Chapter 1 of 10 · Starting a tenancy · 5 of 9
RTB registration: how to check it and why it matters
How to check the register, what an unregistered tenancy means for your rights and the rent tax credit, and what the RTB does about it.
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 must register every tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board when it begins, and again every year. The fee is €40 per tenancy per year, paid by the landlord, with a late fee of €10 a month. Registration has been annual since 4 April 2022. The RTB's public register shows whether a tenancy at an address is registered, and anyone can search it.
If your landlord has not registered, your rights are not affected. The Act protects the tenancy whether or not the landlord has done their paperwork. What registration does affect is the rent tax credit, which for a tenancy needs the registration number, and it is the reason most tenants go looking for the register. The rent tax credit calculator shows what is at stake for your years and your rent.
This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
How to check the register
The RTB's public register is on rtb.ie. Search by address. The result shows whether a tenancy at that address is registered and for what year; it does not show the landlord's name, the tenant's name or the rent. If the address is there, the tenancy is registered. If it is not, either the landlord has not registered or the registration has not yet reached the public register, which can take a few weeks after a new tenancy begins.
The register is organised by dwelling, so a flat in a subdivided house needs the flat's own address. If you cannot find the address in the form the landlord uses, try the Eircode or the form on your bills.
The register is also worth checking before you sign. A landlord who has let the home before and registered it is a landlord who knows the system. A landlord who has let it for years and never registered it tells you something too. Neither result changes your rights, but the second is a reason to get everything in writing from the first day.
If the address is not there after the first month, ask the landlord in writing for the RTB registration number and keep the request. A registered landlord has the number on the RTB's confirmation letter and has no reason not to give it. The letter builder has a confirm-in-writing letter you can adapt.
What registration gives you
Three things depend on registration in practice.
The rent tax credit. For a tenancy, Revenue's claim asks for the RTB registration number. Without it you cannot claim for that year until the landlord registers. Because the credit can be claimed back four years, a late registration still unlocks the past years. A licence, such as digs or a room in the owner's home, cannot be registered and needs no number. The rent tax credit covers the claim.
The rent record. A registered tenancy carries the rent on the RTB's file. Since 1 March 2026 the rent-setting statement at the start of a tenancy also goes to the RTB, and the RTB's Rent Register is where the three comparables for a rent review come from. A landlord who has not registered has no basis for either.
Evidence of residence. The registration confirmation is a State document with your name and the address, which a bank, Revenue or an immigration application accepts as evidence that you live there.
What an unregistered tenancy means for your rights
Nothing in your favour changes. After six months you have Part 4 security of tenure. The rent can rise by no more than 2% or CPI once in 12 months. The deposit is capped at one month. The landlord must meet the minimum standards and repair. A tenancy ends only by a valid notice of termination with the full notice period. You can refer any dispute to the RTB, and the RTB will hear it.
What changes is on the landlord's side. A landlord who has not registered cannot refer their own dispute to the RTB until they do. A landlord who wants to claim arrears or damages through the RTB must first register and pay the late fees. Since 14 September 2026 the RTB can also issue a fixed payment notice of €100 for a registration breach, and the RTB can prosecute a landlord who fails to register.
If a landlord tells you the tenancy is "not official" because it is not registered, the opposite is true: the tenancy is as real as any other, and the landlord is the one in breach.
Telling the RTB
The RTB wants to know about unregistered tenancies and acts on them. You can tell the RTB in writing, through its website, with the address and the landlord's name. The RTB writes to the landlord, and the late fee and the fixed payment notice follow if the landlord does not act. Your name is not published on the register.
Think about timing. A landlord who is told to register often does, and the tenancy continues. The Act does not let a landlord end a tenancy because the tenant reported them, and a notice served in anger still has to meet s.62 and carry a lawful ground. If a notice does arrive, run it through the notice checker and ring Threshold on 1800 454 454.
What the landlord must do, and when
The landlord registers online with the RTB, giving the address, the landlord's details, the tenants' names, the start date and the rent. The RTB asks for the tenants' PPSNs on the form, which is the one reason a landlord has to ask for yours, and only once the tenancy is agreed. The landlord then renews the registration each year on the anniversary of the tenancy. A change in the rent is notified to the RTB as well.
The fee is €40 a year per tenancy. Registration has been annual since 4 April 2022; before that a single registration lasted the tenancy. The late fee is €10 for each month the registration is late. None of it can be charged to you.
Where this leaves you
Registration is the landlord's duty, at €40 a year, and the public register tells you in a minute whether it has been done. An unregistered tenancy leaves your rights intact and leaves the landlord unable to use the RTB until they pay up. What you lose while it lasts is the rent tax credit, which is worth up to €1,000 a year, or €2,000 for a couple, and can be claimed back four years once the number exists. Check the register, ask for the number in writing, and tell the RTB if nothing happens. Your tenancy file has a place for the number once you have it.
Questions people ask
How do I check if my landlord is registered with the RTB?
Search the RTB's public register on rtb.ie by address. It shows whether a tenancy at that address is registered and the year, not the names or the rent. If the address is not there, the tenancy may be unregistered, or the registration may still be in process; ask the landlord in writing for the registration number.
What if my landlord is not registered with the RTB?
Your rights are unchanged. Security of tenure, the rent cap, the deposit cap and the notice rules all apply, and you can still refer a dispute to the RTB. What you lose is the rent tax credit, which needs the registration number. The landlord faces a late fee and, since 14 September 2026, a fixed payment notice.
Does an unregistered tenancy mean I have no rights?
No. Registration is the landlord's duty, and the Act protects you whether or not they have done it. A landlord who has not registered cannot bring their own dispute to the RTB until they do, so the gap costs them, not you.
How much is RTB registration and who pays?
€40 per tenancy per year, paid by the landlord. Registration has been annual since 4 April 2022. A late registration carries a fee of €10 a month on top. A landlord cannot pass the fee to the tenant.
Can I claim the rent tax credit without an RTB number?
For a tenancy, no. The claim for a tenancy needs the RTB registration number. The exception is a licence, such as digs or a room under the rent-a-room scheme, which cannot be registered and needs no number. Ask the landlord to register; you can claim back four years once they have.