Registering a tenancy

Landlords must register residential tenancies with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) every year and update the RTB if information about a tenancy changes.

The RTB uses this information to keep a public register of tenancies. The register shows the address of the property and the number of bedrooms. It does not show the identity of the landlord or the tenants, or the amount of rent paid.

Since 4 April 2022, landlords have to register their tenancies annually. Tenancies must be registered every year, within a month of the date of when the tenancy began. If you are late registering a tenancy, late fees will apply. However, you do not have to pay late fees for certain tenancies at the moment, as there have been issues registering over the last few months. See How much does it cost to register below for more information.

The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 sets out the requirement for tenancies to be registered annually.

Under residential tenancies legislation most privately rented properties must be registered with the RTB. This includes properties rented out by approved housing bodies and student-specific accommodation.

Residential tenancies legislation does not apply to the following types of rented property, so they do not need to register tenancies with the RTB:

• Business lettings
• Holiday lettings
• Formerly rent-controlled properties or long-occupation lease tenancies – separate legislation applies to them
• Owner-occupied accommodation (for example, if you rent a room in your landlord's home)
• Properties in which the spouse, parent or child of the landlord lives. This applies to informal family arrangements where there is no tenancy agreement in writing. However, the legislation does cover formal agreements between family members, for example, where a lease has been signed
• Social housing provided by local authorities (though, as noted above, the voluntary housing sector is included)

Landlords are responsible for registering tenancies. New tenancies must be registered within a month of the start of the tenancy. Then, landlords must register the tenancy every year that the tenancy continues. This must be done within a month of the date of when the tenancy began.

For example, if a new tenancy begins on 4 July 2022, the landlord must register the tenancy by 3 August 2022 (within one month of the tenancy start date). If the tenancy continues for the next 12 months, the landlord must register the tenancy again by 3 August 2023, and then every year by 3 August while the tenancy continues.

Annual registration has applied since 4 April 2022. The RTB will remind landlords when their tenancy is due for annual registration, if they have up-to-date contact information for the landlord.

The tenant must give their details to the landlord, including their Personal Public Service Number (PPS Number) so the landlord can register the tenancy.

Private landlords and approved housing bodies must supply the following information when registering:

• The address of the rented home
• The name, address and PPS Number of the landlord (or registered number, if a company)
• The approved housing body (AHB) number, if a housing association
• The name and PPS Number of each tenant
• A description of the property (for example, a 2-reception, 3-bedroom semi-detached house)
• The date the tenancy started
• The rent and how often it is paid
• The local authority area the property is located in
• The term of the lease if it is a fixed-term lease
• Whether it is a sub-letting
• Building Energy Rating (BER) if applicable
• Details of any management company or authorised agent

The RTB website has a checklist of the information you need to provide when registering a tenancy.

The RTB needs additional information when registering student-specific accommodation, so it uses a slightly different process. For more information about registering student-specific accommodation see the RTB’s website.

Changes in rent

If the amount of rent changes, the landlord must tell the RTB of the change within one month. Read more in our document on rent increases.

The RTB can take action (including criminal proceedings) against landlords who do not notify the RTB about changes in rent.

Is my tenancy registered?

You can view the public register to check that your tenancy has been registered. The RTB can take action against landlords who do not register tenancies. Read more on the RTB’s website.

Even if your landlord hasn’t registered your tenancy, you can still use the RTB’s dispute resolution service. Landlords can only use this service if they have registered the tenancy.

Information sharing

The RTB can share information with local authorities, which enforce the regulations relating to standards and rent books. It can also share information with the Department of Social Protection and the Revenue Commissioners.

The fees for registering a tenancy with the RTB changed on 4 April 2022, when annual registration began. The fees are different depending on the type of tenancy. For example, the fee to register an AHB tenancy is different to the fee to register a private rented tenancy. There are certain exemptions from annual registration fees, see 'Exemptions from annual registration fees' below.

Late fees

If you are late registering a tenancy, late fees apply for each month that the registration is late. However, late fees do not apply for most tenancies at the moment. If you have paid late fees under the new registration system, you will be refunded. Pausing of late fees has been introduced because landlords have had issues registering tenancies using the new annual system.

Late fees do not apply to:

• New registrations where the tenancy began after the 11 November 2022
• Annual registrations of existing tenancies which were due after 11 November 2022

Late fees will be refunded to:

• Landlords who have not yet registered a tenancy which was due to be registered between 4 April 2022 and 12 November 2022. In this situation late fees will be charged and then refunded.
• Landlords who have already paid late fees for registering new or existing tenancies under the new annual registration system.

You still have to pay any late fees that apply from before annual registration began on 4 April 2022.

The pausing of late fees does not apply to tenancies in student-specific accommodation.

For more information about late registration fees and the current pausing of these charges, see rtb.ie.

Registration fees for private, student-specific and cost rental tenancies

The basic fee for registering a private rented, student-specific or cost rental tenancy with the RTB is €40 a year. This applies if the RTB gets the completed application within a month of the start of the tenancy. There is a late fee of €10 per month for each month that the registration is late. Late fees are currently paused for most tenancies, see 'Late fees' above.

If you are registering up to 10 tenancies in the same building at the same time, you can pay a combined fee of €170, if you register on time.

Registration fees for approved housing bodies (AHBs)

The standard fee for registering an AHB tenancy is €20 a year. This rate applies if the tenancy is registered within a month of the start of the tenancy. There is a late fee of €5 per month for each month that the registration is late. Late fees are currently paused for most tenancies, see 'Late fees' above. If you are registering up to 10 AHB tenancies in the same building you can pay a combined fee of €85, if you register them on time.

Exemptions from annual registration fees

There is no fee if you have to register a new tenancy for rented accommodation that has already been registered in the last 12 months. This only applies if you register the new tenancy within a month of the start of the tenancy.

Before annual registration, tenancies were registered each time a new tenancy began. For example, when new tenants moved in under a new lease. An ongoing tenancy was also re-registered after 6 years. This is known as a ‘Further Part 4’ tenancy.

There is a temporary exemption from annual registration fees for landlords who have ‘Further Part 4’ tenancies. This means they do not have to pay annual registration fees for the time remaining on their ‘Further Part 4’ tenancy. So, if there are 3 years left on a ‘Further Part 4’ tenancy, the landlord does not have to pay annual registration fees for those 3 years. The tenancy must still be registered annually.

This temporary annual registration fee waiver is set out in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2021.

For more information on annual registration and the temporary fee exemption, see the RTB’s website and their Annual Registration Guidance for Landlords and Tenants (pdf).

Penalties for not registering a tenancy with the RTB

Landlords who do not register a tenancy can be fined up to €4,000 and face imprisonment for up to 6 months on conviction. A further penalty of €250 for each day of non-registration can be applied. In addition, the landlord will also have to pay the RTB's legal costs. Read more about these penalties on the RTB’s website.

You can register a tenancy online or by post or email.

You register online using the RTB’s new online system. You need to create an RTB online account before you can register a tenancy. You can get information on the RTB’s website about how to do this. If you need to create an online account for an approved housing body (AHB) you should contact AHB@rtb.ie.

To register a tenancy by post or email you download the Tenancy Registration Application Form (pdf), complete it and send it back to the RTB. You can return it by post to the RTB’s address below or email it to registrations@rtb.ie. You should keep a copy of the form and proof of postage.

There is a different process for registering tenancies in student-specific accommodation. See the RTB’s website for information on how to do this.

If you have questions about the registration process you can email registrations@rtb.ie.

When a tenancy has been registered and the fees paid the RTB will send letters to the landlord and tenants confirming that the tenancy has been registered.

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