Quick answer: Tenants must give written notice scaled to how long they've rented — from 28 days (under 6 months) up to 112 days (8+ years), or 7 days if the landlord's behaviour creates imminent danger. Landlords must return your deposit within a reasonable time after you leave. If there's a dispute about the deposit, refer it to the RTB — it's free and binding. Important from 1 March 2026: Any Notice of Termination served by a landlord must be copied to the RTB on the same day — failure to do so makes the notice legally invalid.
Notice Periods for Tenants
If you want to leave, you must give your landlord proper written notice:
| Duration of Tenancy | Notice You Must Give |
|---|---|
| Less than 6 months | 28 days |
| 6 months to 1 year | 35 days |
| 1 to 2 years | 42 days |
| 2 to 4 years | 56 days |
| 4 to 8 years | 84 days |
| 8 years or more | 112 days |
| Landlord behaviour creates imminent danger | 7 days (any duration) |
Tenant notice periods are scaled to the length of the tenancy. The rental reforms that took effect on 1 March 2026 under the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 changed many aspects of tenancy law (national rent control, 6-year Tenancies of Minimum Duration), but they did not flatten tenant notice to a single period — the duration-based schedule above still applies. A flat 28-day period applies only in specific situations, such as a landlord ending a tenancy for rent arrears or a serious breach after the required warning notice.
The notice period starts from the date the landlord receives your notice — not the date you send it. Send notice by post (recorded delivery) or email and keep a copy.
How to Give Notice as a Tenant
Your notice to leave must be: - In writing (email is acceptable) - Addressed to the landlord (or their managing agent) - Signed by all tenants on the agreement - Clear about the intended vacation date (based on the correct notice period from the date of receipt)
What to include: - Full address of the property - Date of notice - Your intended move-out date (not sooner than the required notice period from receipt) - A statement that you are giving notice to terminate the tenancy
Notice Periods for Landlords
If the landlord wants to end the tenancy (for a valid legal reason), they must give:
| Duration of Tenancy | Landlord Notice to Tenant |
|---|---|
| Less than 6 months | 90 days |
| 6 months to 1 year | 152 days |
| 1–7 years | 180 days |
| 7–8 years | 196 days |
| More than 8 years | 224 days |
Same-Day RTB Rule: A copy of any Notice of Termination must be sent to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) on the same day it is served to the tenant. Failure to do this renders the notice legally invalid. Landlords can submit via the RTB Service Centre online (which issues an automatic email receipt), by post, or by email to NoticeofTermination@rtb.ie.
The First 6 Months
During the first 6 months of a tenancy, a landlord may end the tenancy without giving a specific reason. However, the landlord must still use a formal Notice of Termination, select a category on the form (e.g. "other reasons"), and copy the RTB on the same day the notice is served.
Valid Legal Reasons — Tenancies Created Before 1 March 2026
For tenancies that began before 1 March 2026, a landlord may end the tenancy (after the first 6 months) for any of the following reasons: - Sale of the property — where the landlord (or their spouse/civil partner) needs the proceeds of sale to provide a principal private residence for themselves or their spouse/civil partner - The landlord requires it for their own use or that of a family member - Significant refurbishment or renovation - Non-payment of rent - Anti-social behaviour or serious breach of obligations
Tyrrelstown amendment: Where a landlord proposes to sell 10 or more properties in the same development within a 6-month period, the sale must generally proceed with the tenants remaining in situ — the tenancies transfer to the new owner rather than being terminated. It does not give tenants a right to buy their home. A landlord can be exempted only by showing that selling with tenants in place would reduce the price by more than 20% of vacant market value, or would otherwise cause undue hardship. This provision — a response to large-scale investor exits — is sometimes called the Tyrrelstown amendment. Threshold can advise if you think this applies to your situation.
Valid Legal Reasons — Tenancies Created On or After 1 March 2026
From 1 March 2026, all new tenancies are Tenancies of Minimum Duration (TMD) — 6-year cycles that renew automatically. The grounds on which a landlord may end a tenancy depend on whether they are a large landlord or a small landlord.
Large Landlords (registered companies, or landlords with 4 or more tenancies):
Large landlords may only end a tenancy for: 1. Tenant breach of obligations (e.g. non-payment of rent, anti-social behaviour) 2. The property is no longer suitable for the tenant's accommodation needs
Large landlords cannot end a tenancy for sale, refurbishment, or to use the property themselves.
Small Landlords (individuals with 1–3 tenancies):
During the 6-year TMD cycle, small landlords may end a tenancy for: 1. Tenant breach of obligations 2. The property is no longer suitable for the tenant's needs 3. Sale of the property, where the landlord can demonstrate undue financial hardship (e.g. separation, homelessness, bankruptcy) 4. The landlord or an immediate family member needs to live in the property
At the end of a 6-year TMD cycle, small landlords may also end the tenancy to sell the property without needing to prove hardship.
Sale with Tenant in Situ
A landlord of any size can sell a property at any time if the tenant remains in situ (living in the property). The new owner effectively steps into the shoes of the previous landlord — the tenancy, and any remaining time in the 6-year TMD cycle, continues uninterrupted under the new ownership.
Service of Notices (Tenancies from 1 March 2026)
For tenancies created on or after 1 March 2026, a Notice of Termination may be served via email or other electronic means, provided there is a system-generated record confirming the notice was sent to an address regularly used by the recipient.
