What powers does the RTB have - Residential Tenancies Board

What powers does the RTB have

The RTB can deal with breaches of rental law by landlords in three ways. We can: 

  • Issue a fixed payment notice  
  • Take a criminal prosecution case 
  • Investigate and impose a civil sanction

The three powers listed above apply to specific breaches of rental law by a landlord.  For other breaches of rental law by a landlord, a tenant can apply for dispute resolution. Learn more about when to apply for dispute resolution or when to report a landlord. 

For all breaches of rental law by a tenant, a landlord should apply for dispute resolution.  

Fixed payment notices 

We can issue a fixed payment notice for six breaches of rental law: 

  1. Failure to register a tenancy 
  2. Failure to update tenancy details 
  3. Failure to give rent setting information at start of tenancy
  4. Setting rent above the legal limit 
  5. Failure to notify the RTB of a rent exemption 
  6. Failure to provide a rent review notice correctly 

If a landlord receives a fixed payment notice, they can pay a fine and fix the breach to avoid prosecution. The fine will be €200 for a rent breach and €100 for all other breaches. If a landlord does not fix the breach and pay the fine, they can face criminal prosecution.  

Learn more about how RTB fixed payment notices work. 

Criminal prosecution

We can prosecute landlords for six breaches of rental law:  

  1. Failure to register a tenancy 
  2. Failure to update tenancy details 
  3. Failure to give rent setting information at start of tenancy 
  4. Setting rent above the legal limit 
  5. Failure to notify the RTB of a rent exemption 
  6. Failure to provide a rent review notice correctly 

When we prosecute a landlord, this can result in:  

  • A criminal conviction 
  • A class A fine of up to €5,000 
  • Imprisonment for up to 12 months 
  • Additional penalties of €250 for each day the breach continues 
  • Payment of the RTB’s legal costs 

The criminal prosecution process encourages a landlord to fix the breach before it results in a criminal conviction. Learn more about how RTB criminal prosecution works. 

Investigation and civil sanction 

We can investigate and impose a civil sanction on landlords for 11 breaches of rental law. These are known as improper conducts:  

  1. Failure to register a tenancy 
  2. Failure to update tenancy details 
  3. Failure to give rent setting information at start of tenancy 
  4. Setting rent above the legal limit 
  5. Failure to notify the RTB of a rent exemption 
  6. Failure to provide a rent review notice correctly 
  7. Incorrectly claiming a rent exemption 
  8. Giving false or misleading reasons for ending a tenancy 
  9. Failure to offer a tenancy back to a previous tenant 
  10. Requesting a payment of more than two month’s rent to secure a tenancy 
  11. Requiring a student to sign a lease of more than 41 weeks 

If an investigation decides a landlord has breached rental law, they can face:  

  • A written caution 
  • A financial sanction up to €15,000 for each breach 
  • Additional costs up to €15,000 for each breach

If a landlord fixes the breach and cooperates with an investigation, this will be taken into account when the sanction is set. Learn more about RTB investigation and sanctions.