Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)
The Residential Tenancies Board, also known as the RTB, is a public body set up to support and develop a well-functioning rental housing sector. The RTB provides information and assistance to landlords, tenants, and the public on their rental rights and responsibilities, both in terms of living in and providing accommodation in the rental sector.
The RTB is also responsible for keeping a register of all tenancies in Ireland. It is the landlord’s responsibility to register the tenancy and pay the registration fee, if the registration is not done within a month of the tenancy agreement being signed it could result in late payment charges. As part of our management of a property, we will take care of registering any new tenancies.
Since 2004 the RTB has replaced the court for the majority of disputes between landlords and tenants. They offer a dispute service where they will try to resolve any issues between both parties through mediation or adjudication.
The RTB has powers to investigate and sanction landlords who engage in certain breaches of rental law called Improper Conduct, such as increasing the rent by more than is allowed under the calculation set out in the Residential Tenancies Act or ending a tenancy by citing a reason which the landlord did not ultimately act on, amongst others. Investigations can commence either on the basis of information received from a member of the public or proactively by the RTB on the basis of information available to us under the Residential Tenancies Act.
More information available on Home | Residential Tenancies Board (RTB.ie)
Building Energy Rating (BER)
A Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate rates your home’s energy performance on a scale between A and G. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient while G-rated are the least energy efficient. A BER Certificate is a legal requirement to have when selling or renting a property since 2009. More information on BER’s available at Home – Sustainable Energy Authority Of Ireland | SEAI
We have a BER Accessor who we can arrange to carry out a survey on request.
Property Service Regulatory Authority (PSRA)
The Property Service Regulatory Authority (PSRA) is the statutory body with responsibility for licensing and regulating the property services sector. They set out the requirements that all license carriers must meet. They are also responsible for keeping registers for all license holders, property sales prices, and commercial rents. All of these registers are available to the public and can be found at Home – Property Services Regulatory Authority (psr.ie).
Solicitors
While you are looking for a property, you should hire a solicitor to do the conveyancing. Conveyancing is the legal work involved in buying or selling property. Conveyancing charges can vary between solicitors, so it is worth contacting several solicitors to compare prices. You can use the Law Society’s website to find a solicitor in your area. . Or we have a list of local solicitors that we have worked with over the years.
Surveyors
Your solicitor will advise you to organise a survey of any property you are buying. They might be able to recommend someone for you or again, we have a list of local surveyors who we can recommend.