For how long have you lived in Ireland? Were you always looking for a place with a dog? What kind of a dog do you have? How old is he/she? Do you have a daily routine with him/her?
I have been living in Ireland for 6 years and out of the 6 years, I lived 5 years with a friend’s dog. He is a German shepherd whose name is Bobo. Bobo is 11 years old and even though he is house-trained, he always lived in the small garden of our apartment. Sometimes he tried to come in to the house without permission. He goes for a walk 2 or 3 times every day with his owner. His owner is a security guard so Bobo accompanies him to his job.
Here, many people keep pets and not only dogs and cats, but exotic animals such as mice or spiders. Dog walking is a free-time program and means more than just taking the dog outside for a couple minutes. People, couples and families with dogs often go to the beach, to nearby attractions or to big parks where they can spend hours playing and walking around together.
On what platforms can people look for flats to rent in Ireland (social media, advertising site, municipal online interface, offline interface)?
It is very difficult to find a new place in Ireland, for this is why the rent prices are unrealistically high.
You can (and is highly recommended to) look around on several forums. People can go in person to real estate agencies and fill a registration form, with this they are getting on a waiting list. The agency starts looking for places that suit their needs and once they find something, they notify the clients.
Nowadays searching online is the most popular and successful way to find new rental places. There are several online portals for selling and renting out flats. It is the best to look at the advertisements several times a day and if they find something they like, immediately contact the advertiser. In more and more places, using emails is the preferred way of communication, and telephone inquiries are starting to be pushed into the background.
Apartments can be viewed at a pre-arranged time, it is a must to arrive accurately, as 10 potential tenants are usually called in at the same time. If you like the property, all the requested documents must be submitted to the agency so that they can forward them to the owner, who will choose the most suitable tenant.
As a pet owner, how do you look for an apartment, what are the differences in the search if the tenant has a pet?
Finding a pet-friendly apartment is not easy. If the tenant has a small pet, owners can be convinced to let the animal in, but with a larger dog, especially in the city, it is almost impossible to find a home. It should never be hidden that you would like to move in with a pet. If the tenant tries to hide it but the truth comes out, the contract will be terminated immediately and the deposit will not be given back.
Homeowners in Hungary are quite dismissive. How hard is it to find an apartment in Ireland as a pet owner? What are the expectations of landlords?
There is a huge demand for apartments in Ireland. At first, we wanted to find a family house with a garden, so the dog can have enough space, but unfortunately, we didn’t succeed. After 4 months of unsuccessful searching, we had to separate from Bobo and his owner, who moved to a friend’s house more than 50kms from the capital city. After we have separated, we applied to more than 50 ads in 2 months and was able to view only 5 apartments in person.
Are there more furnished or unfurnished pet-friendly places to rent? In Hungary, a fixed-term rental contract is preferred, what is typical in Ireland? (fixed-term, indefinite, deposit rate, etc.)
Most of the apartments are furnished and mechanized. The preferred contract is a fixed-term (one year) contract that can be extended annually. In order to sign a contract, the first month’s rent fee and one month of deposit is required.
Until now, the increase of rental prices were expected every two years, but nowadays it is more and more typical that the owners increase by 1-2% every year, which is always indicated to the Tenant 2 months in advance. So, if they do not accept the new price, they still have time to look for a new place and their contract will automatically terminate.
Are there municipally-owned apartments on the market?
There are a lot of municipal apartments on the market, but they can be obtained on the basis of social needs. Single mothers or sick people are the most likely to be helped to get those apartments.
What is difference between the Hungarian and Irish rental markets? What things were “strange” to you that are not common or do not occur at home at all?
The process of searching for real estates is very similar in both countries: few options, many people who are interested in the same place and unrealistically high prices. In Ireland more people live in the same house, in order to reduce the costs of living. In Ireland most of the houses are old-fashioned, although in recent years a huge housing construction program has been launched.