Dr Abdallah Alsaleh: Zealous Clinic Doctor’s ‘Cat and Mouse’ Eviction Exposed by High Court
Introduction – A Halloween Nightmare
Imagine coming home on Halloween night. You turn your key in the lock. It doesn’t turn. You try again. Nothing.
The locks have been changed.
A stranger is inside your home.
Your landlord — a doctor you once trusted, the founder of Zealous Clinic — is nowhere to be found. Later, he will tell a court: “I’m not the landlord. My wife owns the property. I was just an agent.”
This is not a thriller. This is the true story of Dr Abdallah Alsaleh, the medical doctor behind Zealous Clinic, a chain offering €1,100 “Signature Facelifts”. He is also the landlord who illegally evicted his tenants — a couple who included his former patient and employee — by changing the locks while they were out.
The High Court took a dim view of his tactics.
Ms Justice Siobhán Phelan said Dr Abdallah Alsaleh continues to engage “in a proverbial game of ‘cat and mouse'” to avoid being found in breach of landlord obligations.
He lost his appeal. The tenants keep their €7,500 damages. And the judgment now stands as a landmark ruling: ownership is not required to be a landlord.
🔗 Source: CaseMine – Alsaleh v Residential Tenancies Board [2025] IEHC 702
🔗 Source: Irish Times – Doctor played ‘cat and mouse’ to avoid being found in breach of landlord duties
Who Is Dr Abdallah Alsaleh? The Man Behind Zealous Clinic
Dr Abdallah Alsaleh is a medical practitioner and the founder of Zealous Clinic, an aesthetic medicine business offering anti-wrinkle treatments, dermal fillers, and “complete facial revitalization” for up to €1,100.
His website boasts:
- “Over 15 years of experience”
- “Team of 7 qualified doctors — not beauticians”
- “Your beauty is our science”
Zealous Clinic’s prices:
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Zealous Glow | €400 |
| Zealous Sculpt | €700 |
| Signature Facelift | €1,100 |
🔗 Source: Zealous Clinic
But behind the glossy website and the promise of medical precision, Dr Abdallah Alsaleh was facing a very different kind of scrutiny — not over his clinical skills, but over his conduct as a landlord.
Zealous Clinic’s Growing Empire
Zealous Clinic operates four locations across Ireland:
| Location | Address |
|---|---|
| Naas Branch | 29 Sallins Road, Naas, Co. Kildare |
| Newbridge Branch | 1 Canning Place, Newbridge, Co. Kildare |
| Glenageary Clinic | Glenageary Shopping Centre, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin |
| Prosperous Branch | The Ideal Centre, Prosperous, Co. Kildare |
Source: zealousclinic.ie/locations
Part 1: The Doctor, His Patient-Tenant, and Zealous Clinic’s Shadow
In July 2022, Ms Sharon McDonnell — a patient of Dr Abdallah Alsaleh who later became his employee — and her partner Mr Wayne Frarey were offered a house to rent. The property was adjacent to the doctor’s surgery in Co Kildare, the same surgery where he ran Zealous Clinic.
It was an informal arrangement. There was no written lease. No rent book. No receipts.
Around 10 July 2022, Ms McDonnell left €2,600 in cash — one month’s rent plus a deposit — at the doctor’s surgery. She received the keys. She and her partner moved in.
They had videos of themselves moving into an empty property. They had photographs of keys being handed over by Dr Abdallah Alsaleh. They had WhatsApp messages, including one from the doctor that read: “Rent is due on the 10th of every month.”
They put the electricity accounts in their names. Dr Abdallah Alsaleh himself later issued a prescription listing the dwelling as Ms McDonnell’s address.
For fifteen months, they lived there. They paid rent — in cash, at the Zealous Clinic surgery. They had a home.
🔗 Source: CaseMine – Alsaleh v Residential Tenancies Board
Part 2: The Halloween Lock-Out
In August 2023, Ms McDonnell gave notice that she was leaving her employment with Dr Abdallah Alsaleh. The relationship deteriorated.
A builder was told he could move into the dwelling. There were physical altercations.
Then came 31 October 2023 – Halloween.
The couple returned to their home. Their keys did not work. The locks had been changed.
A stranger was inside.
No valid Notice of Termination had ever been served. No court order had been obtained. Dr Abdallah Alsaleh, the founder of Zealous Clinic, had simply taken the law into his own hands.
The Gardaí attended. They treated it as a civil matter. Some of the couple’s belongings were later returned — damaged or missing. Their passports were left at a Garda station.
