Landlord obligations in Ireland come from the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and any tenancy agreement, and an agreement cannot take them away (RTB). In 2026 the list got longer and cheaper to break: since 14 September the RTB can fine six paperwork failures directly. This checklist follows a tenancy from before the first viewing to the day the keys come back.
Before you let
Meet the minimum standards. The RTB summary covers the lot. The home must be free of damp and structurally sound, with hot and cold running water. Heating must be something the tenant controls, with a fixed heater in each bathroom, and every habitable room needs natural and artificial light. Fire safety means a fire blanket, detection and alarms and an evacuation plan in a house; common-area emergency lighting too in a multi-unit building. Carbon monoxide alarms where needed, safe wiring and gas pipes, and restrictors on windows above 1,400 mm. Leases under 10 years need a four-ring hob, oven, grill, microwave, fridge freezer and sink, plus a washing machine and a dryer if there is no private outdoor space. The local authority enforces this, and a landlord can be prosecuted.
Set a lawful rent. For a new tenancy from 1 March 2026 you may charge market rent only in set cases: first letting, no tenancy for 2 years, the last tenant left by choice or was ended for breach or unsuitability, or a substantial change. Otherwise the rent is the old rent plus 2% a year or inflation, whichever is lower (RTB, setting and reviewing rents). Our rent setting guide goes through each case.
Do not discriminate. You cannot refuse a tenant on grounds of gender, civil or family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, membership of the Traveller community, or because they get a state housing payment such as HAP.
When the tenancy starts
- Deposit: no more than one month’s rent, with a signed and dated receipt (RTB, deposits). Make clear who holds it.
- Rent setting notice: give it to the tenant at the start, showing how the rent was worked out, and send it to the RTB within one month of the start date (RTB guide). Missing it can bring a €100 fixed payment notice.
- Registration: register with the RTB within one month, €40, and every year on the anniversary. Late fees are €10 a month. Our RTB registration guide has the dates and what you need.
- Contact details: give the tenant yours, or your agent’s, and information about the home, its services and appliances.
During the tenancy
- Allow peaceful and exclusive occupation: enter only with the tenant’s permission, except in an emergency, and give notice of inspections.
- Do necessary repairs within a reasonable time, or refund reasonable costs the tenant paid for essential ones.
- Insure the structure. Contents insurance is the tenant’s.
- Provide suitable bins outside, where possible, and give rent receipts or statements.
- Pass any written complaint about the building on to the management company, and pass its answer back.
- Review the rent no more than once every 12 months, by 2% or inflation at most, on a Notice of Rent Review served on the tenant with a copy to the RTB within 7 days. Without the copy the notice is invalid. The rent review guide goes field by field.
- Update the registration within one month of a new rent taking effect.
When it ends
A valid written notice of termination, with the right notice period and a reason the law allows, and a copy to the RTB within 7 days of serving it. The notice date must be the day the tenant receives it, which is why the RTB advises against post. Our notice of termination guide has the periods and reasons. Return the deposit as soon as possible, keeping back only rent arrears, unpaid bills the tenant was responsible for, damage beyond normal wear and tear, or a shortfall from the tenant not giving proper notice. You cannot hold a tenant’s belongings against money owed.
The six fines
From 14 September 2026 the RTB can send a fixed payment notice for six breaches (RTB). Each comes after a first letter (28 days to fix or explain) and a second (14 days). The notice then gives 28 days to pay and put it right. Pay and fix, and there is no prosecution for it. Unpaid, it becomes an offence with a fine of up to €5,000.
| Breach | Fine |
|---|---|
| Tenancy not registered | €100 |
| Registration not updated | €100 |
| No rent setting information at the start of the tenancy | €100 |
| Rent set above the legal limit | up to €200 |
| RTB not told of a rent exemption | up to €200 |
| Rent review notice not served correctly | up to €200 |
These sit on top of the older powers, investigation with a sanction of up to €15,000 and prosecution. The first three are about records. The last three are about the rent figure and its notice, which is where a Rent Register comparison and a correctly filled form save the most trouble.
Your rights as a landlord
The same RTB page lists them: rent in full and on time; ending a tenancy in the first 6 months without a reason (unless there is a fixed term); knowing who lives in the home and deciding on subletting; being told about repairs and getting reasonable access to do them; and referring disputes to the RTB, but only if the tenancy is registered. That last one is the practical reason to register on time.