Your landlord is required under law to maintain the exterior and interior of a property and to carry out any necessary repairs in a timely fashion. There are specific regulations, covered below, that define the minimum standards that all rented properties must meet, but as a rule, a landlord has an obligation to maintain a property, including all equipment, in the condition it was in when first rented.

Minimum Standards Regulations

The standards that private rented property must meet are laid out in The Housing (Standards for Rented Housing) Regulations 2008 & 2009. Whilst all the provisions applied to new tenancies in properties let for the first time since 1st February 2009 existing tenancies will be required to comply with all provisions from 1st February 2013. The provisions will see the end of traditional bedsit accommodation and improve requirements for private rented accommodation. Further information on the introduction of provisions in relation to heating, food preparation, storage and cooking facilities and laundry facilities may be downloaded in the document opposite.

Building Energy Rating (BER)

A BER is a measure of the energy performance of a property. From 2009, all rented properties are required to have a BER Cert

Decoration and Improvements

If you intend to repaint, decorate or repair your rented property you must get the permission of your landlord in writing. Your landlord cannot unreasonably withhold permission but can reasonably expect to have the property returned to them in the same condition as when it was first rented. If you do not obtain permission, you risk having your deposit retained when the tenancy ends.

A tenant cannot change the locks.

Pests & Vermin

Your landlord has an obligation to provide storage facilities for waste and to ensure that your property is in good structural condition, ensuring that all external walls do not contain holes or cracks that would allow vermin to enter the property. However, the responsibility to maintain a property vermin-free lies with the occupier. The Environmental Health Officer of your local Health Services Executive may be able to assist in getting rid of an infestation of vermin.

What to do

• If repairs are necessary inform your landlord in writing.
• If your property does not meet minimum standards, you can make a complaint to your local authority, which are responsible for ensuring rented property meets minimums standards.
• If the landlord does not carry out the necessary repairs in a reasonable timeframe, you can serve your landlord with a Notice of Termination on the ground of failure of the landlord to meet their obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004