A guide to tenant responsibilities and tenants rights in Ireland.

Tenants also have a number of responsibilities towards the landlord and the property.

Certain minimum obligations are laid out in the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. There may be other obligations arising from other legislation and any letting agreement entered into between the landlord and tenant. Failure to comply with any of these obligations could result in the termination of the tenancy.

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 tenants must:

▪	Pay the rent and any other charges due on time
▪	Ensure no act or omission causes the landlord to be in breach of the law (including the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993)
▪	Notify the landlord of any repairs required and allow access for repairs to be carried out and (by appointment) for routine inspections
▪	Not do anything to cause the dwelling to deteriorate beyond normal wear and tear, and if this happens, make good such damage
▪	Not engage in or allow anti-social behaviour or act in a way that would invalidate the landlord’s insurance
▪	Not assign, sub-let, alter, improve or change the use of the dwelling without the landlord’s written consent
▪	Keep the landlord informed of the identity of the occupants ordinarily resident in the dwelling
▪	Notify the landlord before the last month of a fixed term tenancy of the intention to continue the tenancy for up to 4 years
▪	Provide the landlord with the information required so as to register the tenancy with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB)

Regulations made under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 also oblige the tenant to:

▪	Make the rent book or other similar document available to the landlord

Landlords and tenants are prohibited from changing these basic landlord and tenant obligations. Additional obligations can be imposed on either landlords or tenants but only in so far as they are consistent with the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.

Tenants’ Rights

Tenants also have certain rights in relation to their tenancy. These include the right to:

▪	Peaceful and exclusive occupation of the dwelling
▪	Particulars of the means to contact the landlord or agent at all reasonable times
▪	Reimbursement for reasonable expenditure on any repairs carried out by them for which the landlord was responsible
▪	Prompt return of deposit subject to deduction in respect of any arrears in rent or excessive wear and tear on the dwelling
▪	Refer a dispute to the PRTB relating to the tenancy and not be penalised by the landlord for doing so
▪	Request a copy of any register entry relating to their tenancy and to require the PRTB to confirm the registration particulars contained in the application to register their tenancy.
▪	Have complaints referred to and considered by any apartment complex management company and obtain details of any management company charges

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Or for more information relating to renting a property in Ireland please click on the following links:

Landlord and Tenant Law in Ireland
Landlord Responsibilities
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