How can we get our plumber to fix the leak? I don't know if you deal with consumer-related queries but I really do need advice on this one. We recently had a new radiator installed in a downstairs bathroom by a plumber.
The radiator has never worked properly, it leaks and has now ruined the new carpet. The plumber agrees there's a problem and promises to come back to fix it but hasn't. Any advice on how to chase him - we are tired phoning him.
Cut your losses with this plumber, find a new one (ideally through personal recommendations) and take the dodgy plumber and his bad workmanship to the Small Claims Court. You don't have to get a solicitor, it costs €9 and deals with claims up to €2,000. The application form is available from your local District Court (or download it from www.citizensinformation.ie).
People tend to think of the Small Claims Court as being for faulty goods but it also covers shoddy workmanship. You don't have to attend the court and the process takes place in a strict timeframe, eg the respondent has 15 calendar days to reply to the claim.
Meanwhile, you must sort out the radiator immediately, particularly if there are floorboards underneath your bathroom carpet. If you don't stop the leak soon, you could have a bigger problem. Incidentally, this column deals with anything to do with property.
Can we offset the rental income against our rent?
My partner and I have recently had a baby and now our inner city apartment is no longer suitable for us. I bought six years ago. While it has two bedrooms, we are on the third floor and the lift is too busy to be reliable, we have no balcony and we are surrounded by renters so it's not a family environment.
We thought about selling but there are four apartments in the development which have not shifted since early this year so there's no point. If we rented our apartment we could, for the exact rent we receive, rent a more suitable apartment in the suburbs. For tax purposes, can we offset our rental income against the rent we pay?
Your idea sounds very sensible in terms of the better lifestyle you will get but, no, you cannot offset your rent in this way.
You will have to pay income tax on the rent you receive (less the normal expenses that landlords can deduct) and declare that income in your annual tax return.
You will, however, get some tax relief on the rent you pay but it's small - look out for what happens in the December budget as it is the sort of relief that might increase a little because there are so many renters and rents are high.
Another thing that it's important to be aware of is that by renting out your apartment you are turning it into an investment property and if you ever came to sell it, you would have to pay Capital Gains Tax for the period of the rental, ie, excluding your six years of residence.
If money is very tight and you are relying on your rental income to pay your own rent, be aware that a void period - that time, sometimes a month but maybe more, between tenants - might cause you problems, and you should be prepared for this.
Send your queries to Property Questions, The Irish Times, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2 or email propertyquestions@irish-times.ie. Unfortunately, it is not possible to respond to all questions. The above is a representative sample of queries received. This column is a readers' service and is not intended to replace professional advice. No individual correspondence will be entered into.
