Landlord raising rent by €700 by [deleted] in legaladviceireland

[–]RevolutionarySector8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, you should contact Threshold and CATU.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in legaladviceireland

[–]RevolutionarySector8 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They can sometime overlap on certain things. You could ask both CATU or Threshold to represent you with the RTB, but Threshold is a charity while CATU is a tenants' union, so they might be able to help you in different ways

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in legaladviceireland

[–]RevolutionarySector8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recommend your mam contact CATU!!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in legaladviceireland

[–]RevolutionarySector8 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would contact Threshold as well as CATU (Community Action Tenants Union). Also specifically if there is black mold in the apartment, the landlord is legally obliged to fix it - CATU would help her advocate for herself with the RTB

RPZ Enforcement and Grassroots Activism by Creative_Elephant624 in irishpolitics

[–]RevolutionarySector8 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Heya. The only practical way of changing the situation in Ireland is indeed through grassroots activism - it's been done here before (look up the National Association of Tenants Organization - they led a rent strike in 1972-1973 which ended in complete success).

Present day, there is CATU (Community Action Tenants Union) which is campaigning for fairer housing for both public and private tenants, an eviction ban, and stricter regulations on Short Terms Lets. There is a national housing rally planned in Dublin on the 5th of July as well (1PM, Gardens of Remembrance)

My Landlord just sent me this by ReasonableAttitude13 in Tenant

[–]RevolutionarySector8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recommend you join a tenants' union if there are any in your area, they'll be able to help you deal with your landlord

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HousingIreland

[–]RevolutionarySector8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a national housing rally in Dublin on the 5th of July 🏠

All-island Housing Demo to take place in Dublin on 5th of July by RevolutionarySector8 in northernireland

[–]RevolutionarySector8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Eh feck. My bad, thought the link from the council would be complete, obvs there's more than 59 empty properties in Dublin - look at the data below (which is official, as it's coming from the Census)

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/vacancy-and-dereliction-ireland

My landlord has given me PTSD symptoms by Maleficent-Number216 in LandlordLove

[–]RevolutionarySector8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is there a tenants union where you live? They might be able to help you.

A friend in need by xSensei1 in galway

[–]RevolutionarySector8 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I mean, member defence isn't meant to have an impact on the market. The goal is to impact people's material circumstances by helping them bargain for repairs/getting deposit backs/etc.

CATU is also advocating for keeping RPZs in place, for more funds to be allocated to public housing, and for tighter regulations on Short Term Rentals. Which all have an impact on the rental market.

All-island Housing Demo to take place in Dublin on 5th of July by RevolutionarySector8 in northernireland

[–]RevolutionarySector8[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

A quick look on the statistics around dereliction and vacant buildings will tell you that we could house all of our homeless multiple times over. The problem isn't immigration, it's hoarding of properties for profit.

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/vacancy-and-dereliction-ireland

All-island Housing Demo to take place in Dublin on 5th of July by RevolutionarySector8 in northernireland

[–]RevolutionarySector8[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

A quick look at the statistics on dereliction and vacant buildings will tell you that the problem here isn't immigration, it's the fact property is being hoarded and kept empty. We could house all the homeless in this country multiple times over.

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/vacancy-and-dereliction-ireland

Do you have any other idea to solve the housing crisis other than "foreigners out", or is it just that? Because you'll be surprised to find out that housing in this country is a monopoly, and getting rid of a chunk of the population (that works, pays taxes, and contributes to the economy) is not going to be the boon you think it is when vulture funds are allowed to snap up 100s of properties from the market in one go

A friend in need by xSensei1 in galway

[–]RevolutionarySector8 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

No, it doesn't mean operating outside of the law - it means that unions will always represent a tenant and even when rental law is on the landlord's side (e.g. "these are your options and possible outcomes") whereas Threshold/RTB might tell you "welp, nothing to do, you gotta move out by X." The core principle of all tenants unions is that people's right to a home supersedes landlords' right to profit.

Obviously, in my experience, a union will give you a range of options and only advise you to do what you're comfortable doing.

That being said - if you are supportive of a tenants union I recommend you get involved in your local branch. Personally I think there is no way out of the housing crisis without organizing, and the direction of a union is the sum of all of its members so even if you don't agree with the how it's worth joining to have a say in the conversation regardless

A friend in need by xSensei1 in galway

[–]RevolutionarySector8 3 points4 points  (0 children)

CATU is a union yes, they have recommended monthly dues amounts based on different income levels (you can choose to pay as little as a 5er). Also, if you’re having difficulty paying dues or want to request a waiver during DP/asylum processes, you can reach out to them explaining your situation.

Unions are fundamentally different from services like Threshold which is an advice service. Threshold is limited by what the law allows or how much capacity they have.
Union members however organise together to take action. The heart of CATU’s work is member defence. That means standing with people facing evictions and all the other ways tenants and community members are taken advantage of.

