I’ve enjoyed living in a lovely older apartment building in south Dublin for the last 10 years. I have recently learned that my landlord died. The lease was in the deceased’s name. Following their death, their spouse contacted me and told me they were going to increase the rent and issue a new lease, which I agreed to, but they have yet to issue it.
Subsequently, the owners’ management company (OMC) in my building decided to stop centralising the heat and allow each apartment to heat their homes themselves. Before this, heating was centrally controlled and the price was included as part of the rent. My new landlord has not offered any solution to my lack of heating or the additional cost that is no longer included in my rent.
I have not contacted them as I do not want to have the rent increased and fear they may try to evict me. What should I do?
From reading your question, my first thought is that the new owner may have contacted you at what is likely to be an emotional time in their life and may be unfamiliar with the letting if their late spouse previously managed it. That said, this does not change their legal obligations to you as a tenant. This is also your home, and I can imagine this is unsettling.
