(In Ireland) Local Authority Housing...?

If you are renting a house from the council, long term, have you the right to get the house surveyed by an independent building surveyor/engineer?

I'm the tenant of a local authority house which has an endless list of things wrong with it. Since the day I moved into the house, more and more problems become apparent, and I'm taking about serious ones, not little minor things.

One of the major problems is the electrics: as recent as a month ago smoke regularly came out from the fuse box.
The council sent someone out a few weeks ago, and the man was in total shock about the state of the wiring, he said I was blessed the house hadn't gone up in smoke. He did some work on it, and left saying he'd get somebody back out to check everything again, but I've heard nothing else.

I’m on to the council practically every week, but they don’t care, they just keep fobbing me off.

I’d move out in a second if I could, but that’s impossible as I’ve no where to go, this is the only option I have of being housed.

This is just one example of a litany of problems. I can't wait any longer for the council to do these essential repairs, I'm terrified something bad is going to happen, so I was thinking of getting an independent report from a building surveyor, to have something concrete to show that I’m not talking rubbish, that the house is actually in a terrible state of repair.

But I don’t know if that would be of any use, I don’t know if I’m legally allowed to do that as I don’t own the house, I’m just renting it.

If I got the report, would it be valid?


Answers:
The answer to your question is simple.

Assuming your home is in a state of disrepair you would, if the matter was not rectified by agreement, be entitled to sue for disrepair and (if successful) be awarded damages as a consequence.

If you brought a claim, your complaints of disrepair would have to be verified by surveyor. This is standard practice in housing disrepair claims (which are very common)

So you can instruct whom you like to examine the property in which you live, it does not matter one iota whether you own it, rent it or are squatting in it.

Not only that, the surveryor's report, when sent to the council would (i) undoubtedly make them do something and (ii) form the basis for a complaint to the court if nothing is done (which is another reason the court will do something).

My suggestion is that you send the report attached to a solictor's letter saying that if steps are not taken to remedy the disrepairs set out in the report, you will take steps to obtain an injunction requiring the council to do so and damages for disrepair.

I guarantee you that the council will be on your doorstep within 12 hours of the letter arriving on their desks. At the end of the day, the Housing section are simply jobsworths and they do not want anything to disrupt their cosy inactivity.
I would get the report done and then tell the council that you are seeking damages to cover the cost of getting report.

Also state to them that you will seek damages for the risk that they cause until the problems get sorted.