Tenant Awarded €8,000 for Illegal Eviction, Landlord Failed to Appear
A tenant, Whiston Tonassi Falcao da Silva, was awarded €8,000 in damages for an illegal eviction by his landlord, Future Forge Investment Ltd. The landlord changed locks and cut electricity, forcing him onto the streets. The tribunal also ordered the return of his €900 deposit and missing belongings.
Whiston Tonassi Falcao da Silva was awarded €8,000 in damages by a Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) tribunal for an illegal eviction by his landlord, Future Forge Investment Ltd. The tribunal found the eviction traumatic and an egregious breach of rental laws. The landlord did not attend the hearing.
Tonassi Falcao da Silva received a WhatsApp message on December 9th, 2024, from the landlord’s agent, Jun Su, stating the property was being sold and he needed to vacate his Dublin 8 apartment within a month. The landlord subsequently turned off the electricity to coerce him out. On January 8th, 2025, Tonassi Falcao da Silva returned home to find the locks changed, forcing him to walk the streets overnight.
He was unable to contact the landlord due to a blocked number. When attempting to retrieve his belongings, he felt intimidated by three unknown men in the dark apartment and called gardaí. His landlord later returned some items in black plastic bags, but a new Samsung projector worth €700, a baseball bat, and a laptop with sentimental photos worth €1,050 were missing. The tenant slept on a friend’s floor for a month until finding new accommodation.
The tribunal described the unlawful termination and intimidation as having significant consequences during a housing crisis and winter. In addition to the €8,000 in damages, the landlord was ordered to return Tonassi Falcao da Silva’s belongings and his €900 deposit.