Latest news with #tenancy
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Landlord argued he should not have to live in a ‘lesser property while renting out a superior one'
A notice of termination issued by a landlord who argued he should not have to live in a 'lesser property while renting out a superior one' has been deemed invalid by a Residential Tenancies Board tribunal. George Adegbite, who sought to terminate the tenancy, claiming he required the house for his family, said although he owned three other properties in Drogheda, Co Louth, the house in Termon Abbey was 'the most expensive'. Mr Adegbite argued that he is entitled to choose where he wishes to reside. He said if his tenant, Sandra Otobore Itobore, had been living in one of his other rented properties, 'he would have left her there'. However, he described the semi-detached four-bedroom house, which he purchased in 2021, as being 'superior in quality and location', one which has a 'gated entrance.' READ MORE He told the tribunal that he had been living at the property since his tenant left in August 2024, describing it as 'larger and more expensive' than his prior home, a three-bedroom property in a different estate. Mr Adegbite argued that the notice of termination was valid and served correctly, telling the tribunal that 'no external authority may dictate his personal housing decisions,' according to a published tribunal report. He also claimed the €1,750 in rent paid monthly by Ms Otobore Itobore was 'significantly below' the market rate, which he put at €2,400, claiming this resulted in a loss of €18,000. Given this loss, he argued it would be 'inequitable' to order him to pay damages. Representing Ms Otobore Itobore, Noel Connolly of the housing charity Threshold, claimed Mr Adegbite's actions were 'motivated by greed' and the dispute arose primarily because of his 'insistence on achieving a higher rent.' Ms Otobore Itobore claimed Mr Adegbite attempted to increase her rent, and when she declined, he issued a notice of termination in February 2024. Ms Otobore Itobore, who said she was pregnant at the time, told the tribunal that her decision to leave in August 2024 was not voluntary but was made 'under duress,' claiming her former landlord engaged in 'persistent and intimidating conduct.' She claimed 'repeated calling and messaging' from Mr Adegbite created an atmosphere of 'fear and coercion', adding that her autistic son was affected by the stress and refused to attend school. Deeming the notice invalid, the tribunal said Mr Adegbite's evidence, in which he preferred the property over others, 'does not support a genuine need for occupation.' It found Mr Adegbite's primary motive was not a genuine requirement for the house, 'but rather a pretext to seek a higher rent.' As issuing an invalid notice in itself does not give rise to damages, and accepting Mr Adegbite has moved into the property while finding that his former tenant voluntarily left, the tribunal awarded no damages.
SBS Australia
17 hours ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Advocates urge reform of WA tenancy laws
Advocates urge reform of WA tenancy laws Published 23 July 2025, 8:43 am Western Australia has some of the weakest renter protections in the country and is now one of just two jurisdictions that still allow no-fault evictions. Housing advocates are urging reform while the WA Government says it's doing everything it can to build more social and affordable homes. The stakes could not be higher for one single mother in Perth who is now preparing to live in her car.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
‘Woo, the tenants are going today': Landlord who allegedly banged bowl with spoon ordered to pay €8,000
A landlord alleged to have stood in front of her tenants' home banging a bowl with a spoon and shouting 'Woo, the tenants are going today' has been ordered to pay more than €8,000 by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). In response the landlord told an RTB tribunal one of the tenants had been 'shooting 'scortty' looks' at her daughter. The tenancy tribunal found notices of termination on the grounds of anti-social behaviour served on tenants Megan Kellett and Jake Webster last August by landlords Janna Yore and Eric Yore were invalid. The tribunal heard that Ms Kellett and Mr Webster became tenants of a house in Carrigasimon, Lisduff, Virginia, Co Cavan in November 2020 and vacated the dwelling on September 1st 2024. The tenancy was never registered with the RTB. READ MORE Two seven-day notice of termination were served on the tenants on the grounds of anti-social behaviour, on August 5th and August 13th. Ms Kellett told the tribunal that between August 13th and September 1st, when she and Mr Webster vacated the property, a number of incidents occurred, including Ms Yore standing at their front door at 8am banging a bowl with a spoon and shouting 'Woo, the tenants are going today'; Mr Yore driving his ride-on mower around the house and sellotaping notices to their window alleging breach of tenant obligations; calls to An Garda Siochána by the landlords; and blocking the drive with bins. Ms Yore told the tribunal that before August of last year Ms Kellett had been intimidating the Yore's daughter by asking her not to ride her bike near the house. Ms Kellett had been shooting 'scortty' looks at her daughter Ms Yore said. On August 1st, Ms Yore said she was returning her horses to the stable and asked Ms Kellett to move so she could get by. According to the tribunal record Ms Yore said Ms Kellett refused and 'provoked her and assaulted her'. Ms Yore said at this point she told Ms Kellett she would be serving notice of termination because 'she could no longer tolerate this terrible situation' the tribunal heard. The following day there was a separate incident where Ms Kellett slammed a gate, Ms Yore said. Ms Yore denied standing outside the house banging a bowl with a spoon. She accepted the tenants' clothes line had been removed because Ms Yoke said 'it was spooking the horses' and she acknowledged an electric fence had been moved so the tenants would not have room to put up another clothesline. She said she called Garda because the tenants had made 'such a big deal of the clothesline being removed'. She said that she had 'performed a dance routine' when she found Ms Kellett videoing her. Mr Yore told the tribunal he had an 'informal arrangement' with the tenants and that was why the tenancy not registered with the RTB. He felt the tenants were 'always unhappy' because they had been unable to apply for a tax credit because the tenancy was unregistered. He denied unnecessarily riding around the house on his mower and said he was simply cutting the grass. The tribunal found the tenants were entitled to 180 days' notice based on their length of tenancy. It said that even if the landlords' evidence about the behaviour of the tenants was accepted, it did not meet the definition of anti-social behaviour and so the seven days' notice of termination was invalid. The tribunal has ordered the landlords to pay their former tenants damages of €7,200 for 'unlawful termination of their tenancy', €600 for overcharges in rent, €873.70 of deposit withheld and a €70 fuel credit.
