Letting business needs careful regulation

This week’s Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column

Michael Commane

At the beginning of the month three foreign workers moved into a house near where I live. They found themselves locked out of the house sometime after 7pm. 

Not a pleasant experience on a November evening in a foreign country and on a road where you know no-one. I tried to open the door but I failed. 

After about ten minutes of wondering what to do we phoned a locksmith, who arrived within five minutes. Within two minutes he had the door open. He was both efficient and friendly. It cost the new tenants €100. 

Someone gave them an electric fire as they were unable to switch on the central heating.

I carried the heater into the house for them. And then what I saw and experienced made me ashamed to be Irish. The state of the place would immediately ‘put years on you’. There was a collapsed couch in what I presumed to be the living room. I didn’t see any smoke alarms or a fire extinguisher. 

I tried to turn on the central heating but was unable so I went out to the outside shed where the boiler was housed. No luck but what I did see was a gaping hole in the shed roof. Along with the depressing look it gave, it was in a dangerous condition and could cause harm to someone who might be in the shed. Surely not clever to have a gas boiler exposed to the elements.

Before leaving the house I checked the door lock and found it almost impossible to operate. I chatted with the tenants and was annoyed when they told me the rent they were paying for the house.

The next morning I phoned the property - estate agents. I expressed my concern in clear and unambiguous terms. In our conversation I let them know in no uncertain terms what I thought of the condition of the house. 

A political spin doctor would refer to such a conversation as ‘a frank and open discussion’. After the call I sat in my chair for a few minutes thinking about how the dialogue went. So I decided to call back. I apologised for raising my voice and for being probably abrasive and acerbic. The person I was speaking to acknowledged my apology and in turn also apologised for their less than friendly approach. 

It was a wonderful moment. But I did stress that I felt that the property should have been in better condition and that the agency should reimburse the tenants for the locksmith callout.

Since then I have had a lovely card from the tenants and I also was told that a new couch was delivered at the weekend.

There are many morals to the story. Certainly it is essential that the world of letting and renting needs to be regulated with an eagle eye. Vulnerable people need to be protected. But I also learned that very often we can be far more effective and constructive in getting things done when we are polite and gracious.  

And that does not prevent us from being firm.

I’m delighted I made that second phone call. And I wish the tenants happy days in their new accommodation. It’s good to keep an eye out for one another, especially so in the world of Covid-19.