Is it worth mentioning to the LL on my way out (minimum legal requirements)?

GlobalSun

Hi all,

I moved into this one bedroom back in January. During the viewing, I didn't notice that the bathroom didn't have adequate ventilation or any heater.

It was only when I moved in that I realized it had no ventilation at all (no window or fan) and no heater (no rail, heater or radiant heating).

As a consequence of the above, the bathroom is as cold as a refrigerator during the winter (my first night there was an absolute nightmare) and there is a strong humidity/mold smell to the point where half the ceiling turned red/orange and red water droplets keep falling from it.

Aside from this problem, this rental is impacted by other issues:
1. No light hallway and more specifically my floor - I've asked about this on numerous occasions and I'm met with an excuse each time. This means that I keep going up and down the stairs at night with the risk of falling as I can't see a thing.
2. The apartment (or box shall I say) has zero ventilation leading to condensation all over the one window it has.
3. Water heater & washing machine trigger a nauseating pipe smell that hasn't been fixed.

The LL confirmed the lack of ventilation and advised that no ventilation could be installed as it would otherwise impact the structure of the building (house). He said he couldn't do anything about it. As far as the lack of lighting on my floor, he said the previous tenants never complained (hard to believe they'd accept navigating in the dark - I can't even see my door lock when trying to open it).

This place is €1,400 (a complete rip-off, hence the fact I'm moving out. Dublin rentals!!).

Is it worth mentioning this to the LL as I believe the bathroom specifically does not meet the minimum standard requirements?

Thanks.

whomitconcerns

Up to you. No benefit to you to mention it, to and no way for you to know if he did anything about it.

Mellor

GlobalSun wrote: »

Is it worth mentioning this to the LL as I believe the bathroom specifically does not meet the minimum standard requirements?

What legal standard do you refer to?

I'd guess it's a complete waste of time ad I doubt the LL was unaware of any of those issued. His claim that it can't be ventilated is completely untrue.

GlobalSun

Thanks.

I'm referring to the below:

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/repairs_maintenance_and_minimum_physical_standards.html

He will probably ask me why I'm moving out so quickly (I moved in at the end of December), but I've already addressed all the issues I mentioned above and I was met with a ludicrous excuse for each.

No lighting in the hallway? Oh nobody every complained and it got stuck in Germany anyway. OK, can't you just go to any shop here in Dublin or call an electrician? I had addressed the issue when I signed my lease in November, so plenty of time to get it fixed when the restrictions got lifted in December.

No ventilation or heating in the bathroom? It will affect the building structure/foundation.

Condensation all over the apartment? Can't do anything about it as no ventilation in the place, so you have to leave your window a tad bit open at all times (his suggestion in the middle of January!).

Dead end.

dubrov

There's little benefit to you to mention the issues and the landlord is likely already aware of them anyway.

I'd wait until you've found a new place and references have been checked before saying anything

GlobalSun

GlobalSun wrote: »

Thanks.

I'm referring to the below:

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/repairs_maintenance_and_minimum_physical_standards.html

He will probably ask me why I'm moving out so quickly (I moved in at the end of December), but I've already addressed all the issues I mentioned above and I was met with a ludicrous excuse for each.

No lighting in the hallway? Oh nobody every complained and it got stuck in Germany anyway. OK, can't you just go to any shop here in Dublin or call an electrician? I had addressed the issue when I signed my lease in November, so plenty of time to get it fixed when the restrictions got lifted in December.

No ventilation or heating in the bathroom? It will affect the building structure/foundation.

Condensation all over the apartment? Can't do anything about it as no ventilation in the place, so you have to leave your window a tad bit open at all times (his suggestion in the middle of January!).

Dead end.

Doesn’t having windows provide ventilation “in the place”, and how is structure/foundation affected?.

What are the minimum requirements for the bathroom? I ask this because I own three apartments, one in Docklands, none have windows.

GlobalSun

dubrov wrote: »

There little benefit to you to mention the issues and the landlord is likely already aware of them.

I'd wait until you've found a new place and references have been checked before saying anything

I've already found a place and started moving in a week ago, hence my above post about mentioning the issues on my "way out". To be fair, I already been vocal about them prior to finding another place, because it's my money that's going down the drain every month. He might be aware, but if the previous tenants didn't complain supposedly, it makes sense he hasn't done a thing to fix them. It was worth a try to see if he was going to fix them before deciding to move out.

