Ive rented this room in Longford on the 25th June for 480€ month. Sharing house with 3 other Ukrainians, next rent is due on the 16th September. I get this message today. I work full time, none of them do.

What would you do in this situation?

by el_matador_rr_dibres

47 comments

  1. The landlord cannot unilaterally raise the rent by that much because all of Ireland has been designated a rent pressure zone. Even if you have no official tenancy, the fact you have proof of living there and paying rent at a certain amount means you can contact Threshold and bring the law into the equation if he does get aggressive and threaten eviction. I’m sure if he has not registered the tenancy, he will not want to go down that route. Knowing your rights is very important. If that is what is happening, get in touch with Threshold for advice – [https://threshold.ie/](https://threshold.ie/)

    However I don’t fully understand your question, are you suggesting the person messaging you might be bullshitting to try to get more money out of you and pocket the cash themselves? If so, I would insist on speaking to the landlord, simple as that.

  3. “You either agree or you don’t”

    “I don’t. If he wants to raise my rent, he can give me proper notice in writing.”

  4. Sounds like your room mate is trying to Rob you. Are you 9n the lease or are you sub letting off them. If on the lease call your landlord to talk about this.

  5. Im pretty sure if you signed a lease for a certain amount it can’t be arbitrarily raised on the landlords whim. I believe you would need to contact RTB if this is the case.

  6. How do you pay your rent, is it to the landlord directly or another tenant? They might just be chancing their arm and trying to get more from you. In any case, the landlord can’t raise the rent without notice, and definitely not by that much.

  7. Ignore this request for increased rent until you speak to the landlord directly. And even then the landlord can only legally increase the rent by 2% per year.

  8. Who pays the landlord? Do you transfer funds to housemate first? He could be charging you more so he pays less. 🤷🏼

  9. Who do you pay the rent to? Like whose bank account does it go into or who do you hand it over to?

    I don’t want to be cynical here but the person in the messages is insisting that this rent increase is happening and stonewalling you in regards to contact with the landlord. If it was me my first step would be to confirm the landlord is actually increasing the rent.

    I don’t know anybody involved so am not sure how these people normally text but those messages are suspect and it is at least a possibility that the person sending you those message is not being honest.

    Also €700 in Longford for a room is absolutely insane.

  10. Only pay what you have agreed to unless the landlord, or an agency tells you directly.

  11. Is the landlord getting ARP too? Have heard of Ukrainians paying big top-ups but that sounds ridiculous and sounds like landlord is absolutely taking advantage as well as scamming revenue

  12. You’ve no choice. You have no contract with the landlord. You can question it with roommates and ask for proof of payment to the landlord but again…you got nothing and if it’s true and they don’t pay what he is asking he can throw you all out for breach of contract as they took tenants without asking him (according to the landlord)

  13. It could be a language barrier, but he sounds very aggressive and they are definitely trying to flee you, look for new accommodations ASAP, it could get bad really fast

  14. 700 for a room in a house with 3 others in Longford?!?

    No disrespect to Longford but I would’ve thought you could get your own place for that amount?

  15. One way or another, this is unlawful.
    Law is on your side, dig in.

  16. Did someone leave the house so you are being asked to cover the cost of their loss?if you rented the house as a whole then the increased rent is what was agreed in the lease to consult that?

  18. Your roommate thinks you’re a moron. They think you’re stupid enough to fall for this. Insist on having the phone number or you’ll withhold the payments until you get to speak to them.

  22. Call Threshold. Beware of well-meaning advice on reddit, we haven’t established if you’re a licensee, co-tenant, etc. you are better off calling threshold or using their web chat.

    That being said, at a cursory glance, it looks like your roommate is trying to scam extra money out of you.

  23. I don’t miss all that rent drama and silly games with house mates like the stuff in that message. I done years of renting and this sort of stuff would wreck your fucking head.

    We had a Polish lad like that sub letting who lied about everything what the landlord said to try and squeeze as much money out of us. Falling out with people you live with to get one up on them for a few euro ffs. Absolute cunts.

