Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Should I Contact My Landlord About New Tenants Behaviour?

  • 31-10-2020 12:39pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 39


    Hello,

    Myself and my housemate are having a few issues with our new housemate. In an effort to cut a long story short, I'll bullet point the main issues:

    * The new housemate moved in during the week with the help of her boyfriend while I and my other housemate were away at work. When we returned we found that they had removed a lot of our belongings from the kitchen (appliances etc) and replaced them with their own, without our consent or any prior warning. Also, my bicycle was removed from the hallway and moved it out to the shed - again without my knowledge or consent (we don't keep anything of value in the shed due to a robbery some time back).

    *The boyfriend has been also living here since the date the new housemate moved in and he has also invited guests to the house which, especially under the current climate, I don't think is acceptable. Aside from being against current government regulations (which make us subject to fines), both myself and my other roomate have elderly relatives (in the vulnerable category) whom we need to visit regularly for essential purposes so were clearly against non-essential visitors.

    *They're also quite loud at night - i.e. banging doors, shouting/talking loudly at night, smoking in the house (despite us specifically requesting non-smoking tenants).

    Would I be in my rights to contact the landlord to highlight the issues and suggesting that this may be grounds for terminating the tenancy (on the basis of anti-social behaviour and breach of government restrictions and that the tenancy is less than 6 months)? I know this may seen extreme, however, myself and my other housemate have both lived here for a relatively long time now, always with an enjoyable/friendly atmosphere and we don't appreciate this type of behaviour in a new tenant. Also, I work very long hours in the Medical industry and as such I value a quiet, easygoing household - which we both have enjoyed up to this point.

    Advice from both Landlords and Tenants would be appreciated?

    Thanks.


«134

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 13,864 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    How did the the new house mate join you and your friend, did you arrange it/previous tenant assigned their lease/LL arranged it?

    Who does the new tenant pay rent to, you or the LL?


  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    Hi,

    The previous tenant moved out and my landlord advertised the room online - new tenants contacted my landlord through the website to arrange a viewing and she moved in shortly after.

    Rent is payed to the landlord.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,864 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    GMI101 wrote: »
    Hi,

    The previous tenant moved out and my landlord advertised the room online - new tenants contacted my landlord through the website to arrange a viewing and she moved in shortly after.

    Rent is payed to the landlord.

    Then yes, complain to LL and get her out.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,371 ✭✭✭TheChizler


    It would be unreasonable to contact the landlord before bringing it up with the tenant IMO.


  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    Dav010 wrote: »
    Then yes, complain to LL and get her out.

    Thanks. Do you believe that there is grounds for termination here? Ultimately I don't want to overstep my bounds in anyway.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    TheChizler wrote: »
    It would be unreasonable to contact the landlord before bringing it up with the tenant IMO.

    Thanks. I think that's fair enough also. I've already communicated about moving my bike and things. Also, when the room was advertised it was clearly stated that we were looking for non-smoking, quiet tenants.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭LawBoy2018


    GMI101 wrote: »
    Thanks. I think that's fair enough also. I've already communicated about moving my bike and things. Also, when the room was advertised it was clearly stated that we were looking for non-smoking, quiet tenants.

    It's ignorant/rude af to smoke in rented accommodation without the permission of the other housemates.


  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    LawBoy2018 wrote: »
    It's ignorant/rude af to smoke in rented accommodation without the permission of the other housemates.

    Yeah, I think so too!! I'm kinda back aback by all of this I suppose. I was a little bit shocked to come back from work and see the kitchen almost re-decorated - I thought I was in the wrong house!!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,594 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    TheChizler wrote: »
    It would be unreasonable to contact the landlord before bringing it up with the tenant IMO.

    In a normal situation, I'd agree.

    But this kind of abnormal one where the housemates had no say on who was moved in is not that. I'd be going straight to the landlord.


  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    In a normal situation, I'd agree.

    But this kind of abnormal one where the housemates had no say on who was moved in is not that. I'd be going straight to the landlord.

    Well, in the interest of full disclosure, we did meet her very briefly meet when she came to view the room and we said we had no problems. However, this was a very brief (less than 10min) appointment. Obviously we had no way of knowing at that point that this behaviour was to come.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Was she given a written list of house rules? She is taking diabolical liberties.So sorry; a dreadful situation.


  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    Graces7 wrote: »
    Was she given a written list of house rules? She is taking diabolical liberties.So sorry; a dreadful situation.

    Not to my knowledge - myself nor my other housemate didn't provide such a list and I'm unaware if our landlord did. Yeah, it's not nice. I'm actually thinking of contacting a lawyer to see what options are available to me.

    The sheer fact alone that the boyfriend seems to be living here also would be grounds for action from the landlord I would have presumed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,814 ✭✭✭Padre_Pio


    GMI101 wrote: »
    Not to my knowledge - myself nor my other housemate didn't provide such a list and I'm unaware if our landlord did. Yeah, it's not nice. I'm actually thinking of contacting a lawyer to see what options are available to me.

    There's no lawyers in Ireland, do you mean a solicitor?
    What are you going to do? Sue her?

    Have you spoken to either the landlord or your housemate yet?


  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    Padre_Pio wrote: »
    There's no lawyers in Ireland, do you mean a solicitor?
    What are you going to do? Sue her?

    Have you spoken to either the landlord or your housemate yet?

    I wasn't planning on suing her, I'd just like to know is it even appropriate for me to suggest this to my landlord. I have a pretty cordial relationship with my landlord and I would like to keep it that way.

