK

And that s more than a bedsit. And his home

I had to relocate nearly three years ago because of lack of availability of suitable rentals. It has been and is a very hard thing to do when over 70 and I had to move province. Has affected health badly, and irreparably. Please don't underestimate the very real trauma to this older man.

Renters are people.

OP. thank you for caring. So few do. Hoping somewhere is found

It is far from possible for many of us to buy a house. Very far.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

The same support network that has him living in a glorified bedsit(*) and isn't helping him find somewhere new to live? There are nicer people in most small towns around the country.

(*) Not getting at the OP here, I'm sure it's a nice studio as studios go. But they are what they are.

Graces7

Not sure what lesson you mean? Have a well paid job all your life? Never get long term ill or disabled?

Real life is not that easy for many of us.

Which is why we have rentals.

More and more thankful to be in council accommodation now .

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

A good lesson for those who don’t think owning your own home is vital.

BarryD2

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

A good lesson for those who don’t think owning your own home is vital.

That's the way it's become in Ireland: house and land ownership is seen as the gold standard. And the more you own, the higher your status. Used to be cattle, now it's property.

Tough on this tenant but as others have suggested either move out of the area to where it's cheaper or maybe look to sharing with others. We don't have a god given right (or a constitutional right) to live where we'd like, sadly.

beauf

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

A good lesson for those who don’t think owning your own home is vital.

BarryD2 wrote: »

That's the way it's become in Ireland: house and land ownership is seen as the gold standard. And the more you own, the higher your status. Used to be cattle, now it's property.....

His comment has got nothing to do with status. Its about security.

Just be clear when the politicians call to the door, they are the ones who created these situations and continue to maintain it.

Mrs OBumble

road_high wrote: »

Forcing an older man away from his network or friends and family could kill someone like that, the mental strain alone. I’ve seen that before with men when the rugs been pulled from under them

But he obviously doesn't have a network. If he did then they'd be helping him find somewhere to move to. Instead his landlord is having to do it.

handlemaster

road_high wrote: »

Forcing an older man away from his network or friends and family could kill someone like that, the mental strain alone. I’ve seen that before with men when the rugs been pulled from under them

We all have choices growing up. They lead you in a direction. I think what your saying is keep this retired man and in fact all retired people house in their preferred location where ever that might be and the tax payer foot the bill for it. So then should all people be house accordingly ? We have to treat all people the same. So where are we going with this an ever ending cycle of why bother the state will pay for me..

Steer55

This issue is set to worsen and should definitely be an election issue.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/hundreds-of-elderly-people-could-end-up-in-homeless-hubs-within-5-years-says-charity-1.4122885

Graces7

Graces7 wrote: »

Not sure what lesson you mean? Have a well paid job all your life? Never get long term ill or disabled?

Real life is not that easy for many of us.

Which is why we have rentals.

More and more thankful to be in council accommodation now .

I see a number of posters are taking issue with my post.

My point was that you will see plenty of posters saying we need to move toward a more rental oriented society, that not everyone should buy, that people shouldn’t be seeing buying a vital etc etc. But this is an example of why anyone should have owning their own home as one of their main aims in life.

I feel as sorry for this man as anyone, I’m not giving him a dig whatsoever.

Graces7

What YOU are not seeing is that for many folk that is just never possible. Period. If you have had bad luck with health, employment etc how can you buy a house? Or in a low paid job?

And the main aim in life is to survive and keep a roof over your head. Nothing to do with should etc. Simply practicality and realism.

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

I see a number of posters are taking issue with my post.

My point was that you will see plenty of posters saying we need to move toward a more rental oriented society, that not everyone should buy, that people shouldn’t be seeing buying a vital etc etc. But this is an example of why anyone should have owning their own home as one of their main aims in life.

I feel as sorry for this man as anyone, I’m not giving him a dig whatsoever.

Graces7

Do we? House purchase is not possible for many because of the circumstances of their life that they can do little about.

Why should old folk not choose where they live?

handlemaster wrote: »

We all have choices growing up. They lead you in a direction. I think what your saying is keep this retired man and in fact all retired people house in their preferred location where ever that might be and the tax payer foot the bill for it. So then should all people be house accordingly ? We have to treat all people the same. So where are we going with this an ever ending cycle of why bother the state will pay for me..

Graces7

Graces7 wrote: »

What YOU are not seeing is that for many folk that is just never possible. Period. If you have had bad luck with health, employment etc how can you buy a house? Or in a low paid job?

And the main aim in life is to survive and keep a roof over your head. Nothing to do with should etc. Simply practicality and realism.

I would see it as a very rare thing for a person to never be able to own their own home. I could probably count on one hand the people I know over the age of about 40 who don't own their own home and have personally never come across a retired person who doesn't so it is rare that a person doesn't either own their own home or get handed one by the council at some stage in life.

Graces7

An older man is unlikely to have friends who have a house to spare! His network will be old folk like himself. He will have familiar places that mean a lot to him and are supportive to him . At our age these things mean a lot; we don't bounce as easily as younger folk

And his landlord is a star and a rare man!

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

But he obviously doesn't have a network. If he did then they'd be helping him find somewhere to move to. Instead his landlord is having to do it.

