Dublin housing crisis has renters ‘anxious’ due to ‘toxic atmosphere’ and ‘no privacy’

Eddie, from Offaly, is in his 40s. He works in Dublin but moved back in with his parents in an attempt to save for a mortgage. But now, everything is out of his price range, so he has been forced back to the renting market.

He told Independent.ie: “I moved to Dublin in 2012, I wanted to buy a house, but I couldn’t. I moved back to Offaly, moved in with my parents to save a deposit and I started looking at houses.

“I had to keep renting; everything was above my budget. I’m stuck here and I’m trying to move out. To rent in Tullamore, prices are just like Dublin.

“Half of your life is not your own, you’ve your own bedroom but it’s not in your own house. I get along with my parents great, but I don’t have my independence.

“I have been looking to rent again. I’m not hopeful. I’m on HAP and I don’t think anyone will accept it. They have to say they will, but I don’t think they will.

“If I want to move to Dublin I’ll probably have to move into a house share. But how long should I do that? I’m 43 now. There’s no privacy.

“The Government is full of excuses, what do they want to happen with house prices?” he added.

Meanwhile, Orla, in her mid-twenties from Co Meath, has dealt with everything from an “alcoholic housemate” to a “mushroom growing on the bathroom floor”.

“I was living in Dundrum for two years. It was convenient for me; it was on the Luas line, and I worked in the city centre. It was disgusting, but it suited me.

“A mushroom grew out of the bathroom floor; I couldn’t believe it. We had mould, my bedroom wasn’t too bad.

“My rent was €600, any time a new tenant moved in he’d up the price of their room each time.

“A box room was €700, there was black mould all over the walls in there. The guy living in there was evicted, he was an alcoholic and did drugs.

“He got really aggressive one night and we nearly had to ring the guards on him.

“He got really violent, I was the only girl living with all guys. Luckily, they were there that night. I wouldn’t like to think what would happen if they weren’t.

“None of us had locks for our doors either. When I wasn’t there, one of the lads would come into my bedroom. I found cigarette butts in my room from him too.

“We noticed the full extent of the room when he moved out, it was disgusting. The landlord said it was because he never opened the window, it was black mould.

“We had to advertise the room, he said he’d say nothing about the mould for people viewing the room and would paint over it later.

“The black mould was dripping down the wall, he didn’t think anything was wrong with it. People walked into the room and walked straight out.”

Orla also spoke about how her house was advertised as “not owner occupied”, despite her landlord staying at least once a month and sleeping in the shed.

“The landlord moved to London, but he’d come home once a month or so and semi lived with us.

“It was half owner occupied, it did my head in. He always advertises as not owner occupied when it is.

“He’d come home, use all the facilities, the Wi-Fi, the cooker, washing machine and TV. He wouldn’t contribute to the bills.

“It was awkward living with him, everyone was on edge when he was home. He lived in a shed in the back.

“He brought home a woman once; she was in the kitchen in a dressing gown after being in the shed with him.

“The anxiety in that house. It was toxic,” she added.