    The housemate is of the opinion as myself that this situation is unacceptable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,941 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    There's no need to contact a lawyer. If you have a good relationship with your ll and are good tenants so far contact him or her.
    Say you've gained an extra roommate (bf) and they're smoking and having guests over in a level 5 lockdown.
    Don't even mention the moving your stuff, you've enough to go on there.

    To thine own self be true



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,941 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    GMI101 wrote: »
    I wasn't planning on suing her, I'd just like to know is it even appropriate for me to suggest this to my landlord. I have a pretty cordial relationship with my landlord and I would like to keep it that way.

    The housemate is of the opinion as myself that this situation is unacceptable.

    Then can the 2 of you compose a cordial email to the landlord and both sign it?
    Say you can't enjoy your home now with people smoking and an unpsying live in boyfriend and you don't feel safe with visitors coming and going in breach of the restrictions.
    Say you can't see how going forward that this would work out when you clearly agreed to one non smoking tenant moving in and she has already breached this.
    You and your other roommate feel it can't work out due to the seriousness of what she's doing and think she should be asked to move out and the room readvertised.

    ETA.. Although I think she has rights now with Covid not to be evicted but still you could argue she's in serious breach of what she signed up to and especially moving in a bf.

    To thine own self be true



  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    Then can the 2 of you compose a cordial email to the landlord and both sign it?
    Say you can't enjoy your home now with people smoking and an unpsying live in boyfriend and you don't feel safe with visitors coming and going in breach of the restrictions.
    Say you can't see how going forward that this would work out when you clearly agreed to one non smoking tenant moving in and she has already breached this.
    You and your other roommate feel it can't work out due to the seriousness of what she's doing and think she should be asked to move out and the room readvertised.

    ETA.. Although I think she has rights now with Covid not to be evicted but still you could argue she's in serious breach of what she signed up to and especially moving in a bf.

    Thanks for your advice. I actually drafted an email this morning to that effect (I haven't sent it yet as I wanted to take some time to mull it over before reacting in anger!!).

    Regarding additional rights due to COVID-19, I referred to the RTBs website on the matter and the information I got there was that the additional protections to tenants do not apply in the cases of anti-social behavior (i.e. ignoring government restrictions, being noisy, showing disrespect to our belongings) or where the landlords insurance may be invalidated (I was of the opinion that moving in the boyfriend may have an impact on this as there is now an additional person in the room and house). Also, as the tenancy is less then 6 months my landlord will not be required to state the grounds of termination in the eviction notice (again, information I got from RTB website.)


  • Registered Users Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Meeoow


    Talk to your landlord. In fairness, you both met her and gave your approval. So ll probably thinks everything is OK.
    She was out of line moving your belongings without your permission.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,941 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    Meeoow wrote: »
    Talk to your landlord. In fairness, you both met her and gave your approval. So ll probably thinks everything is OK.
    She was out of line moving your belongings without your permission.

    They gave their approval thinking they were getting a single tenant who wasn't going to smoke in the house or open it up to a hang out for friends.
    The moving the items is her least crime!

    To thine own self be true



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,628 ✭✭✭Aint Eazy Being Cheezy


    Leaving your bike in the hallway is annoying as fcuk though!


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    They gave their approval thinking they were getting a single tenant who wasn't going to smoke in the house or open it up to a hang out for friends.
    The moving the items is her least crime!

    Haha! I agree that the other stuff is worse then moving all our stuff away and replacing with hers (and I was a bit worried about coming off sounding a little petty over it) but I did feel a little violated, in want of a better term, when I seen near everything replaced and relocated in the kitchen.

    But yeah, additional houseguests and smoking is the bigger violation!


  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    Leaving your bike in the hallway is annoying as fcuk though!

    It's a wide hallway!! Haha!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,994 ✭✭✭JoChervil


    OP don't bother talking with them. They are not going to change. They are simply not a people, who should live in a shared accommodation. Write straight to your LL. I met with few people like this and they were always removed by landlord at once they learned about their behaviour.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,941 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    GMI101 wrote: »
    It's a wide hallway!! Haha!!

    Yes and the bike is safe there if there's been break ins to the shed before.
    But I'd still leave the moving stuff aside as you have enough rope to hang her with so to speak.

    To thine own self be true



  • Registered Users Posts: 15,630 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    Leaving your bike in the hallway is annoying as fcuk though!

    Beats a stolen bike.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,594 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Forget the email. Pick up the phone and talk to the landlord.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,257 ✭✭✭✭dastardly00


    If I was in your situation, I'd get on to the landlord ASAP


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,941 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    Forget the email. Pick up the phone and talk to the landlord.

    If he emails, he can put both his and other house mate's name to it but yea, I guess a phone call is seen as more urgent.
    They could both go somewhere private and one phone and say X is here beside me and feels the same way.

    To thine own self be true



  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    Forget the email. Pick up the phone and talk to the landlord.

    To be honest, I think the email route may be the better option in this situation. Most of our correspondence with our landlords come though either email or whatsapp - and they're fairly responsive to be fair.

    Also, in my experience having a written record of important communications is beneficial.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 39 GMI101


    JoChervil wrote: »
    OP don't bother talking with them. They are not going to change. They are simply not a people, who should live in a shared accommodation. Write straight to your LL. I met with few people like this and they were always removed by landlord at once they learned about their behaviour.

    I'm kinda of that same opinion that they won't change with a simple conversation and I agree that some people shouldn't be in shared accomodation. The boyfriend actually walked into my bedroom twice last night as I was trying to sleep saying "oh sorry I got the wrong room"!!

    The other thing is we currently have another vacant room available, so I'm sure the landlords would prefer not to bring in an additional person when there's issues already in the house.


Advertisement