Property

Rental property listings on Daft.ie by Sherborough Enterprises for 1 and 2 bedroom apartments included the headline “Cathedral Court, Dublin 2”. Each listing included an overview of the property for rent and included the following information:

“Apartment to Rent – 2 Beds – 2 Baths. Stunning modern 2 bedroom apartments available to rent with prices starting from €2,000 per month. Situated beside Fumbally Lane, Cathedral Court is the perfect city centre location right in the heart of Dublin’s creative quarter and just a short walking distance (500 metres) to the vibrant cafes and bars of Camden and Georges Street…..”

The complainant considered that the correct address for the properties was Dublin 8 and that advertising the properties location as Dublin 2 was misleading.

The advertisers advised the Executive that the property listings had been removed from the Daft.ie website as soon as the error had been brought to their attention. They did not, however, consider that viewers would be misled as they considered that the map function on the listing allowed potential tenants to view the location of the property and that the map was wholly accurate and reflective of the exact location of the property. They also said that when they received enquiries about the property, they provided the exact address for viewings of the property, therefore, they considered that prospective tenants were aware of the location of the property in advance of travelling to the property. They said that neither they nor the tenants had spotted the error, therefore, they considered it demonstrated how it had not misled tenants. They also advised that no viewings had been cancelled.

FURTHER INFORMATION:
The Executive examined the website in order to ensure that the advertising had been removed, however, they noted that the listings were still available to view and that the error had not been corrected. They requested the advertiser advise of future actions to ensure the incorrect listings were being removed.

No further response was received from the advertiser.

Complaint Upheld.

The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response. The Committee noted that the properties had and continued to be advertised with an incorrect property location. They considered that this was likely to mislead and therefore was in breach of Code Sections 4.1 and 4.4 of the Code.

ACTION REQUIRED:
The Complaints Committee told the advertiser to ensure that the location of properties in all advertising is accurate.