They feared eviction — but calls at work from agent were... ‘miscommunication’
IT is every tenant’s fear — getting a call at work informing you that your landlord is selling your home and you will have to leave.
In the current rental market in Dublin, the possibility that you will have to go back to begin the search for a new home again is very stressful. Many people are suffering from too many hopefuls chasing too few rental homes.
A group of teachers and other professional young people living in a row of houses in Dublin spoke yesterday of how they experienced that fear.
They said they were very happy in August to secure a one-year lease on their homes in a newly-built terrace of eight houses in Hampton Wood Square, Finglas.
Primary teacher Kevin Kelly (27) said he received a call at his school last Friday morning from the letting agents, Dillon Marshall.
He was informed that a meeting of all the tenants was planned for Saturday (yesterday) afternoon. He was told that the landlord intended to sell and they would be receiving notice to leave their houses by November 5.
His housemate, secondary teacher Cathal Keogh (30), told the Sunday Independent that he called the agency to find out what was happening and he was also informed, in detail, of a November 5 leave date. They would get their October rent refunded and their deposits back, he was informed.
A tenant in another house on the terrace, primary teacher Aine McCaul (25), said she too was informed by the agency that she was going to receive notice to leave. The agent’s employee told her she would be getting notice in writing and was advised to attend Saturday’s meeting.
A large group of the young tenants spoke to the Sunday Independent in the kitchen in Mr Keogh’s home yesterday morning and described their huge efforts to finally find the homes they had.
Their new homes cost €2,600 a month. They spoke of their fears of not finding another place.
Conor Hegarty (25) said he teaches a class of 25 young children.
“If I don’t have a place to stay, am I going to have to commute from County Offaly?” he asked.
Mr Keogh, said he had taught in England and was tempted to return there.
When contacted by the Sunday Independent about the teachers’ fears that they must leave by November 5, Damien Dillon, a director of the property agency, said it was all “a big misunderstanding”.
He said there must have been “a miscommunication” and he said no written notices were issued.
He said his clients, Dwyer Nolan, were highly reputable builders with decades of experience.
There was no question of the 12-month leases being brought to an end, he said.
Mr Dillon said the 12-month leases would be honoured. “No one was ever asked to leave their home,” he said.
He said the meeting of all the tenants of all the houses was called because one tenant had contacted his agency making certain threats.
After the meeting, Mr Dillon contacted this newspaper to say “all the tenants were happy” and they were assured their leases would be honoured.
Mr Keogh said later he and his colleagues were informed about a “miscommunication” and that they were being allowed to stay. He said he and his teaching colleagues had been clear about what they were told on Friday.
They were relieved that the matter had been brought to a satisfactory end. They were spared a new ordeal of home-hunting which is all too real for so many people today.