TenantWise

Chapter 7 · The RTB process

The RTB process: mediation, adjudication, tribunal

Self-resolution first, then free telephone mediation, which is private; then adjudication, which costs €30, is binding, and has been public since 14 September 2026; then an appeal to a three-person tribunal within 10 working days. A determination order is enforced through the District Court, and the RTB can take the case for you. This site links the RTB's own forms and never files anything for anyone: it is not the RTB.

Checked 27 OCT 2026 · the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2026

Public hearings. Since 14 September 2026 adjudication hearings are public and the published report names both parties and the address. Mediation stays private. Choose between them knowing that.

The steps, in order

  1. 01Do not move out yet, and do not stop paying rent
  2. 02Check the notice against what the Act requires
  3. 03Work out the notice period you are owed
  4. 04If the tenancy began on or after 1 March 2026, find out the landlord's size
  5. 05Ring Threshold with the notice in front of you
  6. 06If anything is wrong, apply to the RTB in time
  7. 07If the ground is a sale, ask about tenant in situ the same week
  8. 08Put the dates in your tenancy file and your calendar

The tools

ToolFreeIs my notice valid, and what is the last day?Notice of termination checkerEnter your tenancy start date and the notice you received. Get the notice period the Act requires, the earliest lawful date, your dispute deadline, and the list of what a valid notice must contain against your answers.Check my notice →ToolFreeWhat should I get back, and how do I ask?Deposit returnWhat the Act lets a landlord keep and what it does not, line by line against the deductions claimed, the request letter, and the free and €30 RTB routes.Work out my deposit →ToolFreeWhere do I keep my dates and my letters?My tenancyA private file in your own browser: your start date, the notices and their deadlines, each rent review and its cap check, repairs, letters and the deposit record. No account, no upload.Open my file →

The guides

  1. Appealing to an RTB tribunal within 10 working daysThe deadline, the fee, the new evidence rule, the three-person panel and the published report.
  2. Determination orders and enforcement in the District CourtWhat an order is, the landlord who ignores it, how the RTB can take the case for you, and the Circuit Court route.
  3. How to make an RTB dispute applicationThe online form, the fee, what to upload, the evidence rules and what happens after you apply. Links to the RTB's own portal; nothing is filed here.
  4. Mediation, adjudication or tribunal: which to choosePrivate and free, or public and binding. How each works, how long each takes, and when a tribunal is worth it.
  5. RTB damages: what is actually awardedThe €20,000 cap, the published averages, proven loss versus distress, and the receipts that change the figure.
  6. RTB evidence: what to bring and how to present itPhotographs, messages, the rent book, the notice, witnesses. How to order it, what the adjudicator looks for, and what not to send.
  7. RTB fees and time limitsMediation free, adjudication €30, tribunal €30 or €85. 90 days for a notice, 28 for a breach notice, 10 working days to appeal.
  8. RTB hearings are public since 14 September 2026Adjudication reports now name both parties and the address. What that means for you, and why mediation stays private.

Questions people ask

How much does an RTB dispute cost?

Mediation is free. Adjudication costs €30. An appeal to a tribunal costs €30 after mediation or €85 after adjudication. There is no fee to respond to an application made against you.

How long does an RTB dispute take?

In 2024 the averages were 7 weeks for mediation, 17 weeks for adjudication and 15 weeks for a tribunal. Your own case can be faster or slower; the RTB publishes current figures.

Are RTB hearings public?

Adjudication hearings are public for applications made from 14 September 2026, with a weekly hearing list, and the published report names both parties, the address, the evidence and the outcome. Mediation is private and its outcomes are not published.

What is the time limit for an RTB dispute?

90 days from receipt to dispute a notice of termination (28 for a breach notice), 28 days to challenge a rent review before the new rent starts, and generally six years for other matters. The RTB may accept a late application in limited cases.

What happens if the landlord ignores a determination order?

The order can be enforced through the District Court, and the RTB can take the enforcement case for you. Damages for illegal eviction and other breaches are capped at €20,000; the published average is far lower, because the RTB compensates proven loss.

Ask a solicitor

Not sure what to do next with your tenancy?

Say what has happened and when. One partner solicitor firm, regulated by the Law Society of Ireland, gets your details and nobody else does.

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What is it about?Choose one to begin

Information, not advice. The law changed twice in 2026 and can change again; no page here can say what the RTB will decide in your case, whether a notice is valid or what a landlord will do. Last checked 2026-10-27. TenantWise is an independent site, not connected with the Residential Tenancies Board, Revenue, the Department of Housing, any local authority, Threshold or any landlord body. It is not a solicitor, a letting agent, a landlord, a deposit scheme or an advice service. It covers the Republic of Ireland only. Before you act, ring Threshold, which is free, or talk to a solicitor.