How to manage disruptive private (afaik) tenants

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mo3art

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Brief outline to the story:

We live in a newish estate (built in the last 4 years). In the past 6 months, one of our neighbours has moved out and subsequently let their house. Their tenants are causing undue trouble and stress. Their children run riot around the estate, wrecking gardens and stealing other kids toys - we also found them getting into an open private car this afternoon. They have little or no regard for the roads in the estate and don't look when crossing the road and many residents have had near misses, not because of dangerous driving or excessive speeds but because of children running out in front of cars onto the road without looking. The children are left out to play until well after 11 at night. I was shocked to see a child who couldn't be more than 4 running around the estate with no trousers, shoes or socks on one evening at midnight, unsupervised.

The family enjoy rowing in the front garden, and that coupled with the modified cars they are repairing/playing with going around the estate at all hours is unbelieveably disruptive. Coming home from work the other evening I myself was nearly knocked down crossing the road by 3 cars in quick succession, all driven by children (yes children) who couldn't have been more than 14.

We have approached the family directly in numerous occasions to ask them to keep noise down at all hours, and to speak to them about the children's safety on the road. Each time, we are met by "no speaka d english" and the door slammed in our face. With no alleviation of the problems at all. However, we have seen the same family selling items at a local market and they have no problems speaking english then!

Needless to say, we practically have the local Garda station on speed-dial, along with many of our neighbours. We have found them to be extremely apathetic to our plight, being reluctant to take statements, go after the cars which we witnessed being driven by underage children, even though we gave them the number plates etc, and they have informed us that there is little they can do, apart from the occasional drive around.

We've contacted the local social worker in relation to the children in the house who informs us that unless they can physically see themselves the children being mistreated there is little they can do either.

Where to from here? We have no contact details for the owner of the property. We've tried to get the Gardai to help us, and social services and both haven't been great either.

Any advice please? Thanks
 
Any advice please? Thanks
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Pray for the speedy introduction of ASBO's!

Someone in the estate must have some information on the owner - name, where they worked, etc. If the house is rented and the tenants are engaging in anti-social behaviour, contact the landlord and let him know what's happening (he/she may have no idea about what's going on).

According to the new Residential Tenancies Act 2004, the landlord has the right to terminate the tenancy giving 28 days notice, or in more serious cases, 7 days.

"Anti-social behaviour within the dwelling includes behaviour that constitutes the commission of an offence, causes fear, danger, injury, damage or loss, includes violence, intimidation, coercion, harrassment, obstruction or threats. It also includes persistent behaviour that prevents or interferes with the peaceful occupation of other dwellings within the builidng or its vicinity."

Document all the incidents with dates, times etc. Get photographic or video footage of their behaviour.

Contact the Private Residential Tenancies Board, with whom the landlord should be registered, and ask them for help and information - Tel. 01 888 2960.

You can also search the electoral register - here's the link for the Dublin one - and try to find out the landlord's name and details here www.dublin.ie/spire/search_register.php.
 
If all else fails, you can find out the name of the owner of the house through searches in the land registry or registry of deeds. Contact them for advice. www.landregistry.ie
 
Hi,

I have a problem with neighbours who are selling and fixing cars from their front garden i.e. it's a garage in all but name! People come to the house and buy cars and also the neighbour leaves all his cars outside our house blocking the road.

The family are renting. Is there any advice anyone could give me as to what I could do, if anything, or if it's legal or not to sell cars from a front garden.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
The family are renting. Is there any advice anyone could give me as to what I could do, if anything, or if it's legal or not to sell cars from a front garden
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You need to talk to the landlord Beefs, most leases have clauses as follows:

Tenants Covenant:
"To use the property as a single, private dwelling and not to use it, or any part of it, for any other purpose, nor to allow anyone else to do so."

"Not to receive paying guests, or carry on, or permit to be carried on, any business, trade or profession on or from the property."

You could also complain to your local council.
 
Your first point of attack will be to write to your local authority informing them that an (I presume) unauthorised use is taking place i.e. your neighbours are conducting a commercial enterprise from a private dwelling. To do so legally they must have planning permission (change of use from private dwelling to commercial/ garage). They should take enforcement proceedings.....furthermore your neighbour is not paying rates on his unauthorised development. Should be a simple procedure. Also worth investigating the environmental issues. Your letter of complaint should include sufficient detail regarding the "development" i.e. "hours of business" , number of people involved etc. The local planning control/ inspection officer should act quickly and decisively. Be sure to state "this unauthorised development has a negative impact on local property values and detracts from enjoyment of my private home, contrary to the legislation and spirit of the Local Gov. Planning and Development Regulations". Best of luck with it.
 
