J3 · 5 steps
I want my deposit back
There is no deposit protection scheme in Ireland: the landlord holds the money, the Act says it must be returned promptly, and the RTB decides the arguments. The deposit is won or lost on evidence gathered before you hand back the keys. Five steps, starting before you leave.
Checked 27 OCT 2026Photograph every room, every wall and every appliance with the date showing, and the meters. Return the keys with a dated note or by hand with a witness. Pay the rent and the bills to the end and keep the receipts.
Arrears and unpaid bills are the two deductions the Act plainly allows; photographs settle the rest.
A short letter the day you leave: the amount, the address, your bank details, and a date by which you expect it. Email it and keep the sent copy. The letter builder writes it from your answers.
A landlord may deduct rent arrears, bills you owed under the agreement, and the cost of damage beyond normal wear and tear. A landlord may not deduct for wear and tear, for cleaning to a higher standard than you found the place, or for their own refurbishment. The deposit tool does the sorting line by line.
Mediation is free and private; adjudication costs €30 and has been public since 14 September 2026. The RTB's published averages say how long each takes. In the published data, deposit retention is one of the largest dispute categories and the tenant succeeds in most full-retention cases.
The agreement, the inventory, the move-in and move-out photographs, the meter readings, the rent and bill receipts, the keys note, the request letter and every message about the deposit, in date order. The deposit tool prints the list.
Questions people ask
How many days does the landlord have to return the deposit?
The Act says promptly and gives no number of days. In practice a written request with a date, followed by an RTB application if nothing happens, is the route. The tool suggests 14 days as a planning figure for the letter.
Can the landlord keep the deposit because I left before the fixed term ended?
Only for actual loss, such as rent for the period the home stood empty while they looked for a new tenant, and only if you had no lawful way out. A break clause, or an assignment request the landlord refused, lets you leave on the normal notice without penalty.
What if I never got an inventory or took photographs?
The landlord has to show the damage and that it went beyond wear and tear. Without a move-in record of their own, their claim is harder to prove. Gather what you have: messages, the advertisement, anyone who saw the place.
Is there a deposit protection scheme?
No. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 provided for one and it has never been commenced. The changes page tracks it.