They had been illegally evicted by the man who promised clients “your beauty is our science.”
🔗 Source: CaseMine – Alsaleh v Residential Tenancies Board
Part 3: The Doctor’s Defence – “I’m Not the Landlord”
The couple lodged a dispute with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) on 1 November 2023 — the day after they were locked out by Dr Abdallah Alsaleh.
An RTB Tribunal heard the case over two days in May and July 2024. The Tribunal found that:
- An oral tenancy existed from July 2022
- By the time of the eviction, the tenancy had become a Part 4 tenancy (occupation exceeding six months, granting enhanced security of tenure)
- Dr Abdallah Alsaleh was the landlord within the meaning of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004
- The termination was unlawful — no valid notice was served, and the tenants had been locked out
- Dr Abdallah Alsaleh was ordered to pay €7,500 in damages
The founder of Zealous Clinic appealed to the High Court.
His argument was audacious: he said he was not the landlord because he did not own the property.
According to Dr Abdallah Alsaleh, the house belonged to his wife. He was, at most, acting as her agent. He produced a redacted, undated deed of transfer and an incomplete Land Registry printout — page 1 of 4, with no ownership details.
His wife did not give evidence.
🔗 Source: CaseMine – Alsaleh v Residential Tenancies Board
Part 4: The Judge’s Ruling – “Cat and Mouse”
On 12 December 2025, Ms Justice Siobhán Phelan delivered her judgment.
She dismissed the appeal of Dr Abdallah Alsaleh.
She rejected his ownership argument outright. The definition of “landlord” under the Residential Tenancies Act, she held, does not require ownership. A landlord is simply “the person for the time being entitled to receive the rent.”
She noted that the RTB is statutorily forbidden from adjudicating questions of property title. The Tribunal’s job is to determine whether a tenancy existed — not who owned the land.
She also dismantled the “agent” defence of Dr Abdallah Alsaleh:
“The appellant did not establish, on evidence, that he was acting merely as an agent. On the contrary, his own conduct (including evidence that he later ‘sold the house’) undermined this assertion.”
She quoted the evidence: videos, texts, utility accounts, the prescription listing the dwelling as the tenant’s address, and testimony from the former practice manager confirming that cash rent was paid at the Zealous Clinic surgery.
Then came the line that made headlines:
“Dr Abdallah Alsaleh continues to engage ‘in a proverbial game of ‘cat and mouse’ in an effort to avoid being found in breach of landlord obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.”
The appeal was dismissed. The €7,500 damages stood.
The founder of Zealous Clinic had been exposed — not for his medical practice, but for his conduct as a landlord.
🔗 Source: Irish Times – Doctor played ‘cat and mouse’
🔗 Source: CaseMine – Alsaleh v Residential Tenancies Board
Part 5: Zealous Clinic – The Business Behind the Name
So who is Dr Abdallah Alsaleh beyond the courtroom?
He is the founder and lead practitioner of Zealous Clinic, an aesthetic medicine business with locations across Ireland. The clinic’s website presents a polished image of medical expertise:
“Dr. Abdallah is the founder and lead practitioner at Zealous Clinic. With over 15 years of experience and advanced training from top European institutions, he brings both medical expertise and an artistic eye to every treatment.”
Zealous Clinic claims:
- Over 1,000 happy clients
- 4.9/5 average rating
- 95% rating rate
- A team of 7 qualified doctors
The clinic’s tagline: “Your beauty is our science.”
But the High Court was more interested in a different kind of science — the evidence of an illegal eviction, cash payments at the surgery, and a landlord who played “cat and mouse” with the law.
🔗 Source: Zealous Clinic
Part 6: Alsaleh Healthcare Solutions Ltd – The Corporate Veil
Dr Abdallah Alsaleh also incorporated a company: Alsaleh Healthcare Solutions Limited.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Alsaleh Healthcare Solutions Limited |
| Company Number | 767257 |
| Status | Normal (active) |
| Incorporation Date | 4 July 2024 |
| Principal Activity | [8621] General Medical Practice Activities |
| Registered Address | Apartment 2, Al Hussain House, Dundrum Road, Dublin 14 |
The timing is notable: the company was incorporated after the RTB Tribunal found against Dr Abdallah Alsaleh in July 2024, but before his High Court appeal.
