Renting in College

Although it can be tempting, you should not sign a tenancy agreement or pay a deposit for the first place you see. Take some time to view other properties and find somewhere that best meets your needs. View the property in person before signing the tenancy agreement. 

All providers of property services, including estate agents and letting agents, must hold a Public Services Regulatory Authority (PRSA) licence. When renting accommodation, you can ask to see the service provider’s licence and note the number. This number can then be checked on the Register of Licenced Property Services Providers to ensure that the licence is valid. For further information visit www.psr.ie.

All rented accommodation must meet basic minimum standards. For example, hot and cold water must be available to the tenant.  

The Local Authority where your tenancy is located can conduct inspections and is responsible for making sure your accommodation meets the minimum standards.  If a landlord does not provide the basic requirements, they may be prosecuted.  

Landlords can also conduct regular inspections of their rented property, but should arrange these inspections with the tenant, providing adequate notice.

Landlords usually ask for a deposit at the start of a tenancy. A landlord cannot seek a deposit that is more than one month’s rent. A landlord also cannot ask you to pay more than one month’s rent in advance.  

However, students in student-specific tenancies can choose to pay a larger upfront payment if they are paying rent and tuition fees to the same provider. 

Once you are happy with the property and the terms of your tenancy agreement, pay the deposit and ask for a receipt that states the amount paid and the date. If possible, avoid paying the deposit in cash. 

The landlord holds the deposit and should return it promptly when the tenancy ends. To get your full deposit back, you should follow the conditions in your tenancy agreement and keep the property in good condition. 

The landlord may keep part or all of the deposit in the following situations: 

• Rent arrears 

• Unpaid bills 

• Damage above normal wear and tear 

• If you have not given enough notice 

From 20 July 2024, you cannot be forced to pay for student-specific accommodation during the summer when you don’t need it. Your tenancy or licence arrangement should not be more than 41 weeks, unless you ask for longer.   

If your landlord does not comply with the 41-week rule, you can report this to the RTB or apply to the RTB’s Dispute Resolution Service. 

If they wish, a student can request to rent for longer than 41 weeks, with the agreement of the SSA provider. 

When a landlord or tenant wants to end their tenancy, they must serve a valid notice of termination and give the minimum statutory notice period. You can find the required notice periods and sample notices of termination on our Ending a Tenancy page. 

There are specific rules for ending a student-specific accommodation tenancy: 

• From 20 July 2024, you can terminate your fixed-term tenancy any time between 1 May and 1 October each year for any reason 

• Outside of these dates, the existing rules about ending a fixed-term tenancy apply and you can only end your tenancy for two specific reasons: 

• The landlord has breached their obligations 

• The lease or tenancy agreement allows specific grounds to terminate the fixed-term tenancy, and those grounds do not breach Part 4 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004  

We encourage tenants to follow the RTB sample notices of termination to ensure that the notice served is legally correct. 

When viewing a property, remember that a landlord or agent cannot discriminate against you because of your gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or race.  

If you feel you have been discriminated against by an accommodation provider, you can contact the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Click here for more information about the equality legislation that covers private rented accommodation. 

The RTB encourages all tenants and landlords to communicate and address issues together. Where this is not possible, the RTB provides a dispute resolution service for landlords and tenants. These services include a free and highly successful mediation service. Disputes can also be determined by an independent adjudicator for 
a fee.

Landlords who have not registered a tenancy cannot avail of RTB Dispute Resolution Services. 

Failure to register a tenancy 

Landlords must register a tenancy with the RTB within one month of its start date. They must re-register on the same date every year after this for as long as the tenancy or licence exists. 

You can check the register of private tenancies and student-specific accommodation tenancies online to see if your tenancy has been registered. Or you can ask the landlord when they will be registering the tenancy. 

To report a potential unregistered tenancy to the RTB, please email enforcement@rtb.ie with a completed Registration Enforcement Referral Form. Or you can leave a voicemail on 0818-303038 and a staff member will call you back. 

Other breaches 
The RTB can also investigate other breaches of rental law by landlords. These include:  

• raising the rent unlawfully in a Rent Pressure Zone 

• failure to update the register when required to do so 

• seeking a greater amount in deposit or an advance payment than is allowed 

• knowingly giving a false or misleading reason for ending a tenancy in a Notice of Termination 

• requesting a tenant in student-specific accommodation to sign a lease or licence of more than 41 weeks, unless requested by the student 

Gardaí are advising people to be wary of rental scams at this time of year when students are returning to college. Rental fraud occurs when a victim pays money to rent accommodation (typically in the form of a deposit) and later discovers that the transaction was fraudulent. For more information visit An Garda Síochána.