Guardians fill rooms in former stately manor for €100 a month

Living space in a former stately manor in Waterford is filling up fast as thrifty tenants turn to property guardianship as an alternative to renting.

Just three of 18 rooms remain at Grace Dieu Manor on the Tramore road in Waterford, a former retreat house run by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

Rooms range from €100 per month for basic accommodation to €150 for an en-suite bedroom with shared kitchen facilities.

All utilities apart from waste collection are paid for under a licence offered by property security firm Camelot.

Fruit and vegetable wholesaler Brendan Walsh, 27, from Waterford, is one of 130 guardians in Ireland currently occupying properties on behalf of Camelot.

He spent eight months living with his parents before moving into a self-contained apartment at Grace Dieu for €240 per month.

“It’s great, I’ve been here a month and there’s been no problems. The €100 per month rent was what caught my eye to begin with and living in the town in shared accommodation just didn’t really appeal to me,” he said.

The grounds, which feature woodlands and walkways, are an additional bonus for Walsh, who enjoys the tranquility. “The peace and quiet here allows me concentrate on other issues,” he said.

The advantage of guardianship is that occupants can live in unusual properties at a fraction of the market rental rate. On the downside, they can be asked to leave with four weeks notice and are housed under a licence agreement, not a tenancy agreement.

The concept originated in Holland in the 1970s. There are about 50,000 guardians in that country alone.