On the 31^st of May 2019 The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 was signed into law introducing significant alterations to the existing legislation which governs the relationship between landlords and tenants.

The following changes became effective on the 4^th of June 2019:

1.            New Notice of Termination Obligations and Procedures. A minimum notice period of 28 days now applies. If the tenancy is over 6 months, a reason must be provided by the landlord;

2.            New Notice Periods for ending a Tenancy;

3.            Introduction of Remedial Notices. This enables both landlords and tenants to amend a defect in the notice as identified by the adjudicator or Tribunal by serving a new notice;

4.            Changes to Rent Pressure Zone;

5.            New Criteria to designate Rent Pressure Zones;

6.            Extension of rent certainty measures.

Further changes became effective on the 1^st of July 2019 to include:

1.            Investigations and Sanctions. There is a specially designated unit to investigate potential breaches by a landlord of the legislation;

2.            New Prescribed Form for notice of rent review;

3.            Obligation to notify the RTB of a Rent Pressure Zone exemption;

4.            Student Specific Accommodation (SSA). Higher Education Institutions and the private sector which provide SSA to  students are now under the remit of the RTB. This applies whether a licence or lease is in place;

5.            Annual Registration. An annual registration is now required of €40 for a private rented tenancy and €20 for approved hosing body tenancies.