Residential Tenancies Board

Formerly known as the PRTB, the (now) RTB, or Residential Tenancies Board, is the registration body for all residential tenancies – private and social i.e. local authority and approved housing bodies in Ireland.

Originally, under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and now under the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015, all landlords must register all residential tenancies with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).

What landlords need to know:

The RTB acts as an independent body to help monitor and regulate the residential rental sector. Primary functions are as follows:

• To enforce the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2015
• To provide dispute resolution between landlords (both housing bodies and private landlords) and tenants
• To maintain a database of tenancies in Ireland
• To use and share that data for the purposes of research

The RTB supports both landlords and tenants, although that is not always perceived in the marketplace. It can get involved in issues such as antisocial behaviour or non-payment of rent.

Costs:

There is a registration charge of €90 per tenancy. Landlords who fail to register within the prescribed time can be fined up to €3,000, and or face up six months imprisonment.

The Acts do not apply to the following types of rented property:

• Business lettings
• Holiday lettings
• Formerly rent-controlled dwellings or long-occupation lease tenancies – separate legislation applies to them
• Owner-occupied accommodation (for example, if you rent a room in your landlord’s home)
• Dwellings in which the spouse, parent or child of the landlord lives. This applies to informal family arrangements where there is no tenancy agreement in writing. However, the Acts do cover formal agreements between family members, for example where a lease has been signed
• Social housing provided by local authorities (though, as noted above, the voluntary housing sector has been included since 7 April 2016)

Part 4 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (which deals with security of tenure) does not apply to:

• Employment-related lettings – these are sometimes called ‘tied’ houses as they are tied to the job and you must leave the dwelling when the job ends, and
• Section 50 student accommodation (pdf)
• Tenancies in a landlord’s home in a flat or apartment that was originally part of the main house, where the landlord has chosen to opt out of the provisions of Part 4

As a landlord, if you require any information about registering with the RTB or if you have any questions about rent reviews or tenancy termination, please contact me directly on Michael@KinsellaEstates.ie 

For specific queries or to speak with a local property expert about your buying and selling needs in Wexford, Wicklow and surrounding areas, contact Michael, Alan or Eileen Kinsella at kinsellaestates.ie .