Ioana had been renting her flat in Limerick for just over a year when the problems started. The heating system failed during winter, the kitchen tap wouldn't stop leaking, and damp was spreading across one bedroom wall. She reported these issues to her landlord in writing, as she'd been advised to do. For weeks, nothing happened. When she followed up with phone calls and emails, the landlord kept saying "next week" or "I've got someone coming round." But nobody ever arrived.
After two months without proper heating or hot water, Ioana made a formal complaint to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). She wasn't trying to cause trouble—she simply needed her home to be safe and liveable. Within days of filing that complaint, her landlord served her with an eviction notice. No warning, no conversation, just a legal letter saying she had to leave. Ioana was shocked. She'd paid her rent on time, looked after the flat, and done nothing wrong except ask for basic repairs.
Ioana decided to challenge the eviction. She discovered that what her landlord had done is called "retaliatory eviction"—using the threat of eviction to punish a tenant for making a legitimate complaint about repairs. Irish law specifically protects tenants against this. When the RTB reviewed her case, they found that the eviction was illegal. The board cancelled the notice, ordered the landlord to carry out the repairs, and awarded Ioana compensation for the distress and inconvenience she'd suffered. Her landlord was also fined for breaching the law.
Today, Ioana's flat has been properly repaired. She remains in her home, and she's no longer afraid to speak up if something goes wrong. Her case sends a clear message: tenants have rights, and landlords cannot punish them for using those rights.