Chapter 1 of 10 · Starting a tenancy · 2 of 9
References: what a landlord may ask for
Bank statements, PPSN, work permits, employer letters: what is reasonable, what is not, and the data-protection rules that apply.
Checked 27 OCT 2026 · 4 sourcesWritten in plain English for the person paying the rent. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
A landlord in Ireland may ask a prospective tenant for enough to decide two things: who you are, and whether you can pay the rent. Photo identification, a reference from a previous landlord, and an employer's letter or payslips answer both. Beyond that, data protection law says a landlord should collect only what is necessary, and the Equal Status Acts say what a landlord may not take into account at all.
The law here comes from three places. The Residential Tenancies Act is silent on references, so there is no list of documents a landlord may demand. The General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Commission's guidance for landlords limit what personal data can be collected and for how long it can be kept. The Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2015 make it unlawful to refuse a tenant on ten grounds, including receipt of HAP. The move-in checklist lists the documents worth having ready.
This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only, and the applicant's side of the question. References for your next tenancy covers getting a reference from the landlord you are leaving.
What is reasonable to ask for
| Asked for | Reasonable? | What to offer |
|---|---|---|
| Photo identification | Yes | Passport, driving licence or IRP card, shown rather than copied where possible |
| Previous landlord's reference | Yes | A letter or a contact who will confirm you paid the rent and left the home in good order |
| Employer's letter or payslips | Yes | Confirmation of your job and income; two or three payslips |
| Proof of income for self-employed | Yes | A Revenue statement or an accountant's letter |
| Bank statements | Sometimes | A statement with the balance visible and the transactions redacted, or payslips instead |
| PPSN | Only on signing | For the RTB registration form, not at the viewing |
| Work permit or immigration papers | No, beyond identification | An IRP card is identification; your status is not the landlord's to vet |
| Information about HAP or social welfare | No, as a reason to refuse | A landlord may not refuse you because of HAP |
| Photographs of you, social media, relationship status | No | Nothing; the request has no lawful purpose |
The right question for any request is what the landlord needs it for. Identity and ability to pay are lawful purposes. Curiosity, a screen for nationality or family, and a store of documents "for the file" are not.
Bank statements
The most searched question is whether a landlord can ask for bank statements, and the honest answer is that nothing stops them asking. What the law does is limit what they can require. The Data Protection Commission has said that landlords should seek only the information needed to assess an application, and that full bank statements, which show everything you spend money on, are usually more than that.
A reasonable middle course is to offer the landlord what answers their question: an employer's letter, recent payslips, or a bank statement with the balance and your name visible and the transactions blacked out. Most landlords and agents accept that. If an agent insists on full statements, ask in writing what they are needed for and how long they will be kept; a written answer tends to shorten the list.
Whatever you provide, provide copies rather than originals, write "for rental application at [address]" across each page, and ask for the documents to be destroyed if your application does not go ahead.
The PPSN
A tenant's PPSN appears on one form: the RTB's tenancy registration, which the landlord completes after the tenancy is agreed. That is the only reason a landlord has to ask for it, and the Department of Social Protection's rules on the PPSN say it should not be requested for anything else. A landlord or agent who asks for your PPSN at the viewing, or as a condition of being considered, is asking too early. Say that you will give it on signing, for the registration, and leave it at that.
What a landlord may not take into account
The Equal Status Acts bar discrimination in the provision of accommodation on ten grounds. They are gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, membership of the Traveller community, and housing assistance. The race ground includes nationality and ethnic origin. The housing assistance ground was added in 2016 and covers HAP, Rent Supplement and other social housing supports.
In practice that means a landlord or agent may not advertise "no HAP", "professionals only" as a code for no HAP, "no children" or "no foreigners". Nor may they refuse you on any of those grounds once you have applied. A landlord may still choose between applicants on lawful grounds, such as the reference and the ability to pay, so the Acts do not get you the home; they bar the unlawful reason.
A complaint under the Equal Status Acts goes to the Workplace Relations Commission, not the RTB. You must first write to the landlord or agent within two months of the refusal, on the form the WRC provides, and then lodge the complaint within six months. The WRC can award compensation. Social housing support and the HAP rule covers the HAP ground in full.
How long they can keep your documents
Under the GDPR, a landlord or agent may keep the personal data they collected only for as long as they need it for the purpose they collected it for. For an unsuccessful applicant that purpose ends when the home is let. Ask for the documents to be deleted, and keep a note of the request. You have the right to ask what data is held about you, and the Data Protection Commission handles complaints.
For the tenant who gets the home, the landlord keeps what the tenancy needs: your name, the tenancy agreement, the deposit record and the rent record. The bank statements and payslips from the application have done their job and can be deleted on request.
Getting your own documents ready
Being ready shortens the list. Have a reference from your current landlord before you start viewing, a letter from your employer dated within the last month, and photo identification. If you are new to the country, an employer's letter and a bank statement with the balance showing stand in for a landlord's reference. Renting on a work permit or as a new arrival covers what to bring.
A landlord who asks for a deposit or any money before you have signed, or before you have seen the inside of the home, is a different problem. Rental scams in Ireland sets out the signs.
Where this leaves you
A landlord may ask for what shows who you are and that you can pay: identification, a previous landlord's reference, and an employer's letter or payslips. Bank statements can be offered with the transactions redacted, and the PPSN waits until signing. A landlord may not refuse you because of HAP, nationality, family or any of the other grounds in the Equal Status Acts, and a refusal on one of them is a complaint to the WRC. Ask in writing what any unusual request is for, give copies rather than originals, and ask for them to be destroyed if you do not get the home. If a request feels like a screen for something unlawful, Threshold on 1800 454 454 will tell you whether it is.
Questions people ask
Can a landlord ask for bank statements in Ireland?
A landlord may ask for evidence that you can pay the rent, and some ask for bank statements. Data protection law says they should ask for no more than they need. Payslips, an employer's letter or a statement with the balance visible and the transactions blacked out usually answer the question. You can offer those instead.
Can a landlord ask for my PPSN?
Not to decide your application. The one reason a landlord needs a tenant's PPSN is the RTB registration form, which is completed after the tenancy is agreed. A landlord who asks for it at the viewing stage is asking too early, and you can say you will provide it on signing.
Can a landlord refuse me because I am on HAP?
No. The Equal Status Acts bar discrimination on the housing assistance ground. A landlord or agent may not refuse you, or advertise "no HAP", because you receive or will apply for the Housing Assistance Payment or Rent Supplement. A complaint goes to the Workplace Relations Commission.
Can a landlord ask to see my work permit or immigration status?
A landlord may ask for photo identification. Treating you less favourably because of your nationality or ethnicity is discrimination on the race ground under the Equal Status Acts. An IRP card is identification like a passport; a landlord does not get to vet your permission to be in the State.
What references does a landlord usually want?
A reference from your current or previous landlord, a letter from your employer confirming your job and income, and photo identification. Some ask for a character reference. None of these is required by law, but they are what a landlord reasonably needs to decide between applicants.