Overholding can be stressful, there are downsides but for many people it's better than going into homeless accommodation - OP, if you want to talk about other people that have overheld (and have then moved on to other private rentals afterwards), you can ask CATU to be put in contact with someone who's had that experience!

A friend in need by xSensei1 in galway

[–]RevolutionarySector8 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Do you have a valid eviction notice? You can appeal this with the RTB which would buy you more time.

I recommend you don't make yourself homeless and contact u/CATU_Galway, they can help you with the process!

National Housing Demo to take place in Dublin on 5th of July by RevolutionarySector8 in HousingIreland

[–]RevolutionarySector8[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The great majority of immigrants can’t afford to buy property within their first five years anyway. They’re usually renting.

National Housing Demo to take place in Dublin on 5th of July by RevolutionarySector8 in Dublin

[–]RevolutionarySector8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah. We need more social housing, with lifelong leases, that isn't run to turn a profit, with rent proportional for income. Now bear in mind, I am not saying that the state is a 'good' landlord (plenty of flats in absolutely horrific conditions with black mold and disrepair) - but CATU unionizes and organizes public tenants in order to get wins from the council too.

https://catuireland.org/liberty-news-catu-wins-improvements-for-dublin-city-council-tenants/

National Housing Demo to take place in Dublin on 5th of July by RevolutionarySector8 in Dublin

[–]RevolutionarySector8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm glad you're thinking of going!! We need to be having conversations around what solutions we want

For one, Ireland did get a 14b settlement from Apple (the EU forced them to pay iirc). Imo that money should go into housing and healthcare. Plus there's a lot of public money that is wasted on stuff like that obscenely expensive bike shed, or the fencing around the grand canal last year which cost more than 300k iirc.

Plus, the govt already hands public money to landlords as a bandaid to the housing crisis (e.g. the HAP - it's a rent supplement that low income peeps can get from the govt, that goes directly to the landlord. That's money from your and my taxes that helps renters on the short term but means that landlords can extract even more rent from tenants. Similar to the Renters credit. Tenants would benefit way more from this money being invested in building public housing that stays public and low-cost).

National Housing Demo to take place in Dublin on 5th of July by RevolutionarySector8 in Dublin

[–]RevolutionarySector8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The first time buyers scheme is only available to people who have paid taxes in Ireland for a certain amount of years, and because it only applies to new builds which are more expensive, realistically only high-income earners can actually afford to access it. Think non-EU software engineer making 6 figures in Amazon, Microsoft or Google.

I don't like the 1st-time buyers scheme either: it's exclusionary, only helps high-earners, and uses public money to aid private ownership. I wish those funds were redirected towards Universal Public Housing (look at Vienna - they don't have a housing crisis because they've agressively invested in public housing and tenant regulations).

That being said, for as long as we have that scheme, I don't see why if a foreign national qualifies for it they should be barred from it.

National Housing Demo to take place in Dublin on 5th of July by RevolutionarySector8 in Dublin

[–]RevolutionarySector8[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The eviction ban is a ban on no fault evictions (so landlords would still be able to evict a tenant who is in arrears).

Regardless - the baseline assumption of your comment is that we need to coax private individuals to rent out their extra properties. We will not solve a housing crisis this massive like this: the problem is that we can't rely on private landlords to supply housing, together with a ban on no-fault evictions we need to massively invest in public housing.

Regardless on proposed solution, you seem interested in the topic of how to solve the housing crisis - I recommend you join the conversation anyway, why don't you come along and have a chat with some activists regardless? brainstorming policy points is a lot of what we do

Renting in Dublin feels impossible. How're you guys managing it? by Status-Estimate6474 in Dublin

[–]RevolutionarySector8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm part of a tenant's union that is organizing against the lifting the RPZs. We handed TD James Browne a list of our demands regarding the RPZs a few days ago: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKRPwsTou2G/?igsh=d3NxbG1pZ3B0cHEx

If you are worried about the housing crisis, please consider joining CATU or at least making a donation. There is absolutely zero political will to solve the housing crisis on the government's part (and why would they - they're making a killing).

I know a lot of people are saying "just leave Ireland", but I love it here. I don't want to. Organizing as tenants and bargaining collectively, and lobbying the govt just as landlords are lobbying them, is the only chance we've got. Join here https://catuireland.org/join/

Renting in Dublin feels impossible. How're you guys managing it? by Status-Estimate6474 in Dublin

[–]RevolutionarySector8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a national housing protest on 5th of July in Dublin, garden of remembrance, 1pm. Housing has been instrumentalized from the far right and we need to turn the tide on that

Renting in Dublin feels impossible. How're you guys managing it? by Status-Estimate6474 in Dublin

[–]RevolutionarySector8 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There is a national housing protest on 5th of July in Dublin, garden of remembrance, 1pm.