Courts / Ireland / Report

'Genuine' landlord liable for 'minor' HAP discrimination

Summary

In a case heard by the Workplace Relations Commission, a landlord, Dr Rashid Karshan, was found liable for minor discrimination under the Equal Status Act 2000 after his maintenance man, referred to only as Mr G, told tenant Rachel Few that the landlord did not "do HAP" and behaved intimidatingly. Ms Few had requested that Mr G fill out HAP forms on 25 January 2023, but he was unenthusiastic and later claimed the landlord would accept HAP if a new letting agreement was signed. The tribunal noted that delays caused by Mr G and bureaucratic hurdles left Ms Few without HAP for February and March, costing an estimated €874. Dr Karshan denied any issue with HAP, stating he was willing to accept it but faced excessive queries from authorities. The adjudicator, Michael McEntee, upheld the complaint in part, describing Mr G's conduct as "minor discrimination" and holding Dr Karshan vicariously liable.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Genuine' landlord liable for 'minor' HAP discrimination. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• January 25, 2023 Other
• 13 February Hearing Or Sentence
• January 2023 Incident
• 2023-12-15 Publication

Why: There were delays because the former owner was still registered on the deeds, while there were issues with bank accounts and the family names involved not being in the "common Irish format", he said. CNI source report

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report