An Afghan renter who the landlord argued should be “sent out of this country instead of trying to claim from the Government” has been ordered to receive €10,000 in compensation, reports The Mirror.
The Workplace Relations Commission determined that the landlord, Aidan Corless, had engaged in “blatant racism” when he made the remark, which qualified as racial discrimination against his tenant, Irfanullah Refah.
But Mr. Refah’s accusation that the landlord had similarly harassed him was dismissed by the WRC.
The owner maintained that his renter was “in illegal occupation” of his flat, but he had rejected any alleged violations of the Equal Status Act 2000, reports The Mirror.
Mr. Refah questioned his legal right to be in Ireland and claimed that his landlord was discriminating against him by treating him less generously than an Irish renter.
He also expressed dissatisfaction about Mr. Corless’s lack of response to his tenant’s repeated requests for repairs to his Dublin property, including replacing damaged doors and windows and fixing mould and moisture.
The renter also said that the landlord had harassed and intimidated him by suggesting that he may have his documents verified in order to have him deported, reports The Mirror.
Mr Refah said that he was scared of his landlord’s reaction to his request for the flat to be repaired because he would be deported and taken back to Afghanistan, where he would actually face a threat to his life.
He said that Mr. Corless’s doubts about his motivation for leaving his nation and spending six years apart from his family had damaged his reputation.
After coming to Ireland in 2017, Mr. Refah was given refugee status 12 months later. His wife and four kids were allowed to follow him in 2022.
Renting a flat on Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 8, for €1,650 a month, the complaint came to be introduced to Mr Corless’s business tenant, Qamar Ali, through an acquaintance, reports The Mirror.
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