Report an unregistered tenancy

Report an unregistered tenancy

If you are aware of an unregistered tenancy, you can report it to us by completing our Report a Landlord webform.

Before you report a landlord, please check the register and read about types of tenancies that do not have to register with the RTB.

Who should register

By law, landlords must register their tenancies annually. This applies to all private, Approved Housing Body, cost rental and student specific accommodation tenancies.

Exemptions

Rent a room arrangements, where the landlord and tenant live in the same property and share common areas such as the kitchen, living space and bathrooms, are exempt from registration with the RTB.

You can get a full list of tenancies that are exempt from tenancy registration.

What happens after I report a landlord

We assess all reports of suspected unregistered tenancies and take action where we do not find a tenancy registration. When a landlord does not comply with the requirement to register a tenancy, we can impose a penalty in two different ways.

Option 1: Criminal prosecution

This can result in:

• A criminal conviction
• Fines of up to €4,000
• Imprisonment for up to 6 months
• Additional penalties of €250 for each day the tenancy remains unregistered
• Payment of the RTB’s legal costs

Option 2: Investigation and a civil sanction

This can result in:

• A sanction of up to €15,000 and €15,000 in costs for each unregistered tenancy

Will I hear about the outcome of my report

It is not possible to update you on the outcome of your report. Why?

• To protect our operational procedures for potential criminal proceedings.
• To ensure the best possible chance of success in court, where prosecution becomes necessary.