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The short answer
If your tenancy is covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, you can open a dispute with the Residential Tenancies Board. The RTB guide says the deposit is your property unless the landlord establishes a right to it, so the landlord must prove any deduction; you can choose free mediation or adjudication, which costs €15 online or €25 on paper.
First, check the RTB can hear your case
The RTB deals with tenancies under the Residential Tenancies Act. Its guide says it cannot get involved if you lived with your landlord under the rent-a-room scheme, if you were a local authority tenant, if you were on a short-term holiday let, or if you are the landlord's spouse, parent or child with no written agreement. If one of those applies, see renting a room in an Irish house for your options.
If the owner lived elsewhere and you paid rent for the home or a room in it, you can generally use the RTB, and the guide says tenants can bring a case even where the landlord never registered the tenancy.
What a landlord may and may not keep
The RTB guide sets out the principle plainly: the deposit is the tenant's lawful property unless the landlord establishes a right to it, it should be returned promptly at the end of the tenancy unless lawfully withheld, and it is for the landlord to prove why any part is kept.
| Usually a lawful deduction | Usually not |
|---|---|
| Rent you owe | Normal wear and tear, which the guide says is the landlord's responsibility |
| Bills left unpaid that are in the landlord's name | Repainting or carpets simply because time has passed |
| Damage beyond normal wear and tear | Deductions with no explanation of the amount and the reason |
The RTB also says tenants should be told how much is being kept and why. A landlord who keeps the whole deposit and gives no breakdown is starting from a weak position.
Was the deposit too high to begin with?
Since the 2021 amendments, the RTB's FAQ says a deposit cannot exceed one month's rent, and the total a landlord can ask to secure a tenancy is two months' rent including advance rent. If you were asked for more, raise that in the same case. Our guide on the deposit limit for Dublin landlords has the detail.
Before you file: ask in writing and gather evidence
- Write to the landlord, by email or message, asking for the deposit back by a specific date and asking for an itemised list of any deductions.
- Collect your tenancy agreement, proof you paid the deposit, any inventory, and the photos or video you took on moving in and moving out.
- Keep the landlord's replies; a vague or changing explanation helps your case.
- Note the date the tenancy ended and the date you returned the keys.
Proof of payment is often the weakest link for people who paid a deposit in cash or through a friend. A bank transfer reference or a statement line showing the amount and date is the best evidence you can have.
The RTB route, step by step
- Mediation
- Free. A mediator helps you and the landlord agree. It is confidential and does not weigh evidence; outcomes are not published.
- Adjudication
- €15 online or €25 on paper. An independent adjudicator decides, and the Determination Order is legally binding. It is published with the parties' names and the property address.
- Tribunal appeal
- €85 online or €100 on paper. A three-person tribunal hears the case again from the beginning; reports are published in full.
These fees are from the RTB's Good Landlord/Tenant Guide, which states it was up to date as at October 2021; check the current fee on the RTB site when you file. The guide says adjudicators can award up to €20,000 in damages, and the RTB's March 2026 update confirms that adjudication and tribunal can order damages up to that amount. A deposit claim is normally far below that limit.
Worked example
An example tenant paid rent of €1,600 a month and a deposit of €1,600. On leaving, the landlord keeps €700: €200 for cleaning and €500 to repaint the bedroom. The tenant has move-out photos showing the flat clean and the walls only lightly marked after three years. The tenant applies for adjudication online for €15. If the adjudicator finds the repainting was normal wear and tear and the cleaning charge unsupported, the order would direct the return of the €700; if the cleaning is found justified, €500. Either way, the €15 fee is small next to the sum in dispute.
If you have already left Ireland
Many readers move on, to the UK, Canada or home to Nigeria, before the deposit is settled. You can still pursue the case online. Give the RTB an email address you will keep, and make sure the landlord has account details where the money can be paid.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account has local euro account details, so a refunded deposit can be paid in even after you leave Ireland, and it stays in euro until you choose to swap it. Statements from receipts and statements help prove what you paid in the first place.
Questions people ask
How long does a landlord have to return a deposit in Ireland?
The RTB guide says it should be returned promptly at the end of the tenancy unless lawfully withheld. If it is not, you can open a dispute with the RTB.
How much does it cost to take a deposit case to the RTB?
Mediation is free. Adjudication is €15 online or €25 on paper, according to the RTB's guide; check the current fee on the RTB site when you apply.
Can my landlord keep my deposit for painting?
Not for normal wear and tear, which the RTB says is the landlord's responsibility. Damage beyond normal wear and tear can be deducted, and the landlord must prove it.
Can I get my deposit back after leaving Ireland?
Yes. You can run the RTB case online from abroad and have the money paid into a euro account you still control.
Sources
- RTB: The Good Landlord/Tenant Guide (up to date 21 Oct 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
- RTB: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No.2) Act 2021 FAQs (updated 16 Jul 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
- RTB: Rental law changes from 1 March 2026 · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.