Residents face 3 months out of home

Residents of a major apartment complex in south Dublin will be forced to leave their homes for up to three months after the building was found to be a fire hazard and in breach of safety regulations.

However, the managers of The Laurels apartments in Dundrum say the situation is not “another Priory Hall” — a reference to the dispute between 240 residents of a north Dublin housing complex who have been unable to return to their homes since October and bankrupt developer Tom McFeely.

Tenants of The Laurels (also known as The View) were told last Friday that they would have to move into temporary accommodation by the receiver of the complex, Kieran Wallace of KPMG, who took control of the building after both its developer, Tuskar Asset Management Group, and builder, Pierse Construction, went out of business.

About 75 of 82 of the units within the complex on Ballinteer Rd — near Dundrum Town Centre — are occupied. None of the apartments in the block are owned by the tenants.

The evacuation will involve about 130 residents who will not have to pay rent or utility bills during the remedial work on their homes.

Mr Wallace has told them they will receive financial assistance for any costs involved in the removal and return of their belongings.

It is understood that Lloyds, the bank which appointed KPMG as receiver, has agreed to fund the estimated €1m plus cost of making the apartments safe.

The non-compliance of the building with fire regulations was found during a scheduled inspection 11 days ago.

In a statement, the receiver said Dún Laoghaire/ Rathdown County Council and the local fire officer were immediately told of the situation at The Laurels.

It is understood the majority of residents have indicated they are happy to return to the complex pending the completion of remedial work. Any occupier wishing to end their tenancy will be refunded their deposit and any pre-paid rent.

Three full-time fire wardens have been appointed to oversee the repairs.

Local Fine Gael TD, Peter Matthews, said the situation was another example of incompetent and selfish developers who had cut corners to “make a quick buck”.

He said apartments in The Laurels would have been sold on the open market if the property bubble had not come to a grinding halt.

“This is a clear example of the need for proper regulation and inspection of apartments during their construction. Self-certification and self-regulation simply is not working.”