A landlord is the owner of a property who leases or rents it to another person.
Landlord Rights
Under legislation a landlord has the right to:
- Set the rent and receive the rent in full from the tenant on the date it is due.
- Landlords should ensure they understand the laws that apply to them when setting the rent based on where the rented dwelling is located.
- End the tenancy in the first six months without reason if there is no fixed term lease in place. After six months, a landlord can terminate a tenancy for certain reasons.
- Be informed of who is living in the property, and decide whether to allow the tenant to sub-let or assign the property (this does not apply to Approved Housing Body).
- Be kept informed about any repairs needed and be given reasonable access to fix them by the tenant.
- Refer any disputes to the RTB if the tenancy has been legally registered.
Landlord Responsibilities
A landlord must:
- Register the tenancy within one month of the start of the tenancy. Click here to register a tenancy
- Provide tenants with a receipt or statement or rent book that acknowledges payments made for rent and any other payments (e.g., utilities) received by the landlord
- Make sure the property complies with minimum standards legislation
- Maintain the property to the standard it was in at the start of the tenancy
- Reimburse the tenants for any repairs they carried out that they requested with the landlord which the landlord did not carry out within a reasonable time
- Insure the property (A landlord is required to maintain insurance in respect of the structural dwelling only i.e. bricks and mortar. A tenant should arrange contents insurance to cover their personal belongings).
- Pay property taxes and any other charges that the tenant is not responsible for
- Provide the tenant with contact details (or for the agent working on the landlords behalf)
- Terminate the tenancy in line with legislation Click here for more information on how to correctly end a tenancy
- Return the tenant’s deposit promptly at the end of the tenancy, unless lawfully withheld. A landlord can deduct any rent arrears, outstanding bills, or the cost of damages in excess of normal wear and tear to the dwelling. If a tenant terminates a tenancy early, a landlord can deduct for losses incurred.
- Schedule a property inspection. Landlords are encouraged to carry out regular inspections of the property
- Make sure there are refuse bins available for the tenant
As per the Equal Status Act 2000, a landlord cannot refuse to rent a property to someone because of their gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, receipt of State housing payments (such as HAP), or membership of the Travelling Community.