Graces7

Then your life experience is very limited. I am a retired person. I now do rent from the council. Not sure what you mean by "handed one". If only that could be so for this man.

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

I would see it as a very rare thing for a person to never be able to own their own home. I could probably count on one hand the people I know over the age of about 40 who don't own their own home and have personally never come across a retired person who doesn't so it is rare that a person doesn't either own their own home or get handed one by the council at some stage in life.

beauf

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

I would see it as a very rare thing for a person to never be able to own their own home. I could probably count on one hand the people I know over the age of about 40 who don't own their own home and have personally never come across a retired person who doesn't so it is rare that a person doesn't either own their own home or get handed one by the council at some stage in life.

This suggests in the UK it's 13% and growing.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/property/686161/Number-pensioners-renting-soared-220-000-last-four-years/amp

The regional breakdown is interesting. I expect we'll mirror the UK regional pattern if not now, we will soon.

Can't find Irish figures as usual.

SusieBlue

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

I would see it as a very rare thing for a person to never be able to own their own home. I could probably count on one hand the people I know over the age of about 40 who don't own their own home and have personally never come across a retired person who doesn't so it is rare that a person doesn't either own their own home or get handed one by the council at some stage in life.

You live at home with your parents and pay absolutely nothing towards the running of the home, despite being in your mid 30's with a well paid professional job.
That is why you can afford to buy.

You are in no position to be making judgments or statements like that when its unlikely you'd be in the financially secure position you are in now, only for the good grace of your parents. Not everyone is so lucky to have that opportunity.

SusieBlue

SusieBlue wrote: »

You live at home with your parents and pay absolutely nothing towards the running of the home, despite being in your mid 30's with a well paid professional job.
That is why you can afford to buy.

You are in no position to be making judgments or statements like that when its unlikely you'd be in the financially secure position you are in now, only for the good grace of your parents. Not everyone is so lucky to have that opportunity.

Living at home has little to do with my ability to own a home, admittedly I probably wouldn't be able to build my own home if it wasn't our own land, I'd have a bigger mortgage and certainly not buy the standard or size I will build but I would be able to buy a house even on one income. I have had mortgage approval prior to getting married but didn't follow though on it (and I was renting a room in a house share at the time and earning less).

Staying well away from Dublin helps a lot too.

SusieBlue

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

Living at home has little to do with my ability to own a home, admittedly I probably wouldn't be able to build my own home if it wasn't our own land and certainly not to the standard or size I will but I would be able to buy a house even on one income. I have had mortgage approval prior to getting married but didn't follow though on it (and I was renting a room in a house share at the time and earning less).

Of course it does. You have no rent, bills, or living expenses to pay. You are building your house on a free plot of land.

You are at a monumental advantage compared to some who is spending €€€€ on rent alone, never mind bills & food, or someone handing up money to their family to live at home.

How can you not see that?

SusieBlue

SusieBlue wrote: »

Of course it does. You have no rent, bills, or living expenses to pay. You are building your house on a free plot of land.

You are at a monumental advantage compared to some who is spending €€€€ on rent alone, never mind bills & food, or someone handing up money to their family to live at home.

How can you not see that?

If you remembered my posts correctly you would see that I may not pay rent at home but I do contribute to my wife's mortgage and split bills in the house even though I am normally only there a few days of the week.

Also lots of people can live at home and even if they pay rent it will be a lot less than renting externally but people want to move out, they want to travel, they want to go abroad etc and then wonder why they can't save. People have choices.

Its like in college when lots would go off on J1s and then during the college year wonder why I had lots of money for drink, could run my car and buy a nice lunch everyday. Because I was working 6 days a week for 4 months of the summer and was much happier to live at home thats why.

SusieBlue

Gerardo Ancient Crossbar wrote: »

If you remembered my posts correctly you would see that I may not pay rent at home but I do contribute to my wife's mortgage and split bills in the house even though I am normally only there a few days of the week.

Also lots of people can live at home and even if they pay rent it will be a lot less than renting externally but people want to move out, they want to travel, they want to go abroad etc and then wonder why they can't save. People have choices.

Its like in college when lots would go off on J1s and then during the college year wonder why I had lots of money for drink, could run my car and buy a nice lunch everyday. Because I was working 6 days a week for 4 months of the summer and was much happier to live at home thats why.

No I remember you saying you paid the broadband bill and nothing more, and that anyone who paid their parents to live at home was stupid.

Nothing about a wifes mortgage or splitting any other bills whatsoever.

Raconteuse

This gentleman might be someone who never went on to have a family, and never had much money or financial security. A lot of those old dudes live in London - emigrated for the building work and ended up alone, sometimes homeless, poor fellas.

If so, he would not have been able to secure a mortgage so easily. And the council looks after families before single occupants.

My uncle is about the same age and bought a house in the 80s by himself. But he was a teacher. Back then once you had a public sector job you were laughing. Even if not earning major bucks.

2020Vision

SusieBlue wrote: »

No I remember you saying you paid the broadband bill and nothing more, and that anyone who paid their parents to live at home was stupid.

Nothing about a wifes mortgage or splitting any other bills whatsoever.

Any chance that you'd try a bit harder to stick to the theme of this topic and take your haranguing of someone whose opinion doesn't appeal to you to PM?