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Tenant Rights
Under legislation a tenant has the right to:
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a property that is in good condition – this means that it must be structurally sound, have hot and cold water, and adequate heating. The electricity and gas supply must be in good repair and all appliances must be working
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privacy – the landlord can only enter the property with the tenant's permission,
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a receipt or statement or rent book that acknowledges payments made for rent and any other payments (e.g. utilities) made to the landlord
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be served with a valid rent review notice. click here for more information
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be able to contact the landlord or their authorised agent at any reasonable time
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be reimbursed by the landlord for any required repairs the tenant carried out on the property which the landlord failed to undertake within a reasonable timeframe
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be served with a valid Notice of Termination before the end of a tenancy
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refer a dispute to the RTB
Tenant Responsibilities
The person who rents the property is a tenant. While renting a property, a tenant is responsible for:
- Pay their rent in full and on time
- Keep the property in good order and telling the landlord when repairs are needed. Tenants must give the landlord and those carrying out repairs access to fix the maintenance issues
- Ensure they do not harm the property e.g. drying clothes inside without proper ventilation as this may cause damp to spread
- Allow a landlord to carry out inspections of the property at reasonable intervals on an agreed date and at an agreed time with the tenant
- Let the landlord know who is living in the property. A landlord is entitled to know who is living in the property
- Not engaging in anti-social behaviour
- Comply with the terms of the tenancy agreement, whether written or verbal
- Give proper notice when they plan to end the tenancy
- Keep a record of repairs, payments and dealings with the landlord
- Ensure they don’t do anything that could affect the insurance premium on the property e.g. engaging in hazardous acts
For a full overview of both landlord and tenant rental rights and responsibilities, download the Good Landord Tenant Guide in the download section below.
Moving in Checklist
It is a good idea to take photographs of the property before the commencement of a new tenancy, and if possible date them. Similarly, photos should be taken before moving out of the dwelling. This is important should a dispute arise regarding the condition of the property when the tenancy ends
It is important to know the name of the landlord. If dealing with an agent, a tenant is entitled to the full name and contact details of the landlord(s) under the Housing Rent Book Regulations Act 1993. Even if dealing with an agent or landlord representative throughout a tenancy, in the event of a dispute, the tenant can only refer an application for dispute resolution against the landlord. Check the RTB database of dispute resolution outcomes here.
In general in the first six months of a tenancy the landlord or tenant can terminate without a reason but this cannot be done in a fixed term tenancy. Tenants cannot terminate a fixed term lease unless the landlord has not agreed to assign or sublet the tenancy.
The landlord should provide the tenant with their contact details or the contact details of any agent working on their behalf.
We recommend that tenants and landlords search the RTB database for all dispute outcomes before renting a property.