Queue for an apartment viewing in Ringsend, Dublin 4 last year
Via homeless charity Threshold:
We have been dealing with cases of people being charged just simply to view rented accommodation.
One woman who contacted us contacted a letting agency and was told that she could view the property that afternoon – but that she’d have to pay a €500 fee.
Another woman seeking a HAP [Housing Assistance Programme] tenancywas required to pay a €300 deposit to an agency. After being informed that the property was above the HAP limit, the woman could not sign the lease. The agency, however, refused to refund her money.
Anne Marie McNally, of the Soc Dems writes:
“This practice is outrageous and exploitative….The law on extra charges being applied by landlords is in fact very far from clear and needs to be clarified by the government as a matter of urgency.
I have also heard of landlords seeking to charge tenants extra for bin collections and car parking. In some cases,
it’s clear that these extra fees are being used to bump up rents indirectly, so as to circumvent the current rent caps.”
Anyone?
ANYONE?