Landlords/Estate agents

[elroy]

Having a bit of trouble at the moment getting a sizeable deposit back from an estate agent. they are basically trying to screw us over for all of the deposit as we have left the carpets in a bad condition etc which is a load of crap.
They have already lied to us about a few things, new tenants, bills etc but we're still having no luck getting money back.
Any ideas/suggestions/similar experiences? Ive heard there is a new government body set up to deal with such disputes? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Peadar]

This (http://www.oasis.gov.ie/housing/renting_a_flat_or_house/private_residential_tenancies_board.html) might be of some help.

Good luck!

[rebs23]

This (http://www.oasis.gov.ie/housing/renting_a_flat_or_house/private_residential_tenancies_board.html) might be of some help.

Good luck!

Had the same problem myself awhile back and I lodged a claim with the Private Residential Tenancy Board but unfortunately there is a huge backlog and it's still waiting to be decided on. Get onto them as quick as possible http://www.prtb.ie/ and don't admit anything was your fault. Write a letter of complaint as well to the estate agent detailing your grievance, just for the record. it used to be quicker through the small claims court but you can't do it that way anymore. Also it might be worth checking out if your landlord has registered as he should have under the law with the PRTB, if he hasn't its an offence and it may be worth your while to make that point in your letter to the estate agent. Best of luck!

[elroy]

Thanks lads, I mentioned it to them about lodging a compliant with that board yesterday and all of a sudden they are willing to negotiate about the deposit. i wouldnt mind if we had actually caused some damage but the place was left as good as we got it. He even wanted to charge us for replacing the carpets blaming us for the 30 years wear and tear on them.

[dahamsta]

Some landlords are scum. The last place I was in was a wreck when I was leaving, and none of it was my fault -- the cistern was hanging off the wall because they mounted it with rawlplugs, the water heater hadn't worked for a month, and the shower stopped working shortly before I left because there was concrete in the pipes. Totally cheapy conversion.

Then they took €20 out of my deposit because I refused to hoover the place; because it wasn't hoovered when I moved in. I was livid I can tell you. So I subscribed their email addresses to every porn and spam list I could find...

[SÓC]

there was concrete in the pipes

There is you solution elroy.

All you need is on bag of ready mix cement and a toilet that flushes and you have you own back on the fcukers

[carrickharp]

So I subscribed their email addresses to every porn and spam list I could find...

Arf, arf nice one:D

[Green Tribe]

. So I subscribed their email addresses to every porn and spam list I could find...

indeed, nice one! must keep that in mind if i meet someone i hate! :D

[Kingdom]

Had a similar bit of hassle last year. We approached our landlord about leaving before end of lease (we wouldn't leave if it meant losing dep.) and he was all grand yeah no hassle about it. So rang him again two weeks later to say we were leaving at the end of the week. Still no hassle. Moving day came, we had all the gear moved to the new gaff, landlord comes to collect keys, so I asked for deposit back. He turns around and says he's not the landlord his Aul'lad was. And the aul'fella was "Deposit, what deposit?"(kinda like then trillion dollar bill episode of the Simpsons)

We were stung big time. His obvious stance was "yer breaking the lease by leaving early so loss of dep". I was fit to kill him. I wouldn;t mind but the place was a hovel and we actually had it looking really well and a lot cleaner than when we moved in.
We took them to the Small claims court. he was registered with revenue either but the judge wouldn't take that into consideration. We got 200 back out of 750. The remainder was withheld for cleaning purposes, and readvertising purposes.

I think I said about 3 words during the session. If I'd have said anymore I'd have flipped and jumped at the two cnuts.
******
As for estate agencies the firm running ours our a joke. They are based in Naas and Newbridge and I'd steer well clear of them.

[monutdfc]

Threshold are very helpful.
They have an office in Stoneybatter, and I'm sure they'll have a website.

If a house is rented for a few years, the landlord has to expect a reasonable amount of wear and tear, especially carpets and the like. If it just wear and tear they haven't a legal leg to stand on.

Next time, just don't pay your last month's rent.

[Paulie]

Were you getting rent allowance from The Department of Social and Family Affairs? If not there is the chance he wasn't doing everything above board so you could report him if he is unwilling to budge. As a previous poster said you should also ask at Threshold. If I knew I was in the right and had left the house in the same condition I found it in barring wear and tear I'd be after every penny I gave them. I find it very difficult to compromise is a situation where I know the other person is in the wrong.

[pete]

AFAIK landlords have to be registered with the local authority. When i needed some leeway with a landlord Dublin City Council had no problem telling me landlord registered at the address. I never needed to use the information but as he was a sitting Senator i held it in reserve. Any information like that can be useful.