Housing

Private Rented Accommodation

What is Private Rented Accommodation?

Renting is an agreement whereby a payment (rent) is made for the temporary residential use of a property owned by another person or company (the landlord). There is usually a written rental agreement or contract involved to specify the terms of the rental, which are regulated and managed under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.

A tenant must pay a regular rent payment to the landlord and in the majority of cases, an upfront deposit is required as a form of secure payment.

What types of tenancies are there?

Traditionally there have been three types of tenancies in Ireland:

  • Periodic Tenancies: this tenancy can be a weekly or monthly agreement depending on when you pay your rent. There is not a fixed amount of time associated with it. They are usually based on informal agreements between the tenant and the landlord
  • Fixed term Tenancies: this type of tenancy is based on a specific period of time set down in a written contract called a lease agreement. It is a legal contract between the tenant and the landlord. The lease sets out the terms of the rental arrangement, e.g. rent amount, term of the agreement, obligations of the tenant and the landlord, what happens if the terms of the agreement are broken
  • Rent a room: this is where a tenant rents a room in the landlord’s home and lives with the landlord. This tenancy is not governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004
  • The standards for privately rented houses are set out in the above legislation.  The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 came into effect on the 1st of April 2019
  • Landlord's Responsibilities: landlords are legally obliged to ensure that their private rented houses (which include a house, flat or an apartment) are maintained in good condition and repair. Landlords are required to ensure that their lettings comply with the Regulations while letting and while available for letting

Contact: Private Rental Accommodation Inspections, Housing Dept, Cork County Council, Floor 4, County Hall, Cork.

Email: housing@corkcoco.ie or use our Online Enquiry Form.