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9th July 2024
10:42am BST
A new website that allows tenants to 'rate the landlord' is set to launch in Ireland.
If you haven't been affected by the horrendous rental situation in Ireland over the past few years, you're almost definitely in the minority.
Horror stories of dilapidated apartments, beds in kitchens, and nasty landlords have been aplenty - but now it looks like some sort of power will come back to renters with this new website.
The idea stemmed from a couple of Canadian renters who met online and wanted to provide more transparency about the rental process.
The website works by giving users the opportunity to rate landlords on a system of 1-5 on a number of criteria, including Repair Responsiveness, Health and Safety, Rental Stability, Tenant Privacy, and Respect.
When the site was first launched overseas, it grew rapidly, with a large number of renters sharing negative experiences with their landlords and aiming to warn others.
"We know that tenants are often in the dark when it comes to renting with a new landlord," the website says.
"This conflicts with the standards we hold for every other business and service where reviews allow the consumer to make an informed decision based on reports of quality and conduct."
All entries are anonymous as the website aims to protect renters from harassment and empower them.
The housing crisis has put huge pressure on renters across Ireland, particularly in Dublin, where there are, at the time of writing, just over 1,000 properties available to rent.
That figure is one-third below the 2015-2019 average.
If the new 'Rate The Landlord' website gives just a puny amount of power back to the renter, then that's a very good thing.
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