The National
5 days ago
- Business
- The National
UAE Property: ‘What deductions can my landlord make from the security deposit?'
Question: What is the precise timeline for my landlord to refund my security deposit after I hand over the keys at the end of a tenancy and what exactly qualifies as 'reasonable deductions'? MB, Dubai Answer: Under Article 20 of Dubai Law 26/2007 (as amended by Law 33/2008), landlords must refund the security deposit 'upon expiry of the rent contract '. In reality, most landlords aim to return the balance within 30 calendar days of receiving the tenant's vacate notice and cancelled Ejari certificate, though some may take longer if there are unresolved utility bills or major repairs to assess. To balance this argument, I can also confirm that if all is OK, some landlords take much less time to return the deposit. The business relationship they had with the tenant would determine this timeframe, too. My advice to ensure a smooth refund would be to organise a joint handover inspection by having a walk-through with your landlord or their agent on the day you return the keys. During this meeting, you should document the condition of the walls, fixtures, fittings, flooring and appliances with time-stamped photos or video. Before receiving your deposit, secure the Ejari cancellation certificate. Without this, landlords can withhold refunds. One of the most abused circumstances from both sides is understanding reasonable deductions. What is allowed are repairs for damage beyond normal wear and tear (e.g., holes in walls, broken tiles, damaged cabinetry in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms or utility room), unpaid Dubai Electricity and Water Authority bills, A/C or municipality charges and any cleaning/repainting costs expressly outlined in your tenancy agreement. They are not allowed to charge for touch-up paint jobs, minor scuffs or fading finishes and cosmetic wear from normal occupancy. However, the term 'normal wear and tear' is always open to interpretation, so I would advise to never have this in a contract, rather stipulate what a tenant needs to do at the end of the agreement to get the deposit back. If deductions from a landlord seem excessive or undocumented, you may file a complaint with the Dubai Rental Dispute Settlement Centre within 30 days of vacating. The RDSC typically processes these cases in two to four weeks, mediating between tenant and landlord to arrive at a fair amount. By proactively documenting the property's condition and knowing your rights around Ejari and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, you can minimise delays and avoid unfair write-offs. Q: Late last year, we purchased an off-plan two-bedroom apartment in One by Binghatti through a marketing agent. It's on level 46 looking towards the Burj Khalifa and has 1,572 square feet, including the extra-large balconies. There will also be a plunge pool on the balcony. We intended to keep the unit post-handover in December 2026 and rent it out, but our plans have changed. In a few days, we will have paid the 40 per cent that will allow us to sell the property, as per the developer's contract. What would be a fair sale price for the property today? The agent we purchased through advised that the best gains will be realised at handover, but paying 60 per cent of the purchase price before handover is too much of a stretch. Should we consider travelling to Dubai to obtain our golden visa and refinance with a local bank loan? We understand that in Dubai, the buyer pays the agent's commission, but our agent is proposing to charge 2 per cent to both the buyer and the seller (us). His explanation is that he would devote enough time to getting the best result. Should we accept his proposal or shop around? Jo, Sydney Watch: What is Dubai's first-time home ownership scheme? A: I checked online and there appears to be several available units at One by Binghatti starting at just over Dh3.5 million ($953,029), with others at Dh3.6 million, Dh3.8 million, a few at Dh4.5 million and even one at Dh4.8 million. Given the difference in price, I can only assume the view is making a difference. Based on these, I think the right price should be in the region between Dh3.6 million to Dh3.7 million. When the developer still has inventory, it makes it harder to sell an off-plan secondary property because buyers tend to prefer buying as the first sale, so this can be challenging. If you can hold the unit, you will see the most appreciation at the point of handover, so in terms of financing the remaining 60 per cent, this is possible even as a non-resident and you get to apply for the golden visa. Lastly, it isn't illegal for an agent to charge both the buyer and the seller, the norm being 2 per cent from each, as long as all parties are aware and have agreed to it. The agent will be more invested if the fee is 4 per cent rather than 2 per cent and would mean they can also work with other agents and still get the minimum commission of 2 per cent.
BBC News
14-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hazards found in 40% of inspected rentals in Jersey
Inspectors found 40% of the rented properties they visited at random last year had at least one fault which could be a hazard to tenants.A government report reviewing the first year of the new landlord licensing scheme revealed officials chose to inspect more than 200 homes where the landlord had asked for a the 12 months to the end of April they found 60% were passed as suitable, but the rest each had between one and nine and damp were the most common problems, as well as fire and electrical hazards. Inspectors also visited more than 100 properties which had received complaints from found 748 issues across those sites, also largely down to damp, fire and electrical report comes just after the states decided against voting on the housing minister's plans to re-write the residential tenancy laws, which he had claimed would improve the rights of tenants and landlords.
