Residential Tenancies Act 2004

Obligations of tenants.

16

16.—In addition to the obligations arising by or under any other enactment, a tenant of a dwelling shall—

(a) pay to the landlord or his or her authorised agent (or any other person where required to do so by any enactment)—

(i) the rent provided for under the F36[tenancy agreement] on the date it falls due for payment, F37[]

(ii) where the lease or tenancy agreement provides that any charges or taxes are payable by the tenant, pay those charges or taxes in accordance with the lease or tenancy agreement (unless provision to that effect in the lease or tenancy agreement is unlawful or contravenes any F36[other enactment), and]

F38[(iii) the deposit, if any, provided for under the tenancy agreement,]

(b) ensure that no act or omission by the tenant results in there not being complied with the obligations of the landlord, under any enactment, in relation to the dwelling or the tenancy (and in particular, the landlord’s obligations under regulations under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992),

(c) allow, at reasonable intervals, the landlord, or any person or persons acting on the landlord's behalf, access to the dwelling (on a date and time agreed in advance with the tenant) for the purposes of inspecting the dwelling,

(d) notify the landlord or his or her authorised agent of any defect that arises in the dwelling that requires to be repaired so as to enable the landlord comply with his or her obligations, in relation to the dwelling or the tenancy, under any enactment,

(e) allow the landlord, or any person or persons acting on the landlord's behalf, reasonable access to the dwelling for the purposes of allowing any works (the responsibility for the carrying out of which is that of the landlord) to be carried out,

(f) not do any act that would cause a deterioration in the condition the dwelling was in at the commencement of the tenancy, but there shall be disregarded, in determining whether this obligation has been complied with at a particular time, any deterioration in that condition owing to normal wear and tear, that is to say wear and tear that is normal having regard to—

(i) the time that has elapsed from the commencement of the tenancy,

(ii) the extent of occupation of the dwelling the landlord must have reasonably foreseen would occur since that commencement, and

(iii) any other relevant matters,

(g) if paragraph (f) is not complied with, take such steps as the landlord may reasonably require to be taken for the purpose of restoring the dwelling to the condition mentioned in paragraph (f) or to defray any costs incurred by the landlord in his or her taking such steps as are reasonable for that purpose,

(h) not behave within the dwelling, or in the vicinity of it, in a way that is anti-social or allow other occupiers of, or visitors to, the dwelling to behave within it, or in the vicinity of it, in such a way,

(i) not act or allow other occupiers of, or visitors to, the dwelling to act in a way which would result in the invalidation of a policy of insurance in force in relation to the dwelling,

(j) if any act of the tenant’s, or any act of another occupier of, or visitor to, the dwelling which the tenant has allowed to be done, results in an increase in the premium payable under a policy of insurance in force in relation to the dwelling, pay to the landlord an amount equal to the amount of that increase (“the increased element”) (and that obligation to pay such an amount shall apply in respect of each further premium falling due for payment under the policy that includes the increased element),

(k) F39[subject to section 3A(4) (inserted by section 4 of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015), not assign or sub-let] the tenancy without the written consent of the landlord (which consent the landlord may, in his or her discretion, withhold),

(l) not alter or improve the dwelling without the written consent of the landlord which consent the landlord—

(i) in case the alteration or improvement consists only of repairing, painting and decorating, or any of those things, may not unreasonably withhold,

(ii) in any other case, may, in his or her discretion, withhold,

(m) not use the dwelling or cause it to be used for any purpose other than as a dwelling without the written consent of the landlord (which consent the landlord may, in his or her discretion, withhold), and

(n) notify in writing the landlord of the identity of each person (other than a multiple tenant) who, for the time being, resides ordinarily in the dwelling.

Annotations

Amendments:

F36

Substituted (9.07.2021) by Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021 (17/2021), s. 5(a), (c), commenced on enactment.

F37

Deleted (9.07.2021) by Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021 (17/2021), s. 5(b), commenced on enactment.

F38

Inserted (9.07.2021) by Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021 (17/2021), s. 5(d), commenced on enactment.

F39

Substituted (7.04.2016) by Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 (42/2015), s. 4(3), S.I. No. 151 of 2016.

F40

Substituted by Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 (42/2015), s. 24(a), (b), not commenced as of date of revision.

F41

Inserted by Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 (42/2015), s. 24(c), not commenced as of date of revision.

Modifications (not altering text):

C12

Prospective affecting provision: paras. (m) and (n) amended and para. (o) inserted by Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 (42/2015), s. 24, not commenced as of date of revision.

(m) not use the dwelling or cause it to be used for any purpose other than as a dwelling without the written consent of the landlord (which consent the landlord may, in his or her discretion, F40[withhold),]

(n) notify in writing the landlord of the identity of each person (other than a multiple tenant) who, for the time being, resides ordinarily in the F40[dwelling, and]

F41[(o) where a deposit referred to in section 12(1)(d) has been paid to the landlord by the tenant, for the purpose of the effecting, by the Board, the return of the deposit to the tenant subject to the conditions specified in section 12(4) and ascertaining, for the purpose of such return, if a default referred to in section 12(4) is to be taken into account

(i) to respond to the notification of the Board that relates to the return of the deposit in accordance with this Act,

(ii) to provide information, in accordance with this Act, to the Board of any such default, and

(iii) to notify the Board, as soon as practicable, of his or her address for correspondence when the tenancy has ended.]

C13

Application of para. (k) restricted (19.08.2021) by Affordable Housing Act 2021 (25/2021), s. 32(4)(b), S.I. No. 424 of 2021.

Application of Act of 2004

32.— ...

(4) Subject to subsection (5), a tenant of a cost rental dwelling shall not assign or sub-let the cost rental tenancy and— ...

(b) section 16(k) of the Act of 2004 shall not apply to a cost rental tenancy.