  25. The Ukranians are getting the government to pay their rent through the relief scheme, and are taking all the money. Guaranteed. There is no landlord increasing the rent.

  26. By law it 5 percent every 2 years. Also you could not pay and go through the legal system, then you could ne there rent free for almost 2 years. And then just walk away

  27. [https://rtb.ie/compliance/check-the-register/](https://rtb.ie/compliance/check-the-register/)

    You can check the landlord there

    You can also tell the Ukranian if he is in receipt of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection that you will have to check if he is getting over €125 it could effect his entitlements but you will check with Social Welfare as you do not want his payments to be effected

    Watch how they will roll back then….

  29. 90% chance your housemate is scamming you.

    They have no written evidence, refuse to let you speak to the landlord for confirmation and are creating urgency via a forced deadline.

    Good luck.

  30. Whats the total rent?

    Stop having important conversations of text.

  31. I hope you are getting written confirmation for receipt of that cash rent you pay. WhatsApp is all good and well, but for proof you paid anything, it won’t do.

    I suspect landlord might not even know they’re not the only ones renting. But hopefully I’m wrong, and you’ll get the contact info.

    Nothing more to add, that other people didn’t say yet. Good luck!

  32. Yeah that’s BS. Been there before where the leaseholder (in my case just the only one left on the lease) starts thinking they can play landlord and hopes you won’t talk to the landlord/letting agent directly. Demand to get it in writing

  33. Totally illegal to raise rent unless there’s a meeting between you first.

  34. 1350 a month in an envelope strongly suggests there’s no lease and the landlord is shady as fuck.

    But, if it’s 480 each a month, then people are getting shafted already. The texter is scamming the rest of the house I think.

  37. Your mate sounds like he’s in a cult and the landlord is god, either that or he’s taking you for a ride

  38. You are a licensee, the person who you are paying rent to (your housemate) is your landlord according to the law.
    This happens a lot of times when a landlord rents to a person and then delegates to that person the maintenance of the property and collection of rent instead of a management agency (which would cost much more).
    Your housemate will never give you the landlord’s contact because that would breach the agreement between them and ultimately put them in trouble.
    Your housemate can land you a letter in which he asks you to leave the property within 1 month because you are technically not a tenant, but a “guest” with reduced tenancy rights (a bit like airb&b guests).
    It’s disgusting but this is the way the Irish government intended to make renting heaven for landlords.
    The only thing you can do is not to pay the next rent, and in that way you are getting your deposit back while you look for another place.
    Being a licensee also means that you are not responsible for any damage to the property, you are legally not responsible. Any damage will be a problem of the landlord and the person he officially designated responsible.

    Do with this information whatever you want

  39. You are unfortunately getting scammed.

    They legally cannot raise the rent and they also cannot evict you without legal notice first, which in this case you can fight and stay there while it is being investigated.

    But I fear this may be your housemates actually scamming you.
    Request proof or let them know there will be no increase and you will pay as already agreed

  40. Seems like your roommate is trying to scam you dude.

  41. Whole country is an RPZ now, they have to give 90 days notice and only raise it by 2% at a time
    Get on to your nearest CATU if you can
    Union strong and all that

  43. Do you have any evidence the rent is 480 a month? Are you being scammed already?

    This is another layer of the scam.

    If there’s no lease presumably you can bail without notice too.

  44. Bit annoying thing to happen, renting is such a shit show at the moment. You’ve already been given plenty of sound advice. Please keep us updated on what happens, I’m invested now,

  46. There are tenancy laws in Ireland. First of all the landlord needs to be registered with RTB.

    Then they need to use the appropriate procedures to increase rent. The RTB has forms for that. It needs to be written (in a very specific format or the letter is void) and depending on the area there are limitations of by how much they can increase it.

    Sounds also that the taxman might be interested in the unpaid taxes of rental income. Any non registered landlord is most likely dodging taxes. Contact the RTB and Threshold

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