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Private Rented Housing

Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB)
Residential Tenancies Act 2004
Registration of Tenancies
Standards for Rented Houses
Rental Accomodation Scheme
Rent Books
Leasing Arrangements for Social Housing
Useful Links

 

Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB)

Privately rented accommodation must be registered by the landlord with the Private Residential Tenancies Board and a registration fee paid. Each registration must be renewed after 4 years, but if the tenancy changes within that period a new registration fee applies. Under the terms of the Private Residential Tenancies Act 2004 landlords must:

  • allow the tenant to enjoy peaceful and exclusive occupation,
  • carry out repairs, subject to tenant liability for damage beyond normal wear and tear,
  • insure the dwelling, subject to the insurance being available at a reasonable cost,
  • provide a point of contact,
  • promptly refund deposits unless rent is owing or there is damage beyond normal wear and tear,
  • reimburse tenants for expenditure on repairs that were appropriate to the landlord,
  • enforce tenant obligations, 
  • not penalize tenants for making complaints or taking action to enforce their rights.

There are further provisions in the act in relation to terms of rent and security of tenure.

Residential Tenancies Act 2004

The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 contains far reaching reforms of the private rented sector. The Act provides for: the establishment of a statutory Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB); a new system of tenancy registration with the PRTB; provisions for a new dispute resolution service through the PRTB instead of the Courts, involving mediation or adjudication and tenancy tribunal hearings; penalties for offences relating to registration of private rented accommodation; improved security of tenure through a system of 4-year tenancy cycles; new tenancy termination procedures including longer notice periods linked to length of tenancy; provisions setting out clearly the statutory tenancy obligations of landlords and tenants and providing that landlords will not be entitled to seek a rent greater than the market rate and that rent reviews (whether up or down) may not occur more than once a year unless warranted by a substantial change in the accommodation; voluntary renunciation of the right to long-occupation equity leases; and powers to address anti-social behaviour.

Registration of Tenancies

Tenancy registration forms and other publications are available on the Private Residential Tenancies Board website.

 

Further Information 

PRTB,   2nd Floor, O’ Connell Bridge House,  D’olier St,    Dublin 2.

Tel:  01 6350600
Fax 01 6350601
Email:  information@prtb.ie or  disputes@prtb.ie

 

Standards for Rented Housing

Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed by means of regulations made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992. These regulations specify requirements in relation to a range of matters such as structural repair, absence of damp and rot, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, light and safety of gas and electrical supply.

All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations and responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations rests with the relevant local authority supported by a dedicated stream of funding provided from part of the proceeds of tenancy registration fees collected by the Private Residential Tenancies Board.

These standards are currently set out in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993 (S.I. 147/1993). From the 1st of February 2009 new updated regulations will govern standards for rental accommodation. These regulations are called the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 534/2008). The related Technical Guidance Document is available to the right of your screen under Publications & Documents.

The coming into operation on 1 December 2009 of provisions in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, fully delivered on the commitment in Towards 2016 to update and effectively enforce the minimum standards regulations for the private rented sector. The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I.462/2009) amend the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 for compatibility with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.The two most significant changes to the legislation are the introduction of a comprehensive new sanctions regime and a new definition of what constitutes a “proper state of structural repair” for the purpose of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008.

For further information contact private_housing@environ.ie.

 

Rental Accommodation Scheme

The Government announced a new initiative in early July 2004 whereby local authorities were to meet the long-term housing needs of social welfare rent supplement recipients.

The RAS is an additional housing option where local authorities cater  for the accommodation needs of persons who are in receipt of rent supplement, normally for more than 18 months, and who have a long-term housing need. 

Certain rent supplement recipients who are excluded from the new arrangements include asylum-seekers (or other non-nationals who do not have leave to remain in the State permanently).

More information on RAS

 

Rent Books


Landlords are obliged to provide tenants with a “rent book” (or other documentation serving the same purpose) at the commencement of a tenancy. This applies to dwellings rented by private landlords, voluntary bodies, local authorities and employers.

All rent and other payments under the tenancy must be acknowledged in writing by the landlord. In addition, the rent book must contain specific particulars relating to the tenancy including, among other things, the name and address of the landlord and of the landlord’s agent (if any), the term of the tenancy, the amount of the rent and of any other payments to be made by the tenant to the landlord, details of any advance rent or deposit paid and an inventory of furnishings and appliances supplied with the house. The rent book must also include a basic statement of information for the tenant which is set out in the Schedule to the Regulations.

The requirement to provide a rent book is set down in the Housing (Rent Books) Regulations 1993 (as amended by the Housing (Rent Books) Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 2004), made under section 17 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992.


Useful links:

http://www.threshold.ie/

http://www.prtb.ie/

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