Rent Arrears — Two-Stage Termination Procedure
Where the reason for termination is non-payment of rent, the landlord must follow a two-stage process:
- Stage 1 — 28-day warning notice: The landlord serves a written notice on the tenant stating that the rent is overdue and that the tenancy will be terminated unless rent is paid within 28 days. A copy of this warning notice must be sent to the RTB on the same day.
- Stage 2 — Notice of Termination: If rent remains unpaid after the 28-day warning period, the landlord may then serve a formal Notice of Termination (which must also be copied to the RTB on the same day it is served).
Skipping Stage 1 or failing to copy the RTB renders either notice legally invalid.
The Stage 2 Notice of Termination for arrears gives a flat 28 days, regardless of how long the tenant has rented. If the tenant pays the full arrears within the 28-day warning period at Stage 1, the tenancy continues and termination does not proceed. And note the shorter dispute clock: a tenant has only 28 days to dispute a termination for arrears (rather than the usual 90), so both sides need to act quickly. Landlords reluctantly going through this for the first time should also read the accidental-landlord guide.
Fixed-Term Leases
If you signed a fixed-term lease (e.g. for 12 months), you are generally committed for the full term. You may: - Surrender the lease early — requires the landlord's written consent - Assign the lease — find a replacement tenant acceptable to the landlord
Leaving without consent before the lease ends may result in you owing the landlord rent for the remaining term of the lease.
Getting Your Deposit Back
Your landlord must return the deposit within a reasonable time of the tenancy ending. In practice, most deposits are returned within 2–4 weeks of moving out.
Lawful deductions are limited to: - Unpaid rent — any rent outstanding at the end of the tenancy - Damage beyond normal wear and tear — broken fixtures, holes in walls, carpet burns - Other breaches — e.g. costs arising from specific breaches of the tenancy agreement
What cannot be deducted: - Normal wear and tear (minor scuffs, faded paint, worn carpets in an older property) - The cost of professional cleaning unless the property was left in a clearly dirtier state than on move-in
Move-Out Checklist
To maximise chances of getting your full deposit back:
- Clean the entire property thoroughly — oven, bathroom, kitchen surfaces
- Remove all belongings — items left behind can be charged for removal
- Make minor repairs — fill picture hook holes, replace broken fixtures
- Return all keys (including any additional copies made)
- Keep copies of utility bills and meter readings from day one and move-out day
- Request a move-out inspection with the landlord — if possible, do a joint walkthrough
Compare the property's condition to your move-in photographs — the landlord can only deduct for deterioration beyond normal wear since move-in.
Disputing a Notice of Termination
If you believe a Notice of Termination served by your landlord is invalid, you have 90 days from the date you receive the notice to refer a dispute to the RTB. If the notice was served because of a breach of your obligations as a tenant, this window is reduced to 28 days.
File a dispute online at rtb.ie. The service is free and the RTB's determination is legally binding.
Disputing Deposit Deductions
If the landlord makes deductions you believe are unfair:
- Respond in writing, disputing the specific deductions and explaining why
- If unresolved, refer the dispute to the RTB — file a dispute online at rtb.ie. The service is free. Time limits apply — file promptly after the dispute arises.
- The RTB adjudicates and issues a legally binding determination
Keep all your evidence: move-in photographs, move-out photographs, written communications, receipts.
Key Points
- Always give written notice — verbal notice is not legally sufficient.
- The notice period starts from when the landlord receives your notice.
- On a fixed-term lease, you may be liable for rent until the end of the term unless the landlord agrees to release you.
- The deposit can only be deducted for unpaid rent, genuine damage, or specific breaches — not normal wear and tear.
- Any Notice of Termination served by a landlord must be copied to the RTB on the same day — or it is legally invalid.
- For new tenancies from 1 March 2026, the grounds on which a landlord can terminate depend on whether they are a large (company or 4+ tenancies) or small (1–3 tenancies) landlord.
- Tenants have 90 days to dispute a Notice of Termination at the RTB (28 days if served for a breach of obligations).
- RTB dispute resolution is free and binding.
Common Questions
Q: How much notice do I need to give if I want to leave after 2 years? 56 days. Tenant notice is scaled to how long you've rented — 28 days under 6 months, 35 days from 6 months to 1 year, 42 days from 1 to 2 years, 56 days from 2 to 4 years, 84 days from 4 to 8 years, and 112 days at 8 years or more. (The 1 March 2026 reforms did not change this.) Send written notice recording the date so there's no dispute about when it was received.
Q: My landlord is keeping my deposit — what can I do? Respond in writing asking for an itemised breakdown of any deductions. If the explanation is unsatisfactory or the landlord doesn't respond, file a dispute with the RTB — it's free and handles deposit disputes as one of its core functions. The RTB can order the landlord to return the deposit. Act promptly: time limits apply.
Q: Can my landlord deduct for professional cleaning at the end of a tenancy? Only if the property was left in a materially dirtier state than it was at move-in (taking into account fair wear). A spotlessly clean property on move-in day means a high bar for the landlord to justify cleaning charges. Your move-in photographs documenting the initial condition are your key evidence.
Q: My landlord has 5 properties — can they end my tenancy to sell their apartment? Not if your tenancy started on or after 1 March 2026. A landlord with 4 or more tenancies is classified as a large landlord and cannot terminate for sale. They can only end the tenancy if you breach your obligations or the property is no longer suitable for your needs.
Q: I received a Notice of Termination but my landlord didn't send a copy to the RTB — is it valid? No. For any Notice of Termination to be legally valid, the landlord must send a copy to the RTB on the same day the notice is served to the tenant. A notice not copied to the RTB on the same day is invalid and you are not required to vacate.