Yes, landlords in Ireland must be registered with the RTB (Residential Tenancies Board), annually, under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and subsequent amendments.

In Northern Ireland, all private landlords must be registered with the relevant local council.

They must update their registration annually (or every 3yrs in the North), and/or whenever there is a change of tenancy. It is illegal for them to rent a property and not register it as such. You can contact your local council’s Environmental Health office, if in the north, or the RTB in the south to report an unregistered property. Fines and criminal conviction can follow for the landlord.

You can check if they’re registered by requesting their landlord/RTB registration number.

If your landlord is not registered, it’s likely they’re avoiding taxes/fees, have illegalities in their tenancy agreement with you, or are refusing to comply with rent pressure zone legislation. It leaves you more open to exploitation and harassment and can add complications when taking out a mortgage/loan or officially registering your address. You can still take a case through local authority/RTB systems even when the landlord is not registered – you still have tenants rights.

CATU has assisted hundreds of members in getting repairs done, prevented illegal evictions, got deposits returned and appliances replaced, even when their landlord isn’t registered. We’ve also assisted members in taking cases against them (though this can be a lengthy process). The best way of pressuring landlords into living up to their care/maintenance responsibilities is through community strength and direct action through a tenants union.

Members should bring any issues they’re having with their landlord to their branch officers, or national staff, to build a timeline of steps to having your housing issues resolved, up to and including local council/RTB cases.

(These landlord registration laws do not apply to local authority housing or when tenants are immediate family members of the landlord)

Yes, your landlord has a number of responsibilities in regard to the maintenance, upkeep and safety of the property in which you live. Where they fail to do so, you can serve them 28 days’ notice for breach of obligations, where the repairs are urgent (dangerous, damaging to your health or causing a lot of discomfort), these should be resolved in no more than five days.

In Northern Ireland, landlords are responsible for the water, gas, electricity and sanitation installations and appliances, as well as fixtures, fittings or furnishings on the tenancy agreement. Landlords must be notified of any issues before they’re obliged to repair.

The time in which the landlord can visit and assess the damage is still to be decided by the tenant. A tenant has additional protections to set times for repairs to be carried out.

As often happens, any repairs/inspection carried out by the landlord or their contractors which causes additional damage, the landlord is legally obliged to repair that damage also.

Landlords are often reluctant to make repairs or replace broken appliances, the fastest way of having these issues addressed is with the support of your community and tenants union. CATU members have been through the exact issues you’re dealing with and won by fighting for them together.

Overholding is a breach of your tenancy agreement, whether you signed one or not.

However, since the end of the eviction ban in the south, overholding has become a popular tactic of last resort when facing homelessness and CATU has assisted numerous members with this process.

It is recommended you continue paying your rent while overholding (where possible) to avoid additional rent arrears, and take a case to RTB / local councils to demand continued accommodation due to impending homelessness.

If you are facing an illegal or invalid eviction, overholding will allow you to remain in your home while a case is taken to the RTB / local council.

Where a landlord, either verbally or in writing, withdraws a Notice of Termination during overholding, the tenancy will then continue.

You are legally entitled to a rent book, or similar, which notes rent payments and financial exchanges.

Whether you are paying online or in person, you are entitled to a written receipt of each payment of rent.

It is against the law for your landlord to refuse to give you a rent book. You can take a complaint to your local council / authority (or RTB if they are registered).

In the North of Ireland, the council can prosecute a landlord who doesn’t give a tenant:

• a rent book
• a statement of tenancy terms

The rent book should include the name and address of the landlord, the rent (and rates if applicable) payable and when it is due, and details of any other payments you should make (the landlord must provide this within 28 days of the tenancy beginning).

The statement of tenancy terms should also be provided within 28 days of the tenancy beginning.

Your landlord cannot enter your home without your permission. Nether can their family members nor contractors. You have a right to a peaceful home and tenancy, and to your personal privacy.

Even when you are abroad or on a trip, your landlord can not enter without your consent.

You as a tenant decide with the landlord when they can visit, where needed.

Some exemptions to this rule apply in case of emergencies.

Yes, CATU represents thousands of people across the island of Ireland. We have staff members and branches across Northern Ireland.

Legally, is it recommended that you never withhold your rent. However many of our members have found it a useful tool in getting repairs done or issues addressed by negligent landlords, especially since RTB / local council cases can be quite lengthy.

Whenever withholding rent, or going on a rent strike, we would recommend that you continue to save the unpaid rent and have ready to address any arrears when the negotiation with your landlord comes to an end.

You are very vulnerable when withholding your rent by yourself. You will have a much better chance taking on your landlord with the support of your community and local tenants union.

CATU has previously been able to support members in moving to a more appropriate emergency accommodation, applied pressure to local councils, helped to address poor housing conditions from charity housing providers and more. Monthly membership dues can be waived for emergency housing or direct provision. Please see our join page for more details.

CATU however is not a provider of housing or of homeless support services. Our primary goal is to work with you to remain in your home, resist evictions, overhold, occupy and prevent homelessness through any means possible.

If homelessness is imminent, the below organisations can offer further guidance and direction to support services: https://threshold.ie/get-help