Q&A

Noise from neighboursOur neighbour's house (the other side to our semi-d) was sold last year to an investor and it is now rented out which, in general, we have no problem with. The issue is noise.

The landlord (who we have never met) has, as far as we can make out, removed all carpets and put down wooden floors. The three women make a great deal of noise thanks to the floors. We wrote to the landlord but at first he didn't answer, the second time he wrote back, pretty much saying that he had recently done up the house and that was that. Is there anything we can do?

If this column's postbag is anything to go by, noise transference is one of the biggest problems for people living in new houses and apartments. It's why apartment blocks routinely ban the installation of wooden floors. You don't say if you have approached the tenants themselves. They may simply not realise they are making so much noise and be prepared to take off their shoes in the house - a much more hygienic practice anyway.

A compromise might be to contact the landlord suggesting that he at least carpet the stairs - usually a major source of noise. A carpet or a rug on the upstairs landing might also reduce noise levels - that's something that the tenants might be prepared to put down themselves.

You can't really expect him to do anything about the livingroom and hall floors, as that is probably a decorative matter and one that is probably a selling point for him when he is looking for tenants. If you have tried this and gotten no joy, then it's time to put pressure on both the tenants and the landlord, through repeated reminders of your problem - landlords generally want an easy, hassle-free life and persistent calls from you and from your tenants complaining about your complaints might spur him into action.

Renting to a relative

My daughter will be attending college in Dublin in September and we are thinking about providing accommodation for her. We are looking into a new section 50 development but have some questions. Are there any rules about renting such apartments to relatives and are they good investments?

You can let the apartment to your daughter for the duration of her studies, provided you charge the full market rental rate for the apartment. In practice, this would mean that your daughter would share the apartment with one or two rent-paying student flatmates. Section 50 apartments are much the same in terms of the tax relief on offer as the more familiar Section 23 scheme with the obvious additional factor that you must rent to students. It would be particularly beneficial for you if you have other rental income against which you would be using the allowances from the Section 50 scheme. Before you decide what to buy, you should look around at other new apartment developments and get professional tax advice on your options. In the long run a less restrictive investment option may or may not be the best option for you and maybe more beneficial to your daughter in the long run.

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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.