What fees are payable by tenant?

Gamergurll

Just after Christmas our LL gave us a one week notice of rent increase because he wants us to pay the property tax, my partner insisted on paying it so as not to upset the apple cart, apparently. Anyway, landlord called yesterday and told my partner he is adding 40 to the rent again to cover the prtb fee, is this something we have to pay? There's no where else available to rent at the moment if he wants to evict us but I'm tired of last minute charges when I'm already stretched paying rent

Allinall

There is no way you should be paying either the property tax or the RTB charges.

He can't evict you if you refuse to pay.

Don't pay it, and make a complaint to the RTB outlining his demands that you pay his costs.

awec

You paid your landlord's property tax? Really?

Gamergurll

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118983350#Comment_118983350

He disguised it as a rent increase but told us in person what the increase was for, I understand there can be rent increases but the short notice bothered me, this new charge is a last minute thing aswell. He let's us keep pets so a huge advantage but rent is now higher than local rents

L1011

The landlord is liable for both those fees.

If they are disguising them as rent increases, they cannot increase rent more than once a year; and only by a maximum of 2% in RPZs - which are most populated areas of the country

Gamergurll

Sorry, the rent increase was at the start of January, but this new Ptrb one he wants to call and collect in cash. He also owns the 6 neighbouring houses and I can't speak for the earlier rent increase but asked a few of them about this fee and they are all paying it apparently, so I will be the awkward tenent for not paying it 🙄

Gamergurll

It's not an rpz but rent was 4% Inc anyway

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118983261#Comment_118983261

Unless it was included in the lease/tenancy agreement. It's not something a landlord can just decide to charge after a tenancy has started.

The landlord is liable to pay the LPT to Revenue and the registration fee to the RTB but some are passing those costs on. I have seen leases with all kinds of charges included. Admin fees for unpaid s/o's or where rent is paid late. Fees for an extra set of keys or a replacement set. Fees for regular garden maintenance. Fees for deep clean at the end of the tenancy. Only rent increases and deposit amounts are restricted.

Caranica

Rent increases require proper notice periods, not a week. It shouldn't have been paid, you can still lodge a case with the rtb though.

Atlantic Dawn

Some people really don't have a clue of the basics of being a landlord.

Grumpypants

RTB charge €90 to register a new tenant but it's not an annual fee. Not sure what this €40 is.

Is it 40 a month or a one off?.

Ask for a receipt. Should put a stop to it.

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986639#Comment_118986639

It's not a rent increase though, it's a direct cost that the landlord is passing on. If it isn't a term included in the lease agreement, then the landlord can't re-charge it whether he gives one week or 90 days notice.

OP, you say that the extra demand was disguised as a rent increase but the landlord told you it was a re-charge for the LPT in January and this recent amount is a re-charge to cover the RTB costs so he doesn't see it as a rent increase.

You're lucky you're not being charged a quarterly fee for your pets, apparently that's happening now as well as fees for parking spaces. I saw a lease a few weeks ago that had re-charges for insurance and an apartment lease where tenants are being re-charged for service charges. It's vicious.

OP you need to read the lease / tenancy agreement you signed and if there is no term to cover these re-charges then you can query them or refuse to pay them.

DFB-D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986665#Comment_118986665

It is rent.

wench

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986653#Comment_118986653

The RTB have changed to annual €40 registration, even if the tenants haven't changed.

https://www.rtb.ie/news/landlords-take-notetenancies-must-now-be-registered-annually-with-the-rtb

Gamergurll

Well in relation to pets I would have no issue at all with paying a fee for them if that was something he asked for, mine are not destructive (yes yes, all pet owners say that! 😂), to be honest compared to my child they are a walk in the park, the house was a shell when I moved in anyway minus fitted kitchen bathroom and carpets so most that can be damaged is my own but again I would pay a fee in advance if asked because these are my problems.

I didn't sign a lease agreement but can a contract sign away rights as a tenant? Fees for lost keys etc are fair but prtb fees, I see there are penalties for a landlord not registering and I mean what, can he then come after me in turn..?

40 is a one off sorry about that. But if its not mine to pay its opening the door to other things, the heating system needs fixed before winter will I be charged for those

deirdre1976

ABSOLUTELY NO WAY PAY THE EXTRA MONEY.

Contact PRTB straight away.