🔗 Source: Solocheck – Alsaleh Healthcare Solutions Limited
Part 7: Why This Case Matters – A Landmark Ruling
The case of Dr Abdallah Alsaleh and Zealous Clinic is not just about one doctor. It is a significant addition to Irish residential tenancies law.
| Principle Established | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Ownership not required | A landlord is defined functionally as “the person entitled to receive the rent”, not the legal owner. Landlords cannot evade RTB jurisdiction by hiding behind a spouse’s or company’s ownership. |
| RTB cannot decide title | Section 110 of the Residential Tenancies Act explicitly forbids the RTB from adjudicating property ownership. The Tribunal only needs to decide if a tenancy existed. |
| Oral tenancies are valid | A tenancy can arise by oral agreement, conduct, and payment of rent. No written lease is required. |
| Part 4 tenancy protections | After six months of occupation, tenants gain enhanced security of tenure. Landlords cannot simply change the locks. |
| “Agency” defence requires proof | Claiming to be “just an agent” requires evidence of disclosure to the tenant. The wife who owns the property must actually give evidence. |
The judge’s “cat and mouse” characterisation of Dr Abdallah Alsaleh is likely to be quoted in future cases involving landlords who attempt similar evasive tactics.
Timeline of Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 2022 | Dr Abdallah Alsaleh offers house to tenants; €2,600 cash left at Zealous Clinic surgery; keys handed over |
| July 2022 – October 2023 | Tenants occupy property; pay cash rent at Zealous Clinic; put utilities in their names |
| August 2023 | Ms McDonnell gives notice of leaving employment with Dr Abdallah Alsaleh; relationship deteriorates |
| 31 October 2023 | Illegal eviction – locks changed by Dr Abdallah Alsaleh; stranger inside; Gardaí attend |
| 1 November 2023 | Tenants lodge dispute with RTB |
| 30 May & 9 July 2024 | RTB Tribunal hears case |
| 13 July 2024 | Tribunal finds tenancy existed; unlawful eviction; €7,500 damages awarded against Dr Abdallah Alsaleh |
| 4 July 2024 | Alsaleh Healthcare Solutions Limited incorporated (note: after Tribunal hearing) |
| 6 September 2024 | Dr Abdallah Alsaleh appeals to High Court |
| 12 December 2025 | High Court dismisses appeal; judge calls conduct of Dr Abdallah Alsaleh “cat and mouse” |
Sources – Click to Verify
| Source | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| CaseMine | Full legal commentary on Alsaleh v RTB [2025] IEHC 702 | View Case |
| Irish Times | News report on High Court ruling against Dr Abdallah Alsaleh | View Article |
| Zealous Clinic | Dr Abdallah Alsaleh’s aesthetic medicine business | Visit Website |
| Solocheck | Alsaleh Healthcare Solutions Ltd (Company No. 767257) | View Company |
Why This Story Matters for Watchdog Witness Readers
This is not just a story about a doctor who changed the locks on Halloween.
It is a story about power, trust, and accountability.
Dr Abdallah Alsaleh, the founder of Zealous Clinic, was in a position of authority over his tenants. Ms McDonnell was his patient and then his employee. When she gave notice of leaving her job, she lost her home — not through any lawful process, but through a landlord who decided to take possession by force.
The High Court saw through the “cat and mouse” games of Dr Abdallah Alsaleh. The judge reminded landlords — medical professionals included — that ownership does not define a landlord; conduct does.
For tenants, this judgment is a shield. You do not need a written lease. You do not need to know who owns the property. If you pay rent to someone who behaves like a landlord, the law will treat them as a landlord.
For landlords, it is a warning. You cannot hide behind a spouse’s name or a corporate veil. You cannot change the locks without a valid notice and a court order. And if you try, a High Court judge may call your conduct a “proverbial game of cat and mouse” — and the name Dr Abdallah Alsaleh and his business Zealous Clinic will be cited as the example.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available court records (Alsaleh v Residential Tenancies Board [2025] IEHC 702), legal commentary from CaseMine, news reporting from The Irish Times, CRO records via Solocheck, and the Zealous Clinic website. All individuals are presumed innocent of any criminal wrongdoing unless proven otherwise in a court of law. The High Court ruling is a civil matter, not a criminal conviction. This article does not constitute legal advice and is provided for informational and journalistic purposes only. Watchdog Witness does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of third-party sources cited. This article may be updated as further information becomes available.
Watchdog Witness will continue to track such cases. If you’ve been the victim of a professional who cut corners — financially or otherwise — [contact us or share your story].
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