Hi Mozart. Do you have a management company for your estate? Try getting in contact with them as well as the landlord. You might also want to drop into your local garda station and let them know that there are young kids running around unsupervised. I recently had my car scribbled on by a small kid who was unsupervised. When I dropped into the garda station, the garda I spoke to was unimpressed with the fact that little kids were being left to run around in the streets unsupervised, and said she'd drop by.
 
Thank you everybody for your replies.

The estate is not run by a management company but has not yet been taken in charge of by the council so speaking to them isn't an option.

We've attempted to find a way to contact the landlord but so far that hasn't worked. Like I already said the Gardai aren't all that interested in helping us out.

In desperation we've contacted a local td in the hopes that somebody will listen to us. Last night was just terrible and cumulated in joyriding around the estate at 1am, fights, crashing cars, children running wild at 1am and to cap it all, we understand the gardai are investigating one of the houses for being a brothel!
 
mo3art said:
Last night was just terrible and cumulated in joyriding around the estate at 1am, fights, crashing cars, children running wild at 1am.........
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You don't live in the Ardoyne by any chance?:rolleyes:
 
LOL @ Ccovich!

But seriously, you would think we did and not a quiet (mar dhea) suburb of Dublin ;)
 
You should be able to find out who owns the property from the Land Registry office. It's public information afaik. Also, do you think it is social welfare rent because you could contact your local council.

On the other side of the coin, I have a house rented out for the past 3 years and there was a change in tenant about 3 months ago. I have since found out that the tenant is a junkie, has been dealing drugs from the house and the guards have been up at the house on numerous occasions over the past 3 months because of noise and parties. We only found this out by pure luck because we were getting work done in the house and the guy that was doing the work got talking to the neighbours. I phoned the local cop shop and the guard was able to tell me exactly what was going on. My darling tenant has 50 odd convictions for burglary, theft, driving offences, aggrivated assault etc. He fella who has registered his name to that address has 79 convictions and is locked up at the moment. Needless to say I asked the guard why the **** someone didn't phone me and tell me what was going on. His answer was we don't know who owns the house. What a crock of ****. Anyway phoned darling tenant last night and told her that due to unforseen circumstances I have to put the house up for sale and she has four weeks notice. I'm just lucky the estate agent who is looking after the house is willing to do a few 'viewings' and put a for sale sign in the garden because he feels a bit guilty about it. References were fine. I am motified to put the neighbours through that.
 
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mo3art,

We have had anti-social behaviour problems although I suspect not as bad as yours. Our problems have been ongoing for almost five years now. To summarise briefly : The house is end terrace abutting a green space. Juveniles tend to gather and drink in this green space in the evenings. Subsequent problems with litter and noise. Example of behaviour inc : Sunday evening before last an ambulance driver was almost physically attacked after his vehicle was misdirected by a juvenile onto the green space (I believe the vehicle was responding to a legitimate call from the estate); bathroom window broken maliciously whilst wife and 4 yr son were cleaning teeth.

The anti-social behaviour has been so bad in the village that a series of public meetings have been held culminating in the development of a neighbourhood watch programme. The general message from the local guards has been that whilst they try to do everything to assist, approaches from representative bodies will come to greater attention more rapidly. For example, following this series of public meetings the local guards have a much more visible presence in the village and estates. Despite some recent incidents, inc above, the village has been generally quieter.

So, get your residents association up and running and contact the guards through the association. Similarly, contact the council to get your estate put in charge as soon as possible. We have been fortunate : the local council have responded to our requests with a new gate, trees and other remedial work. Find the identity of the landlord and again, through the residents association, contact the landlord. Don't be afraid to contact all of these again and again. It is difficult but try to be as calm, as courteous and as reasonable as possible. For the first three years in this house I was ringing the guards every Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun evening. It was the local community guard who said to ring the main station whenever a problem occurs.

fI suspect in your case, estate representation to the (once identified) landlord might have the desired effect.
 
You can find the address of the owner in the "Thoms Directory". Most libraries should have a copy but ring your local library before you head down to it. Blanchardstown Library definitely have a copy of the Thom's Directory in their Reference Section. AFAIK as I know many debt collectors use it to find the owners of properties.
 
Thanks very much for the tips!

We've contacted a local representative and between liasing with the gardai, have managed to effect an unofficial curfew of 10pm for all under the age of 18. What I mean is that we met with the parents of the children involved and politely suggested that it might be in their best interests - Thus far, it's been blissfully quiet in the evenings.
 
Mozart,

in respect of the 14 year olds driving the cars around the estate, I know that the police have powers to seize thos cars. if you are not getting an adequate response to your plight you should see the superintendent or sergeant and explain your situation, surely they can catch a gang of kids driving around in a car.

jack
 
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