[Landlords] “Very Vulnerable As A Class Of People”

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Chairman designate of the Residential Tenancies Board Tom Dunne at a meeting of the housing committee this morning

This morning.

At a meeting of the housing committee.

Chairman designate of the Residential Tenancies Board Tom Dunne referred to accidental landlords as “very vulnerable as a class of people”.

Aisling Kenny, of RTÉ, reports:

The chairman designate of the Residential Tenancies Board has said the fear of difficult tenants is one of the reasons why “accidental” landlords are getting out of the market.

Speaking to the Oireachtas Housing Committee, Tom Dunne said some landlords are “vulnerable” and he said they need support.

He said many are “accidental” landlords who might not be aware of the risks associated with being a landlord.

Mr Dunne said many do not have the money to carry out repairs and he said many landlords were “vulnerable”.

Mr Dunne later mentioned, in response to a question from Cork Solidarity–People Before Profit TD Mick Barry, that he’s never personally been either a tenant or a landlord.

Fear of ‘difficult’ tenants driving landlords out of market – RTB (RTÉ)

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35 thoughts on “[Landlords] “Very Vulnerable As A Class Of People”

  1. White Dove

    We need a proper dialogue between landlords and tenants, hopefully this is a start, the ‘needs to resign’ thing is so 2010.

    1. george

      If they don’t want to be landlords then they should sell. Have an extra house is not a vulnerability.

      You’re right though, he shouldn’t be allowed to resign. He should be fired and then thrown in the sea.

      1. Rob_G

        If all the private landlords decided to sell, what do you think the short-term effect on rental prices would be?

        1. Ciuncainteach

          Short term? Rent would probably rise.

          If applying the basic economic theory that supply/demand sets prices; the additional supply of housing for sale would reduce house prices overall and many more people looking to buy could do so. This would thereby reduce the number of people seeking to rent and would presumably lead to lower rental costs.

          Admittedly; the interpretation above is overly simplistic, and supposes a direct causal link between supply/demand in both markets without taking into account other factors.

        2. george

          They won’t they just expect too much. They think they deserve to have their tenant pay their mortgage; also make a profit; and to be able to turf a tenant out whenever they like. They don’t.

      2. paddy apathy

        A lot of accidental landlords are in massive negative equity and unable to sell. Not too much to ask for decent tenants if you treat them decently.

      3. paddy apathy

        A lot of accidental landlords in negative equity and unable to sell. Not too much to ask for decent tenants if you treat them decently.

          1. paddy apathy

            Wtf man don’t be so obtuse. You or your future partner own an apartment each, you get married and move in together. You rent out the unoccupied one because negative equity means you’re at a huge loss if you sell. Hey presto You’ve just become accidental landlords.

          2. Iwerzon

            and you can’t afford to fix the hole in the kitchen roof or the blocked drains. If you can’t afford to be a landlord you should not be allowed to be a landlord!!!!

      4. kellyma

        George many did not sell because they were in negative equity. To some extent extent even those that bought at the top of the market should be back at break even now so yes now most of these incidental landlords should be in a position to sell now but i can understand why some ended up being “forced” into this position for the last decade or so. Would you sell a house if it meant that after you paid the full sale price onto the bank you were still in hock for tens of thousands?

  2. garrett

    FG love landlords because they pay a hell of a lot more tax than Tenants

    Rent €1500 x 12 = €18000
    Mortgage: 0
    Interest allowable against Tax: 0
    Service charges: €1,200
    Property Tax: €450

    Gross Income: €18,000
    Taxable Income: €16,800
    Total Expenditure (not including repairs) € 10,050
    Profit: €8,000

    Tax paid: €8,500.
    So every Landlord who owns their property and charges €1,500 a month rent is worth the same to FG as someone on average Irish wage.

    Factor in a mortgage of say €900 a month and there is no profit to be made.

  3. curmudgeon

    Broadsheet seems to think that problem tenants are a myth. I can assure you that in this country tenants rights vastly superseed Landords. Problem/Anti-social tenants can make the lives of their neigbhours extremely difficult very quickly and when said neighbours make a complaint to the landlord and the LL agrees tries to evict well good luck to all involved because it’s nigh on impossible to do so.

    Non payment of rent is the least of a landlords worry. Damage to the property, tenants sub-letting it out (very common for the last few years) are far higher up the list and the LL is on the hook financially for the former and legally for the latter.

    1. diddy

      true but most will be on hap..non payment of rent can be solved by stopping their Dole at source and directing to the LL.

        1. diddy

          true but what % of paying customers are acting bolloh compares to those getting their rent paid by the state?

          1. Janet, I ate my avatar

            I don’t know that, but in my rental experience as a letting agent, often the most privileged, or: Mummy and Daddy paying damage the property the most ( but I tried not to generalise)

          2. V

            That’s not a million miles off my own Professional experience

            A line I have been known for in my own game

            The posher the accent (and or) the grander they are – the bigger the scumbag

  4. Stan

    “tenants sub-letting it out (very common for the last few years)”

    And why do you think that is, now?

    1. curmudgeon

      Because they can make lots of tax free cash very quickly using an asset they don’t own and don’t have to pay to maintain.

    2. Cian

      Because rents are so high?
      Because the Irish population is rising each year.
      Because building homes (practically) stopped between 2007 and 2017.
      Because planners won’t allow high-rise?

  5. Dr.Fart

    “many do not have the money to carry out repairs” .. than many should not have decided to rent out their place if they can’t maintain the upkeep.

    1. Cian

      If all the private landlords that can’t maintain the upkeep decided to stop renting, what do you think the short-term effect on rental prices would be?

      1. Dr.Fart

        you’re dead right. no landlord should have to carry out repairs on their own property. thanks for showing me the way. you’re always such a blah blah blah whatever, tooty away off cian ya silly.

          1. the bottler

            The law society has with our political class successfully steered through legislation on landlord/tenants rights and accident liability. A bonanza has been created for our legal eagles and no one is contesting their bloodsucking practices.

  6. Yellow Bib

    Actually the legislation cuts down work for lawyers – particularly the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 which is pro-tenant and encourages parties to represent themselves before the PRTB. Check up before you post!

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