How long are ye tenants in the house?

deirdre1976

Once off or not its HIS responsibility to pay that bill..

deirdre1976

You can only have rent review for an increase every 2 years.

Then the increase will depend if ye in a Rent Property Zone or not.

deirdre1976

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986652#Comment_118986652

Totally Agree.. All they see is the €€€€€€

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986652#Comment_118986652

In fairness the Tenant should know about this stuff also.

I suspect the Landlord knows exactly what they are doing.

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118989643#Comment_118989643

RTB for years now 😉

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118990065#Comment_118990065

Open to correction but I think it was the PRTB from 2004 to 2015, 14yrs. So its been RTB for 7yrs. I still call it the PRTB.

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118990516#Comment_118990516

Website is rtb.ie which is what the OP needs. There's no redirect if you put the P in. You already admitted your language is 7 years of of date

OP get on to the RTB, your landlord is trying to pull a fast one for the second time this year, he got away with the first one but it can be rolled back.

Flinty997

I don't think it makes any difference. It will be found, and be obvious either way.

RTB has been mentioned around 30 times on this thread already.

https://www.google.com/search?q=PRTB&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBIE968IE968&oq=PRTB&aqs=chrome.0.69i59l2j46i10i175i199i512j0i10i131i433j0i512l2j0i10j0i512l2.1328j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

handlemaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986653#Comment_118986653

Landlords Take Note. Annual tenancy registration comes into effect from the 4th of April 2022. This means that landlords must register their tenancy every year, within one month of the anniversary of when that tenancy began.

The DayDream

It's absolute BS. What landlords are getting away with in this country is scandalous.

But you're over a barell here. Ive been looking for 2 years for somewhere to rent that will take pets. No one will any more. My dog is quiet and housetrained, 10 years old and just lays about unless there's a walkie or ball game going. But they just don't want to know

I would still open a dispute though. The 40 quid i could stomach for the tradeoff of having pets allowed but no way am i paying the property tax on a property I don't own. You're already paying for them to be able to own it.

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986847#Comment_118986847

Honestly OP, sounds like your landlord knows he can only increase the rent under certain rules that's why he didn't increase the rent, he's passing on his costs to you. It's not great and nobody likes it.

Contact the RTB or Threshold, they'll advise you. A lease can't sign away your rights but it can have additional terms in it and a contract can be written or verbal. A written lease setting out all the terms & conditions is a good idea so both parties know where they stand and the landlord can't decide to change things later on.

The landlord is responsible for fixing the heating system.

Gamergurll

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118994701#Comment_118994701

Not my style sorry.. Seen it happen with my grandparents house a few years ago when they passed and left an equal share to all the siblings, they couldn't face selling it so put it up for rent, my dad being the only one in Dublin handled the rental. Seen him damn near have a breakdown not only over nearly 2 years of no rent which my uncles were roaring at him for but the stress of court dates and seeing my grandparents dearly loved home destroyed, where tenants pulled down doors, put holes in walls, and dugs up their cherished back garden which they both spent their retirement dedicated to, the "lease" stated there would be monthly visits from a gardener which tenants were happy with. All by a middle aged couple with a child who couldn't look more normal if they tried. There's a lesson to learn I'm sure but joys of being sentimental and having siblings who can't quite agree on anything 🙄

Anyway I suppose it's all gone very off topic but the whole system is a joke, even if my landlord is pulling a fast one my rent is always paid on time, I'm very houseproud and treat this place like my own. I'm unhappy with a few things and have been keeping my eyes open for somewhere else but there is nothing, the local shop has ads up with wanted adverts, same with the local fb group.. This one horse town is popular 😝

Gamergurll

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118995887#Comment_118995887

Thank you, nothing like a lease was ever discussed, verbally was just a standard pay rent on time, normal stuff, I don't think my LL knows or cares much for regulations tbh, but I popped in here to make sure I was right about this not being my responsibility before I approach him :)

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986652#Comment_118986652

Id say he knows right well but is gambling on the tenant not being aware

what a cheap gombeen hustler

tell him where to go OP , tenants have very strong rights , dont be shy about asserting yourself here , apart from the RTB site , citizens rights site has plenty of useful info for both tenants and landlords

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118994629#Comment_118994629

shameless people with no standards or class will try getting away with all sorts of things in all sorts of different areas if you allow them

the rules that protect tenants are very strong in this country but tenants need to learn their rights , plenty of lowlife tenants as well , this landlord here sounds like a complete louse