High Court Reviews Case of Property Agent Accused of Unlawful Subletting to Immigrants and Students
Dublin – The High Court is currently reviewing a case involving a property agent accused of unlawfully subletting residential properties—originally leased to immigrants and foreign students—without the consent or knowledge of the property owners. Justice David Nolan has issued an interim order prohibiting the agent from accessing the affected buildings. The matter is scheduled to return to court for further consideration next week.
The case centres on allegations that Kevin O’Brien, of North Road, Mary’s Villa, Drogheda, Co. Louth, and his company, Linehan O’Brien Investments Limited, rented out rooms in 17 residential properties in Dublin without formal tenancy agreements or the approval of the property owners. The petition claims that communal living areas, including sitting rooms, were subdivided and repurposed as bedrooms in order to accommodate additional tenants—primarily immigrants and international students.
The properties in question were originally managed by QTX Services, whom the owners had appointed as their letting agent. However, in 2021, Mr O’Brien approached the owners with a proposal to manage and sublet one of the properties. He is alleged to have collaborated with a then-employee of QTX to arrange similar unauthorised lettings across 16 additional properties.
Following the discovery of these actions, the QTX employee in question resigned, as did the firm’s director, Padraig Kehoe. The property owners have since filed formal complaints with An Garda Síochána, the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), and the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
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