After all, I'm paying (an inflated price) to live in this place, so I'm entitled to make reasonable requests (which by way, shouldn't even be prompted by me the tenant as they should have been installed in the first place when they started renting units out. E.g: lights in the hallway or ventilation/heating in the bathroom).

I didn't ask him for a reference given the short amount of time I've spent in this place.

GlobalSun

Dav010 wrote: »

Doesn’t having windows provide ventilation “in the place”, and how is structure/foundation affected?.

What are the minimum requirements for the bathroom? I ask this because I own three apartments, one in Docklands, none have windows.

Window or fan & appropriate heating.

There's no window or fan, that's the problem when I mention ventilation in the bathroom. Places should have one or the other. It's just four walls with nothing at all in this case (former bedroom turned into small apartment unit). Plus, it has no heating, so it is basically a musty fridge.

As far as the window goes, it is one small window for the whole place, that can't even be opened properly. Sure, it acts as "ventilation", but it still doesn't fix the requirements for the bathroom. I try to avoid it as much as I possibly can due to the moldy smell and very low temperature.

I lived in the Docklands area for four years prior to moving into this place and our bathroom didn't have a window, but it had a fan acting as ventilation (as most apartments in large complexes) & heating.

I'm not making any of this up, I looked up on Citizens Information as I thought the configuration was a bit unusual. I'm not going to report him or anything, but I'm simply curious.

nuac

Suggest you move on

Sleeper12

GlobalSun wrote:

Is it worth mentioning this to the LL as I believe the bathroom specifically does not meet the minimum standard requirements?

You can be assured that your LL already knows this. He doesn't care. Obviously it's simple for an electrician to add extra lights. It's extra easy in rented accommodation where it can be run surface in trunking. Same with air vents. You can get windows with trickle vents built into them. LL won't spend the money is all

GlobalSun

Sleeper12 wrote: »

You can be assured that your LL already knows this. He doesn't care. Obviously it's simple for an electrician to add extra lights. It's extra easy in rented accommodation where it can be run surface in trunking. Same with air vents. You can get windows with trickle vents built into them. LL won't spend the money is all

He doesn't care and is playing me a fool, thinking I'm going to believe what he says and keep draining my money into this substandard hole.

The first time I asked about lighting on my floor, he went ahead and put lighting on his floor (ground floor). Then when I followed up on my request, he said he thought I had requested for lights to be fitted at ground floor level. Why would I request this? My email clearly stated "on my floor".

The second time around, he said the lights got stuck in Germany. This is by far the biggest lie I've heard. Why order lights from Germany when you can ask any local electrician to get this sorted in the blink of an eye?

In the end, he gave me a sensor to put on my door just for me to see the door lock but I'm still maneuvering those stairs in the dark. Yet, the downstairs tenants requested for lights to be fitted on their floor as well and they got fitted within a week.

I agree with air vents in the bathroom as well. His excuse about them impacting the house foundation is a complete lie.

In any case, he's got an excuse for every single issue I bring up, which makes those €1,400 quite painful to pay each month. I'm leaving, but he had the audacity to tell me: "Guess this place didn't suit your needs after all".

Any person who has the chance have options certainly would not live here.

My family owns a construction company, so I have second-hand knowledge and their house actually has a similar structure to this house turned into apartment units. I'm not that naive.

Sleeper12

You have a lot of anger. If you are moving out it's probably best for your own long term health to try forget about this LL. I know it's difficult but hopefully you will move somewhere with a better LL

GlobalSun

Sleeper12 wrote: »

You have a lot of anger. If you are moving out it's probably best for your own long term health to try forget about this LL. I know it's difficult but hopefully you will move somewhere with a better LL

Well, given how much I'm paying, it makes sense I'm a bit annoyed. The place is overpriced and full of issues. I would rather have a LL being straight up and telling me issues can't be fixed, rather than one who is playing me a fool by coming up with ludicrous excuses.

Don't worry, I'm not dwelling on the LL himself, but simply how naive I was during the viewing process. I would have spared myself a lot of hassle had I done things differently.