22 June 2020
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Members of the Magazine Road and Surrounding Areas residents association staged a silent and peaceful vigil on Friday outside the home of a landlord who owns many rental properties in the area. They said they were forced to do this after no action was taken after many weeks of loud house parties. Residents are upset and frustrated as the Covid-19 lockdown house parties are continuing in the area.
Residents’ spokesperson, Catherine Clancy said: “We just can’t take this anymore and our patience has run out. Many landlords in the area are taking absolutely no responsibility for the hurt and damage they are causing. There are families, elderly residents, children living in the area and the people having house parties don’t care and neither do many of the landlords. On Friday we were left with no choice but to go to the house of one landlord in particular after we had tried to contact him on numerous occasions but nothing has changed. A joint letter last week from the HSE, Cork City Council and the gardaí to landlords has made no difference. This week the Covid-19 Lockdown house parties continued.
“The residents will be taking cases on many of these rented houses to the RTB (previously PRTB). The issues in our area have highlighted the lack of legalisation regarding the management of rented property and standards in relation to this. We are also concerned that a residential home could be converted into a business without having to get planning permission and this must be changed.”
Above: logo related to article. Explanation: Magazine Road is within walking distance of UCC. Many of the students staying there also attend CIT, however, both institutions are currently closed.